Shopmade Small Blade Guide for Bandsaws

[Andrew Joiner]

What a great idea. I want to do this with ball bearing side guides. I haven't bought my saw yet and this opens up new possible choices.

Do the ball bearing side guides on most saws back off enough to capture a 1/4" chunk of phenolic? I would cut dimples in the phenolic and just squeeze it tight with the ball bearing guides.
Could the thrust bearings support the blade back if you used shorter phenolic blocks?



I this at this old link http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=26314


#1 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showpost.php?p=242682&postcount=1) http://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/buttons/report.gif (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/report.php?p=242682)
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/statusicon/post_old.gif 11-13-2005, 12:40 PM
Sam Blasco (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/member.php?u=3847) http://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/statusicon/user_offline.gif
Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Smithville, TX
Posts: 207


Simple Small Blade Guide For Euro-Guides
My grandfather used lignum vitae, I'm using phenolic. Take scrap blocks, let the blade cut it's own kerf, sandwich and clamp them between the existing guides and set the thrust bearing directly behind them. Note that on the bottom you can project the guide up into the throat area. They work very well, require no guide changing, and when the wear, use the other side.
Attached Thumbnailshttp://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=25982&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1131907051 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=25982&d=1131907051) http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=25983&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1131907103 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=25983&d=1131907103) http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=25984&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1131907134 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=25984&d=1131907134) http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=25985&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1131907168 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=25985&d=1131907168) http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=25986&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1131907202 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=25986&d=1131907202)

[Chris Padilla]

Cool stuff...I have these Euro guides on my MM20...looks like a MM that Sam's using.

[M Toupin]

Do the ball bearing side guides on most saws back off enough to capture a 1/4" chunk of phenolic? I would cut dimples in the phenolic and just squeeze it tight with the ball bearing guides.
Could the thrust bearings support the blade back if you used shorter phenolic blocks?


Just remove the bearings and drill a appropriate sized hole so it slips over the shaft which is cammed. Trying to mess around and sandwich a piece between the blade and bearing is just asking for problems. Really no need to make it any more complicated than it needs to be.

Maple or oak soaked in oil over night works just as well and it's free from the scrap bin.

Mike

[Andrew Joiner]

Just remove the bearings and drill a appropriate sized hole so it slips over the shaft which is cammed.


Mike
Thanks Mike,
Good to know that it works to make a drilled guide.

I'm thinking Sam's idea is less complicated and faster if there's room between the bearings to squeeze it tight.

[Jim O'Dell]

Cool stuff...I have these Euro guides on my MM20...looks like a MM that Sam's using.

And you think that Sam might be using something other than a MM bandsaw????:D:D:D:D

Yes, Sam showed this in the post you linked to here back some time ago. I have alluded to it before on threads talking about having to cut the blade guide on a MM bandsaw when using small blades. I cut mine, but wouldn't have if I had seen Sam's post first. Cutting doesn't cause any problems, but this is just easier. And for me, it will allow me to get the blade better supported up close to the bottom of my table since the E16 lower guides are a little further away from the table than the other MM units.
Thanks for the pictures and link Andrew! I tried to find that link months ago and could not come up with it. Jim.

[Phil Thien]

I would cut dimples in the phenolic and just squeeze it tight with the ball bearing guides.

But then couldn't the block pivot a little?

[Andrew Joiner]

But then couldn't the block pivot a little?

I don't think it would pivot if the thrust bearings were used to support the blade back. The phenolic side guides would only be as tall as the bearing O.D. not as tall as the photo.

If there was a pivot tendency you could cut V shaped dimples in the phenolic(or oily wood) for the bearing to squeeze against. A radius the size of 1/2 the bearing cut in both sides of the block could be captured by the bearings

For this to work the side bearings would need to be backed off at least 1/4" to fit the phenolic block.

[Ed Calkins]

Great idea, however i don't understand the pivoting concern, (I'm probably missing something) after cutting the "slot" for the blade in wood guide and cutting it just deep enough for the gullet to protrude beyond the wood guide, would not the back of the slot act as a thrust surface and align the wood guide to the blade? Thus I don't think it would pivot and the backward deflection of the wood guide (and the blade) would be limited by the original side guides holding the wood guide and the original thrust bearing against the back of the wood guide. Therefore, I think having the wood guides be a little longer (as shown in the picture) would be better rather than limiting it to the size of the bearing OD. Anyway if I understand it correctly it is a great and simple solution. Ed

[Bruce Page]

I wish I had seen this before I bought the cool blocks from MM.
Thanks

[Andrew Joiner]

I just went into a store that stocks 14" Delta 18" Jets and clones with bearing guides. It looks like it would work on all of them. The bearings on the 14" saws for sure back off enough to squeeze a 1/4" block of wood, phenolic or maybe CERAMIC!

The good part is the lower block could come up to table height. It would be supported on the back by the thrust bearing above the side guides. It would be supported better than Sam's saw in the photo's. His has the thrust bearing below the side guides.

Yes Ed your thinking like I am.

Now to try it. For now it opens up my saw choices.