Haunted Band Saw

[Harvey Pascoe]

My bandsaw (Delta 14) makes ghostly noises and sounds like a haunted house and has been doing this for a long time. There are times when it even sounds like voices coming from another room. Yeah, I know what you're thinking, this guy needs a shrink.

Other than being annoying, there are no problems with it and it functions perfectly at Slicing 8" wide veneers. It just bothers me that there might be something wrong that I don't know about but I can find nothing wrong. Has anyone else experienced this and is there a way to get rid of this bizarre harmonic? I always use the same kind of blade and rarely change the set up, but even when I do, the ghosts don't go away.:eek:

[Jim Matthews]

My guess is bearing howl or a drive belt has begun to rub against the housing.

With the blade removed, hold the drive wheel at 10 and 2 (as if driving) and attempt to rock the wheel on the axle.
If there's play, the wheel may oscillate at speed. Rotate the wheel by hand, it should rotate smoothly - resistance maybe a worn ball or race.

You may also wish to check if the BS is firmly set and level. If it is out of level, the covers can rattle in sympathy with the blade.
Just for grins, try taping the cover shut. This may be enough to dampen any rattles in the case covers.

Can you hear this, with hearing protection on?

[Harvey Pascoe]

The sound is a harmonic, not a mechanical sound. The saw sits on a mobile base and is never level. The whole system has been checked and thoroughly gauged, nothing out of true. If I remove the blade and turn it on, no sound. If I back off the roller guides so that there is no contact with blade the sound goes away. Because I saw wide veneers, I keep the bearings in contact with blade, but barely kissing it. This increases other noise somewhat but I don't think that is the cause.

Could blade type be it? I use Woodslicer. Six months ago I had a trimaster on it and if I remember rightly there were no ghosts with that blade.

[Paul Wunder]

This sounds like a job for GHOSTBUSTERS. Where is Bill Murray when you need him!

[Neil Brooks]

How about a trial of running it with NO blade, to eliminate the blade as the culprit ?

[Terry Beadle]

Another thing you might try is putting some paste wax on the both sides of the blade. Be very careful applying the wax. Then try it with and with out the cool blocks adjusted.

Be sure to check to make sure your blade wheel rubbers are not slipping or have excess grime/pitch on them.

[Myk Rian]

Running it without a blade won't help determine if the upper wheel bearings are going bad.
How old is the saw?

With the saw running (with a blade) put a dowel against the upper axle. Sharpen the dowel to a point so it stays in the center divot. Put the other end to your ear. That ought to tell you something.

[John TenEyck]

Does the noise go away or at least change if you change blade tension?

[scott vroom]

Have you considered a seance? It may be trying to communicate with you.

[Bruce Wrenn]

If I back off the roller guides so that there is no contact with blade the sound goes away. Because I saw wide veneers, I keep the bearings in contact with blade, but barely kissing it. This increases other noise somewhat but I don't think that is the cause.Noise goes away when rollers aren't in contact with blade. So it's either the rollers, or the blade. My bet goes for the rollers. Went over to a friends house a week ago today. He had sounds (band rollers from Carter) that when we backed them off, sound went away. Rollers appeared smooth running when we turned them by hand.

[Jim Matthews]

You may wish to consult your Pooka (http://petcaretips.net/pookas.html).

They will only tell you what you need to know.

[Harvey Pascoe]

Hahaha, I knew that one would get a few laughs. Yeah, they are Carter bearings and the ghosts are pacified when bearings backed off. Guess I'll just have to live with it but you can't believe how spooky this thing sounds, like something out of a movie, sometimes funny, other times annoying. I'm a fanatic about sounds and quiet running machines and anything out of the ordinary sets me off.

Maybe I should try setting the bearings with a piece of paper and have them a little less tight? I get lazy about that due to frequent blade changes.

[Bruce Wrenn]

I suspect that bearings are worn out. The bearings are about 1/2" in diameter. Circumference is 1.57" (0.5 X 3.14). Blade speed is 3000 feet per minute. 3000FPM X 12" = 36,000 inches per minute. Divide by 1.57" and you get a bearing speed in RPM's of 22,929. This is about the same speed as a router bearing. You might want to order some QUALITY replacements for bearings.

[Paul Symchych]

I had the same sort of irritating noises with my Jet 18. This had been going on for a very long time. It seemed to get even louder as the saw was slowing down when shut off. Quite different than the sound from a worn drive wheel bearing I replaced a couple of years ago.
Purely unrelated, I ruined a blade resawing some 8" lacewood and picked up a replacement blade locally. In doing so I also cleaned all the accumulated dust and gunk from the bearings etc. The noise went away! I'd been using timberwolf blades and the replacement blade is an Olson. I strongly suspect it was blade noise that I was hearing. Not only quiet now but the Olson cuts better than the Timberwolfs I've been used to.

[Howard Acheson]

The first thing I would check is whether the noice happens with a different blade. You mention that it didn't but seemed unsure. What size blade are you using? I bet you have already tried but can you localize the source of the sound in any way?

I happen to not be a fan of roller guides on 14" band saws. I have always used Cool Blocks which are quieter and more supportive of the blade. They work particularly well for sawing into thin veneers. I had an older Delta 14" which I gave to my son. I bought a new Grizzly 14" and ordered it with Cool Blocks. It's a nice saw.

[Lee Schierer]

Check your blade thrust bearings and insure they are in fact turning and turn easily. I had bearings on my fairly new Delta 14" stick and they made a lot of noise.

[Harvey Pascoe]

No question, the Carter bearings are not high quality, not sealed just covered, and I take them apart and clean at least twice a year. Didn't notice any slack the last time. I like bearings because if the blade is veering off, the bearings indicate that by not spinning on one side or the other and I can back off before I make a real mess of the stock. No complaints with bearings from me. Looked into the cost of new sealed bearings, wow! Expensive little buggers.

[Curt Harms]

No question, the Carter bearings are not high quality, not sealed just covered, and I take them apart and clean at least twice a year. Didn't notice any slack the last time. I like bearings because if the blade is veering off, the bearings indicate that by not spinning on one side or the other and I can back off before I make a real mess of the stock. No complaints with bearings from me. Looked into the cost of new sealed bearings, wow! Expensive little buggers.

You might try a local bearing place if you can find one. I found some sealed bearings for a Rikon 14" for around $7 per if I recall correctly. Some people use in-line skate wheel bearings. They got 'em off Ebay for like $2-$3/bearing and they are sealed.

[Harvey Pascoe]

Ghosts are exorcised! Had some time to play around with it yesterday. It was the bearings, a tad too tight. When I backed them off, the saw ran completely quiet, so I reset them with a piece of paper and it remains quiet. Problem is, when I go to tighten the bearings, this tends to pull them into the blade and extremely hard to work with on the underside.

[Harvey Pascoe]

You might try a local bearing place if you can find one. I found some sealed bearings for a Rikon 14" for around $7 per if I recall correctly. Some people use in-line skate wheel bearings. They got 'em off Ebay for like $2-$3/bearing and they are sealed.

$7.00??? Wow! Are you sure they are sealed or just merely covered? The Carter's have a metal/plastic cover that pops off with a knife but does not keep dust out. I don't know how it gets in there but it does.

Wear is not an issue with roller bearings, there is almost no load on them, they do not heat up, and they're good for continuous duty use. The intermittent use they get on a band saw is nothing. Its the dust that clogs them up. Mine are 7 years old and get used daily, show no wear on balls or races when examined under magnification.

[Curt Harms]

Hey Harvey

If the size is right, $7 is a rip-off :p I don't know how these work with Carter guides. Ebay item # 390338594789 $14.50 includes free shipping
Bearing Size: 8mm x 22mm x 7mm (608-RS)
Double Sealed - Ball Bearing
INCLUDES 8 BEARINGS


These work on the Rikon 10-325 with the factory bushings. I'll bet they'd also work on the Craftsman ???-401 that looks like the Rikon and probably others.