Grizzly GO555X Resaw Problem Fixed

[Leo Vogel]

I have owned a Grizzly GO555X bandsaw for several years, but could never get it to resaw the way I wanted. I always wanted to get some cool blocks for it, but could never find them. I contacted Grizzly and got the following email immediately:

“We appreciate your interest in our products. We do not sell an upgrade kit to put cool blocks on the G0555X. However, a previous model bandsaw had cool blocks. The parts are still available, and fit the G0555X. Please see the table below.”

Quantity Item Number Description Price (each)
4 PTS002 Thumbscrew $1.00
2 P1019Z071 Guideblock Holder $5.25
4 P1012008 Guideblocks $1.00

I ordered the parts, and after a little filing on the holder, they fit perfectly. It appears they support the blade much better than the bearings.

I also ordered a Wood Slicer blade from Highland Woodworking and installed it. I read all the testimony about the blade and some cuts not even requiring planing or sanding. I thought, sure, I will have to see that.

Well, let me tell you, WOW. I could not believe the difference. The saw is much quieter, and has absolutely no blade drift. The cuts are almost as good as from my cabinet saw. They certainly will not require any planning, and little sanding. I have found the perfect blade for my saw.
If you are experiencing some problems, give this a try. Amazing.

[Neil Brooks]

Honestly, I'm not even sure I AM experiencing the same issues, on MY 555X, but ... am going to order those same parts, now.

Thanks very much !

[Howard Acheson]

I ordered my Grizzly GO555X with guide block holders for Cool Blocks. I already had Cool Blocks from a prior saw.

I find the Cool Blocks support the blade much better and improve resawing particularly. A big plus is they are much quieter.

[Neil Brooks]

Ordered !

Thanks again, Leo :)

[Dan Friedrichs]

I also love the Woodslicer, but I've heard that Iturra Design's BladeRunner is the same stock for less money. I think they're about $5 less than the WoodSlicer.

[Neil Brooks]

I also love the Woodslicer, but I've heard that Iturra Design's BladeRunner is the same stock for less money. I think they're about $5 less than the WoodSlicer.

My daily-use blade is a 1/2" 3TPI TimberWolf.

Using it, I have NO complaints about the saw's resaw performance.

Now ... that said ... does anybody have experience with using THAT blade AND either the Wood Slicer OR the BladeRunner ?

Will me switching .... make the resaw THAT much better (ie, big feed rate improvement or much cleaner cut)?

TIA,
Neil

[Van Huskey]

My daily-use blade is a 1/2" 3TPI TimberWolf.

Using it, I have NO complaints about the saw's resaw performance.

Now ... that said ... does anybody have experience with using THAT blade AND either the Wood Slicer OR the BladeRunner ?

Will me switching .... make the resaw THAT much better (ie, big feed rate improvement or much cleaner cut)?

TIA,
Neil

In very general terms the Kerfmaster/Bladerunner/Woodslicer will start out sharper and dull a little quicker, though the silicon steel blade will also dull much faster than even carbon blades. The VP of the Woodslicer type blades will help with harmonics when doing tall resaws. The bottom line these types of blades allow saws incapable of tensioning a wider blade do a solid job on tall resaws but with a short life, they are also useful if you need to reduce waste for a certain piece of expensive wood. More info on both these types of blades can be found in this thread:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=149862&highlight=bandsaw

[Neil Brooks]

TYVM, Van.

I actually bookmarked that (great) page of yours, but ... didn't think to turn to it, in this case.

I'll be printing it out, and mulling it over.

Thanks again!

[Leo Vogel]

Neil Brooks - the 1/2" 3TPI TimberWolf blade is the exact same blade that I replaced with the Wood Slicer. Although the TimberWolf is a good blade, I could not get it to resaw the way I wanted. I will say that I have used every bit of spring on my GO555X to tension the Wood Slicer blade. I am running the 105 inch blade.

[Leo Vogel]

Van Huskey - I don't know why you said you weren't a bandsaw blade expert. I just read your thread that you referenced and it is superb. The best article on bandsaw blades that I've read.

[Neil Brooks]

Thanks again, Leo.

Doesn't seem to be any reason NOT to upgrade the blade, at the same time.

As to torquing the tension spring to its limits, who has replaced the spring with a Carter (no, Van, I _still_ haven't read your article, but I did print it :D), and with what results.

I'll do a site search on that one.

My (pretty knowledgeable) brother told me -- when I bought my G0555X -- "Great. Now go shop on the Carter website and make that think really sing !"

[Prashun Patel]

I have the G0555 and one of my biggest complaints has been the bearings and the loudness of the cuts. I would love to try the cool blocks. Do you know if these parts fit the G0555 too?

[Leo Vogel]

Prashun - I don't know for sure, but I would be surprised if the bearings and holder are not the same.

[Neil Brooks]

Update:

This MAY help Prashun....

The OEM bearing holders are secured to the saw via a "tab" that's:



.589" high
.316" wide

The replacements that use blocks, instead of bearings, are:


.601" high
.365" wide

So ... Prashun ... if your mounts are the same size as the ones I measured, you should be good. You might look at the parts diagrams of the G0555 and the G0555X, side by side, for further confirmation.

I received and installed the parts. At the same time, I also installed a Carter Ratchet Rod and Cobra Coil tensioning spring.

I never installed my riser block, but now will. So ... I simply went to the "Van Huskey's Band Saw Blades Primer," and followed his advice [thanks, Van !] on blade selection.

Pics:

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_WVVYjLCNo2w/TMZH022t9mI/AAAAAAAABSM/RGXCIqzjbDY/s640/P1040994.JPG
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_WVVYjLCNo2w/TMZH1MVd7SI/AAAAAAAABSQ/8JsxNqn0IMQ/s512/P1040995.JPG
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_WVVYjLCNo2w/TMZH15f0EDI/AAAAAAAABSY/B9adVeb8F1g/s512/P1040997.JPG

Fun, fun, fun hot-rodding a band-saw :)

[Prashun Patel]

Neil-
Thanks. I actually ordered the parts last week. Should arrive tomorrow.

I never knew about the Carter Ratchet rod. Tell me your thoughts once you use it. I dislike my tensioning knob and have been looking for a crank style tensioning mechanism. There are cheap ones on Amazon, but I think I might just get the Carter...

[Neil Brooks]

My thoughts are simple: I like it ... a lot.

I don't know whether I can use it *in conjunction with* the Grizzly tension/de-tension lever, but ... not too concerned.

As you probably experienced, getting 'full' tension on a 1/2" blade can be a workout, with the OEM setup.

I presume the Cater *spring* plays *some* role, but ... with the Ratchet Rod, the action is easy -- MUCH easier than the OEM star knob -- all the way TO and PAST the 'proper tension' indexed on the Grizzly.

I also like the idea that you can swap out the Carter handle for a torque wrench -- if you're so inclined -- and make note of the exact amount of tension that you like, for each blade, for each use.

Might be a cheap way to get much of the benefit of their $100 electronic tension gauge.

[Ed Murray]

Did Grizzly happen to tell you what the previous model bandsaw was?

[Leo Vogel]

Ed - no they did not tell me what the previous saw model was.

[Neil Brooks]

Taking this just a step further ....

I mic'd the Grizzly guide blocks (cylinders, actually).

The Olson Cool Blocks, part #CB50055 should be an exact fit.

Somewhere between $15 and $20 for a set of four.

Ordered mine :cool:

[Bob Landel]

Prashun, I also have a GO555 without the raiser installed.

Did you check with Grizzly and will the cool block option parts above fit our machine?

[Prashun Patel]

I did not check with them. But I just received my parts today. I'll report back tomorrow whether they fit.

edit: I just checked. The guideblock holders do not fit. :(

The stem is too wide to fit the hole that receives the current bearing guide holder. Further, the stem does not have a recess that can hold the retaining knurl knob, so there'd be no way to lock the stem in position.

Ideas?

Neal, can you post a pic of the SIDE of your saw where the guideblock holder attaches to the saw? The one below is a head-on shot.

- p

[Leo Vogel]

Prashun - the stem is slightly oversized and has to be sanded or file down some to fit. It is not hard to do, the stem is made of aluminum and goes quickly. I did mine on a circular sander. Try and keep it square. The stem is held in place with a thumbscrew. I did'nt think it would work well, but I have had no problems with it. Good luck.

[Neil Brooks]

Prashun, I also have a GO555 without the raiser installed.

Did you check with Grizzly and will the cool block option parts above fit our machine?

Bob,

Nominally, the Cool Blocks that I referenced, above, are a cylinder at:

12mm in diameter
3/4" long.

Mike (my micrometer), says the Grizzly guide blocks are:

.471 (11.96mm) in diameter
.788 long.

Close enough for me ;-)

The guide block HOLDERS that you get from Grizzly DO need to be filed a bit, to fit the G0555X.

Here's what my micrometer said:

OEM: .589" high; .316" thick
Replacement: .601" high; .365" thick

I used my bench grinder to make them fit. A flat file would work, too, but you'd be at it a while :o

[Prashun Patel]

To all,
Grizzly says that to properly retro the G0555 (possibly the G0555x too?) I should have ordered the following:

P1019005A Guide block holders (2)
P0580086 Guide blocks (4) - or use yr own blocks
PSS01M M1-10 Thumbscrews (4)

These are square holders that actually fit into the existing support rod. Instead of paying the restock and upcharge, I'm going to grind down the parts I have so they fit.

[Howard Acheson]

To all,
Grizzly says that to properly retro the G0555 (possibly the G0555x too?) I should have ordered the following:

P1019005A Guide block holders (2)
P0580086 Guide blocks (4) - or use yr own blocks
PSS01M M1-10 Thumbscrews (4)

These are square holders that actually fit into the existing support rod. Instead of paying the restock and upcharge, I'm going to grind down the parts I have so they fit.

Yup, those are the part numbers I received when I bought my G0555 in 2006. I used Cool Blocks I already had. Everything fit perfectly.

[Neil Brooks]

To all,
Grizzly says that to properly retro the G0555 (possibly the G0555x too?) I should have ordered the following:

P1019005A Guide block holders (2)
P0580086 Guide blocks (4) - or use yr own blocks
PSS01M M1-10 Thumbscrews (4)

These are square holders that actually fit into the existing support rod. Instead of paying the restock and upcharge, I'm going to grind down the parts I have so they fit.

I was actually going to order the "correct" guide blocks holder, since they're cheap, but ... that part number (it IS correct. I verified it in other Grizzly band saw parts lists) results in an error message, when I enter it into the manual parts ordering page (http://www.grizzly.com/multiitem.aspx). :(

Has anybody ordered the P1019005A's ... lately ?

I may have to call.....

[Prashun Patel]

Has anybody ordered the P1019005A's ... lately ?

I may have to call.....

Neil, you can order these by phone. Same price as online. I like their phone support.

[Caleb Larru]

I have owned a Grizzly GO555X bandsaw for several years, but could never get it to resaw the way I wanted. I always wanted to get some cool blocks for it, but could never find them. I contacted Grizzly and got the following email immediately:

“We appreciate your interest in our products. We do not sell an upgrade kit to put cool blocks on the G0555X. However, a previous model bandsaw had cool blocks. The parts are still available, and fit the G0555X. Please see the table below.”

Quantity Item Number Description Price (each)
4 PTS002 Thumbscrew $1.00
2 P1019Z071 Guideblock Holder $5.25
4 P1012008 Guideblocks $1.00

I ordered the parts, and after a little filing on the holder, they fit perfectly. It appears they support the blade much better than the bearings.

I also ordered a Wood Slicer blade from Highland Woodworking and installed it. I read all the testimony about the blade and some cuts not even requiring planing or sanding. I thought, sure, I will have to see that.

Well, let me tell you, WOW. I could not believe the difference. The saw is much quieter, and has absolutely no blade drift. The cuts are almost as good as from my cabinet saw. They certainly will not require any planning, and little sanding. I have found the perfect blade for my saw.
If you are experiencing some problems, give this a try. Amazing.

After having problems resawing with this bandsaw, I searched the forum and came across this thread. There must have been a lot of people who were having the same problem and tried this out because in the matter of 3 months the prices for these parts has went up almost 250% in the matter of a few months. I guess if it corrects the issues I am having it is worth it but I still feel like Grizzly was a bit opportunistic in this case.

[ian maybury]

If I've got it right Leo you fitted the Cool Blocks AND changed to the Timberwolf blade. Just curiosity on my part (i've been speculating in some recent posts that close running ceramic or phenolic guides like the cool blocks might damp vibrations that lead to drift), but it'd be interesting to trial the saw with all the side blocks backed out a whisker to test whether it's the close support the cool blocks enable or the change of blade that made the difference...

ian

[Leo Vogel]

Ian - I changed to the cool blocks and the Highland Wood Slicer blade. The Wood Slicer blade is not a Timberwolf blade, but the Wood Slicer did replace a Timberwolf blade. The setup continues to perform perfectly for me. I think it is a combination of both that works so well, but if I was going to buy just one item, it would be the blade.

[ian maybury]

Thanks Leo. Pardon mine on the make of blade, brain fade.

ian

[ken gibbs]

I installed a new Timberwolf 1/2" 3 tpi resaw blade last week on my G0555X Grizzley bandsaw. It made resaw cuts perfectly right out of the box. I could not really understand the tensioning instructions that came with the new Timberwolf blade. I did not have to understand these instructions because this new blade cut perfectly without changing the tension on the saw. I did buy a tube of Rockler's bandsaw blade lubricant stick to dress theis new blade.

[Howard Bashinski]

UPDATE ABOUT GRIZZLY COOL BLOCKS

Hi all. It's 2019 and I have updated info about replacing the ball bearings in the Grizzly G0555 line with Cool Blocks. Here is what Grizzly recently told me:

"The parts we have provided below will fit with the G0555/X/XH models, without issue. Some modifications may be required to fit the G0555LX/LA35/LANV models."

Guide Block Holder (Qty 2)
www.grizzly.com/parts/P0580085 (http://www.grizzly.com/parts/P0580085)
Guide Blocks (Qty 4)
www.grizzly.com/parts/P0580086 (http://www.grizzly.com/parts/P0580086)
Thumb Screws (Qty 4)
www.grizzly.com/parts/PTS003M (http://www.grizzly.com/parts/PTS003M)

Hope this helps!

hb

[William Chain]

Bottom line on all the G0555's - get the stock bearings off, upgrade to a Carter set, or Cool Blocks, etc. It is dramatically better on the G0555's when you replace the crap stock bearings.

[Bill White]

I'd like to know what mods are necessary for the 0555LX BS.