Balancing that nickle

[Jerry Crawford]

I was reading on another string about some owners balancing a nickle on edge on thier running TS. For a long time I thought that was urban legend untill, a few years ago, I tuned up my old contractor saw a little & switched to link belts (I now have link's on all my belt driven stuff). :)

I'm wondering if there are way's to enhance the performance of other shop tools? For example, I've tried for years to "tune" my band saw so it resaws without the blade wandering and have not yet suceeded in making it perform like that ancient monster Krenov is shown slicing veneer on. I must not have the "touch". I've read and applied info from a couple of well written BS books but I'm still not quite there yet. :o

Anyone care to share what they may have done to balance a tool or noticibly improve accuracy or performance of one?

[Mark Singer]

The larger blades on big tires don't have the lead problem. On my Agazanni 20" there is zero lead and it resaws perfectly straight. On a smaller saw, you can minimize the lead by changing the angle of the wheels and the position of the blade on the tires. If it is very forward it will usually lead to the right. Move the blade further back. You have to play with it. Sometimes co planer is not the answer and the wheels have to account for the inherent blade characteristics. Only the upper wheel angle has an adjustment...so try positioning the blade in different locations on the tire and see how the lead changes each time. In the end if it still leads, adjust the fence so it runs parallel.

[Russell Svenningsen]

Fine Woodworkiing recently had an article about a fella who has had the same (General, I believe) 15" bandsaw since the '70's, when he bought it new. He talks a lot about setting up the saw, from blades to tension, etc. He also addresses the issue of blade drift, what causes it, how to get rid of it, etc. Beware, what he says seems to contradict everything at least I've been taught about setting up a bandsaw.

The proof is in the pudding, as they, and I tried it. It worked beautifully. Has in the 2 months since, as well. And I've got a little Taiwanese 14" saw.

Just my.02,
Russell

[Dan Racette]

The Article was by Michael Fortune. Good Stuff.