Bandsaw tracking question

[Rich Tesoroni]

I have a Centauro 600 I've been puttering with for a while and have gotten it running (new bearings, tires, brake, etc). Since I'm probably going to sell it (it's bigger looking at home) I don't want to crown the tires since the next person may want to use a wide blade and hang it over the edge.

Any way to get this thing to track a 1/2" blade which is all I have? Don't have the guides on, but will they keep it from sliding backwards once they're on for it to be useful?

Thanks,
Rich

[Ken Fitzgerald]

The answer is "NO".

The blade should track without touching the thrust bearing (rear bearing) when you are not cutting anything. The blade shouldn't engage the rear bearing until it's actually cutting.

I have a MM-16. With the saw UNPLUGGED...I open the upper door......I retention the blade and then spin the upper wheel by hand watching the tracking. I adjust it as necessary until the blade hangs of the the front side or outside of the upper tire. I want the gullet of the blade to not be on the tire. Once I am able to spin it by hand at a pretty good rate and it's tracking well. I close the door...plug the saw in and turn it on for about 3 seconds and shut if off. After the blade quits turning, I open the door and check the tracking. If it's still good, I close the door and turn the saw on for about 20 seconds. I then shut it off and check it one more time. If it is still tracking normally, I turn it on and cut wood.

[Jay Stellers]

The answer is "NO".
I adjust it as necessary until the blade hangs of the the front side or outside of the upper tire. I want the gullet of the blade to not be on the tire.

I'm a bit confused. Are you using a blade that is wider than your wheels? My BS has a stated maximum blade width of 3/4" but it rides completely within the width of the tire. Would I be able to safely use this overhang setup and use a 1" blade?

Jay

[tyler mckenzie]

glue then crown the tire, i just did mine 2 days ago. Super smooth. You wont regret it. My 20" has solid cast iron wheels, one has a run out of .03 over the 20". The crown totally eliminates the run out if dressed on the bandsaw.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Aren't some euro saws flat tired? I could be wrong on that, but seems like I heard it someplace. The problems with tracking a blade with the gullets on the tire are that saw dust can build up under the blade easier, and cause vibrations, and the teeth will wear the tire quicker. That being said, Ken is right, but there are an awful lot of 14" Delta clones running with the teeth near the middle of the tire.

The flatness will make it more difficult to track, it will be more touchy about adjustments, but it would work to just run your 1/2" blade in the middle of the tire someplace. Expect a little more tire wear, but if you plan to sell it anyhow, oh well.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Shish guys, we really hit it from all angles all at once!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Jay...as Steve said Euro bandsaws use a flat tire...no crown.

My MM-16 is a Euro...made in Italy.

I currently have a 1/2" blade on mine. I adjust the tracking so the part of the blade that is riding on the tire is right behind the gullet. The gullet and the teeth of the blade hang off the front edge of the tire.

Only smaller blades would be centered on the tire....say my 1/4" blade.

[Jay Stellers]

Ok, so my tires are crowned on my Rikon so I can't use this technique?

[Rick Fisher]

I have the exact same saw, its called an SCM-600, made by Centauro. I restored it and remember exactly the issue you are talking about.. :)

Mine has flat tires. I replaced the origional flat tires, with flat tires.

I remember this like it was yesterday. It was Ken Fitzgerald who told me how to set it up. :rolleyes:

Anyhow, I rolled it by hand (motor off) for quite a while. Then gave it some short bursts of power. It helps to mess with the tracking a bit and figure out how sensitive it is.. (by hand of course).

If I can help at all, let me know. I have had great success with the saw .. absoultely love it.

Mine is a 1989. The saw is still made today by Centauro .. If yours is of the same age, it should look like this.

http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m455/jokerbird_photo/P1010472.jpg

A few years older and it will be a bit different shape?

The saw is still made by Centauro and called the CL series. They are heavy weight cast iron machines.

http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m455/jokerbird_photo/CL.jpg

[Joe Meazle]

Rich,
I can't add much but i would like to see a pic of your saw. I have a Centauro that size. I think mine is faily old. It Cast Iron and I have no model # or Serial #.

[Chris Padilla]

Interesting about hanging the gullets outside the tire...I just slap my blade on...spin it a bit to make sure everything is on and looking okay...then go to town.

I've never paid attention to WHERE on the tire the blade sits. Maybe I should?

I have more than adequate dust collection so I doubt it would build up at all.

Still, it makes a certain amount of sense to not have sharp teeth constantly digging into the tire....

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Rick, thats still a danged fine looking saw.

[Rick Fisher]

Mine was a full restore. Really trashed. It was a labor of love .. financially its cost me too much to ever recouperate.

I dont see myself selling it, so it doesnt matter. The cost is already fading in my memory but the saw is still my favorite tool in the shop.

[Adam Grills]

They are heavy weight cast iron machines.


It Cast Iron and I have no model # or Serial #.

Cast iron machines? Sorry but are these not welded steel? The table,trunion, and wheels are cast but the rest?

I run my blade center on the wheel, cut a strip to see drift. If alot then I adjust the tracking. After that I adjust the fence slightly to match drift.

Adam

[Rich Tesoroni]

Guess I'll try playing with it some more when I get some time.

It's older than the other one pictured, but getting better!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/richtes/Centauro.jpg

Have to say it's fairly easy to work on. The bearings were fairly simple to replace, as was the brake (except for the $90 part).

Fits by a couple of inches too!

Rich

[Adam Grills]

They are heavy weight cast iron machines.


It Cast Iron and I have no model # or Serial #.

Guys- these are not cast iron saws! They are welded steel. The cast iron parts are table, trunion, and wheels. They are great saws that will last for ever! But not cast iron.
Adam

[Guy Belleman]

My bandsaw manual says this about adjusting the blade tracking:

"The blade should track so the body of the blade is centered on the upper wheel and tire. Turn the wheel by hand at least three full turns to ensure that the blade is tracking in its final position. Retighten the locknuts. Recheck the tracking. Do not attempt to adjust the tracking on the lower wheel."

Adjusting the blade according to the manual places the 1/2" blade gullets and part of the teeth on the tire. Should I be doing something else?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Guy.....It really depends on your particular bandsaw. Some bandsaws have crowned tires on the wheels....some have flat tires on the wheels.

[Joe Meazle]

Guys- these are not cast iron saws! They are welded steel. The cast iron parts are table, trunion, and wheels. They are great saws that will last for ever! But not cast iron.
Adam


Adam,
You are only half right. Rick's is indeed a welded steel frame SCMI. Mine is an eariler one peice cast iron saw. Only the doors that that cover the wheels are steel. I was suprised. It is even the same shape. Here are some old pics.

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s107/meazlejr/centauroBS.jpg

This was all I had to go on when I bought the saw off the Dallas CL for the princley sum of $300. I thought it was steel too when I saw this pic. I was wrong and surprised when it got to Arkasnas.

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s107/meazlejr/0000_00165boxes0022.jpg

Here it is in my shop. note that even the motor cover is CI and dust chute is too.

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s107/meazlejr/0000_00165boxes0019.jpg

You can see the CI webbing in this shot. Again the saw body is a single peice of CI with a CI table, CI wheels, CI motor cover, CI dust chute, and 2 sheet steel doors.

Rich, Thanks for the pic I am pretty sure mine is a diffrent flavor all together.


Joe

[tyler mckenzie]

that's a nice and solid lookin saw. If given the choice i'd opt for the older cast iron 600. thanks for the pics.

[Rick Fisher]

So I went and checked it out.. It is steel.

On the Centauro website.. the only saw with the sharp diagonal beam is the CL. It looks much more like the CL than the other two.. Which are cast..

I never actually looked before..

[Adam Grills]

Adam,
You are only half right. Rick's is indeed a welded steel frame SCMI. Mine is an eariler one peice cast iron saw. Only the doors that that cover the wheels are steel. I was suprised. It is even the same shape. Here are some old pics.



This was all I had to go on when I bought the saw off the Dallas CL for the princley sum of $300. I thought it was steel too when I saw this pic. I was wrong and surprised when it got to Arkasnas.



Here it is in my shop. note that even the motor cover is CI and dust chute is too.



You can see the CI webbing in this shot. Again the saw body is a single peice of CI with a CI table, CI wheels, CI motor cover, CI dust chute, and 2 sheet steel doors.

Rich, Thanks for the pic I am pretty sure mine is a diffrent flavor all together.


Joe

You have one nice saw there and indeed it is CI. Never seen one before. I would say it is in a different legue!

Adam

[Steve Rozmiarek]

My bandsaw manual says this about adjusting the blade tracking:

"The blade should track so the body of the blade is centered on the upper wheel and tire. Turn the wheel by hand at least three full turns to ensure that the blade is tracking in its final position. Retighten the locknuts. Recheck the tracking. Do not attempt to adjust the tracking on the lower wheel."

Adjusting the blade according to the manual places the 1/2" blade gullets and part of the teeth on the tire. Should I be doing something else?

Guy, tracking also affects blade drift. I think it was Fortune who had a story in Fine Woodworking a couple years back about tuning a bandsaw. He emphasized tuning out the drift by tracking your blade different. This only works on crowned tires by the way. I don't remember the mechanics of what he said, but maybe someone else here does? I think it was track the blade to the back of the wheel and you will steer the stock to the left, track it to the front and you steer it right. One of my saws has such a flat wide tire that the theory won't apply, and the other is only for curves and freehand, so I never really set it for drift.

One other thing I have learned, when the blade wants to drift different than it did last time you used the saw, toss the dull blade and put on a new sharp one.

[Eiji Fuller]

Rick,

I just picked up the same saw and need to do some tune up. This is my first bandsaw and I have only use a bandsaw once so I am in new territory here.

I started playing around with it and see that I need to change the tires, fix the brake (new pad?), and adjust the upper arm so that it is parrallel to the blade.

1. do I need to take the wheels off to change the tires? where can I get good tires?

2. How do I get the wheels off if I need to? I took off the bolt and flange on the upper wheel but it wouldnt budge.

3. How do I get the bottom wheel off to fix the brake? and where can I get the pad for it?

4. I need a new handle for the tensioner. do you know where I can get one?

5. Any tips on adjusting the upper arm so the blade guides stay in the same position relative to the blade thru out the travel?

I think I got the saw for a good price but it is beat looking I just want to get it tuned up for general use and resawing 6-10" wide boards to a consistant thickness.

Are carbide blades worth the premium price? Or should I just go with the standard blades. Any tips on blades and there usage would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Eiji Fuller




I have the exact same saw, its called an SCM-600, made by Centauro. I restored it and remember exactly the issue you are talking about.. :)

Mine has flat tires. I replaced the origional flat tires, with flat tires.

I remember this like it was yesterday. It was Ken Fitzgerald who told me how to set it up. :rolleyes:

Anyhow, I rolled it by hand (motor off) for quite a while. Then gave it some short bursts of power. It helps to mess with the tracking a bit and figure out how sensitive it is.. (by hand of course).

If I can help at all, let me know. I have had great success with the saw .. absoultely love it.

Mine is a 1989. The saw is still made today by Centauro .. If yours is of the same age, it should look like this.

http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m455/jokerbird_photo/P1010472.jpg

A few years older and it will be a bit different shape?

The saw is still made by Centauro and called the CL series. They are heavy weight cast iron machines.

http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m455/jokerbird_photo/CL.jpg