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View Full Version : Rikon 10-325 Bandsaw Owners: I need your help


Eric Meier
10-09-2009, 2:39 PM
Here's the deal: I've got a Rikon 14" bandsaw. Several months ago, I had a blade break while resawing a log. It wasn't that big of a deal, except that somehow the blade tension indicator broke.

The part that broke was a tiny screw (or some other metal pin???) that links the indicator arm to the up-and-down spring component. The arm now just swings freely. Just by looking at it, seeing the part that's still embedded in the saw, it looks like it was a tension/spring pin that was sheared off. (See attached pic)

I can still see how much tension is on the blade by manually lifting the arm and aligning the slot in the arm with the hole in the tension piece, and seeing where it *would* be if the two were still linked.

I looked in the owner's manual and all it listed was a part called "special screw" (yeah, real helpful) and apparently there isn't a replacement part available since there is no reorder # for this part.

I guess what I'm trying to ask is this: can anyone that owns this saw look and see what the piece looks like that links the tension indicator arm (should be yellow) with the up-and-down mechanism that actually changes the tension on the blade? Is it a spring pin, or some other part?

I can see what appears to be the remains of a spring pin still stuck in the saw, and I've been thinking about drilling it out, and replacing it with something else---maybe a screw or another spring pin. I'm just wanting to know what the actual OEM part looks like so I can get closest to how the saw was originally.
Dave Sweeney
10-09-2009, 5:19 PM
You're correct in that it is just some type of pin. Looking at mine, I can't tell if it's screwed into the piece it sticks out of or is actually a part of the casting. You must have gotten a better indicator mechanism than I did as this tension indicator feature has never really worked on mine. I usually just tension the blade up till is has no more than a ¼" of lateral movement and that seems to work out OK for me.
Mike Minto
10-09-2009, 6:24 PM
Eric, I have one, too - see my post from just an hour or so ago regarding Rikon's excellent customer service. Anyway, mine got damaged, too - log got away from me, broke my blade, etc, etc...Now I, too, just use the 'put some tension on it until it only moves 1/4" side to side - that is, until I can afford a proper tension gauge - which is on the list...if you still need it, I'll take a pic of mine tomorrow and post it - the damage is different from yours. Mike
glenn bradley
10-09-2009, 6:43 PM
I wouldn't worry over it as I use the flutter method to set tension and ignore the gauge. Sounds as though Rikon will send you a replacement part with the pin embedded in it. I would think you could drill it out and replace it with a roll pin if that suited you.
David Christopher
10-09-2009, 6:49 PM
Eric, its just a small roll pin
Curt Harms
10-09-2009, 7:05 PM
I wouldn't worry over it as I use the flutter method to set tension and ignore the gauge. Sounds as though Rikon will send you a replacement part with the pin embedded in it. I would think you could drill it out and replace it with a roll pin if that suited you.

check something out, I'm probably nuts. Look in the windows where the tension gauge is and watch the blade just below where it contacts the wheel on the upward travel. The band flutters there too, and will stop when tension reaches a certain point. If that flutter tension agrees with the usual tension, we wouldn't have to move the blade guides each time we change a blade. One of the things I like about the Rikon 10-325 is that the slot in the table is parallel to and in front of the blade. It can go straight on and come straight off, no having to move the blade ahead of the guides and turn it 90 degrees. I stick with all .025" thick blades so it's pretty quick to change blades, just move the thrust bearings.
bob hertle
10-10-2009, 7:35 AM
Curt,

You still have to move the side guides fore and aft if you are changing blade width, don't you?

Bob
John Coloccia
10-10-2009, 9:47 AM
Eric, its just a small roll pin

Seriously, I think you nailed it. This is a $.05 part at the hardware store.
Curt Harms
10-10-2009, 10:20 AM
Curt,

You still have to move the side guides fore and aft if you are changing blade width, don't you?

Bob
Maybe I should but I don't:p. I do care if there's drift on a blade I use for resawing and straight cuts so I set blade tracking & guides to minimize or eliminate drift with that blade. I only use narrower blades for curve cutting so if there's a drift angle due to blade track on the wheels, so what? I've gotten lazy and resawed smaller pieces with a 1/4" blade and it worked out pretty well but slow, as expected. The guides need to run toward the back of narrower blades so as not to have the bearings running on the teeth and messing with the set of narrower blades . This is why I really prefer the Carter blade stabilizer for narrow blades. I wish there were Cool Block-type or ceramic guides for the Rikon 10-325 but there aren't AFAIK. So I set the bearing guides to run in the center or forward of center on 1/2" blades and the back part of 1/4" blades.

I don't claim to be a bandsaw expert so take the above for what it's worth but it seems to work for me.