bandsaw tension ?

[david paul miller]

hello, new here with a question, I just bought a grizzly go514x2 bandsaw and timberwolf blades and can't detention it enough to start the proper set up of those blades, at lowest tension its above the flutter stage, is there a way ? Also, does anybody know why they would cover over the stamped on manufactured date with a sticker showing 2011 when under it it reads 2009? (on the name plate of the motor on a go490x 8" jointer) THANKS DAVID

[John Coloccia]

hello, new here with a question, I just bought a grizzly go514x2 bandsaw and timberwolf blades and can't detention it enough to start the proper set up of those blades, at lowest tension its above the flutter stage, is there a way ? Also, does anybody know why they would cover over the stamped on manufactured date with a sticker showing 2011 when under it it reads 2009? (on the name plate of the motor on a go490x 8" jointer) THANKS DAVID

I believe there's an adjustment on the quick release mechanism for this. It's always possible that you have a slightly short blade.

Don't know about the name plate. I don't recall generally seeing the date on motor nameplates. It's certainly not a requirement. I suspect the motors were laying around for some reason or other and they popped them in, putting the new date on it to reflect the actual assembly date. Maybe they had a run of plates with an incorrect date on them. Who knows? The motor's manufacture date is not particularly important so it's a little strange it's even on there.

[david paul miller]

As for as the date on the motor maybe it was when they switched from a v belt to serpentine set up ? or new capacitors? .The reason i brought it up was (I forgot to mention in my original thread) My band saw came with a bad motor, grizzly had no problem sending me a new motor, but was sent a motor with a date of 2007 which is lacking the external cooling fins and the shaft is 3/4" to short, so i assumed they had an upgrade and made me wonder about the jointer motor date being covered over. No the blades aren't short, I've checked that.

[Josiah Bartlett]

I presume you got the blades on your bandsaw somehow. Perhaps the blade tensioning slider on the upper wheel is hanging up and it just doesn't get loose enough to flutter? Or maybe your saw just runs too smooth to produce much flutter? I've had a couple of Woodslicer blades that I could run very loosely and they didn't really flutter all that much, it was hard to tell. I have a very well balanced saw.

[david paul miller]

I got the blade on, there's plenty of slack when the arm is up. problem is when the arm is lowered 180 degrees and at lowest tensioning with nothing hanging up, the blade tensions more than timber wolf blades call for, I see several ways of resolving this but they all require machining, elongating etc... and it looks like if i adjust the eccentric nut on the tensioning shaft that will only put the arm in a different location when tensioned as it is the set screw that stops the arm

[Joe Angrisani]

I'd check the actual length of the blade as John mentioned before I'd even think about elongating holes or machining. What do you get when you measure the blade?

[david paul miller]

143 & 3/4", The first thing i checked was the length of the blades, I have 4 new blades from Suffolk machinery, and the stock blade. they all do the same , I'll call grizzly Monday

[Joe Angrisani]

That is odd. And they're even 3/4" longer than the specs. Let us know what Grizzly says.

[david paul miller]

sorry guys, John was right in the first response to this thread ."that i might have a slightly short blade" I remeasured and it was 142 & 3/4 a 1/4" short .thanks to you Joe, I remeasured. the good news its not the saw, the bad... the operator

[Joe Angrisani]

Very odd that all five blades were equally wrong. Not that 1/4" in 143 should make a lot of difference.

[david paul miller]

I'm thinking that 1/4" will make enough difference to bring the blade to flutter so I can adjust from there.

[Rod Sheridan]

A blade that's 1/4" short is only 1/8" on wheel travel. There must be something wrong with the adjuster mechanism on the bandsaw.......Rod.