Rikon 10-340 with 3/4" WS blade...

[Michael Dunn]

Hey guys (and gal, now that I know there's at least one female here who happens to also be in the Chicago area...)

I'm setting up for some resaw work. So far each test cut gets better and better.

ATM, I'm using my grizzly 14" resaw attachment clamped using my Festool track clamps. (Yay, I finally get to use them. The track rarely needs them..) I used my Wixely digital angle gauge to make sure the fence was parallel to the blade and closely approximated the fence position.

I resawed a piece of 8" pine (I think that's what it is. It smells like pine.)

Here's a pic and the dimensions...

Top leading edge measured .3655"
Bot leading edge measured .3715"
Top trailing edge measured .3500"
Bot trailing edge measured .3430"

Would you say the blade is tensioned properly? Are these difference due to my technique and feed rate? Or fence setup and guide/thrust setup?

Any tips and tricks are much appreciated.

Thanx!!!

[Michael Dunn]

I'm also getting a little bit of front to back blade movement. Do you think I need new tires?

[Julie Moriarty]

I don't know if you saw that bandsaw tuneup video by Alex Snodgrass (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGbZqWac0jU) mentioned in your earlier thread. I watched it and it really taught me a lot.

The teeth on the blade are centered on the tire. That's good. I can't tell the condition of the tires though.

When I resaw, I score the top of the piece and use that as my guide for the entire cut. I'm sure my margin of error is over 0.00" :rolleyes: Your difference on top is .0155", that's pretty good. Everything I resaw runs through the planer afterward so that little difference is easily cleaned up. I think the biggest problem is when your blade drifts and starts to press the stock against the fence and bows the blade. Then there's a problem. But with the little differences you measured, I would think most of the improvement would be in the operator, if there really would be any that is consistent from one cut to the next.

[Michael Dunn]

Yes, I have watched that vid before. It was actually me who mentioned the video. I setup everything like he prescribed. I later cut some highly figured maple with even better results. By eye that is. I didn't mic the workpiece afterwords. I planed to the required thickness and that was that. I need to get some pitch and resin cleaner. My brand new blade is gummed up already. I test cut a bunch of 8" pine.

My main concern is the front to back movement. It doesn't seem to be drastically affecting the cut, but I'd still like to eliminate it.

[Julie Moriarty]

Oops! I was going to go back on your thread and give kudos to the person who mentioned it. Thank you Michael!

[David Kumm]

Where you put the blade on the wheel depends somewhat on whether the tires are crowned or not. If flat, the teeth on a wide blade should be just off the front, middle if crowned. Dave

[Michael Dunn]

To my eye it looks pretty close to dead flat. I can't really tell since the blade is there. I'll check later. I'm actually working on an actual project with actual wood now as opposed to shop setup, cleanup, and jigs and what not.

[Michael Dunn]

Should I buy urethane or rubber if end up needing to replace them?

[Joseph Tarantino]

I'm also getting a little bit of front to back blade movement. Do you think I need new tires?

is this the type of blade movement you're describing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrxBP8YBKYM

if yes, the blade has a bad (misaligned) weld or other defect. what kind of blade is it?

this is the same saw with a lennox blade from iturra design. note the steady tracking as the blade rides on the upper and lower wheels:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AacXG4D8AWc

i spent two months trying to resolve that oscillatory motion in the first video, ( i even went to new urethane tires) thinking it couldn't possibly be any of the 4 new timberwolf blades i was using. turns out they all had misaligned welds. one blade from iturra did the trick.

[Doug Ladendorf]

Have you cleaned them? I would do that before replacing. Looks like you are getting pretty good results. Congrats on the new saw!

[Michael Dunn]

is this the type of blade movement you're describing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrxBP8YBKYM

if yes, the blade has a bad (misaligned) weld or other defect. what kind of blade is it?

this is the same saw with a lennox blade from iturra design. note the steady tracking as the blade rides on the upper and lower wheels:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AacXG4D8AWc

i spent two months trying to resolve that oscillatory motion in the first video, ( i even went to new urethane tires) thinking it couldn't possibly be any of the 4 new timberwolf blades i was using. turns out they all had misaligned welds. one blade from iturra did the trick.

Yes!!! Exactly that. I should contact HWW. I am using the Wood Slicer blade at the moment. I have another WS , and a Timber Wolf to try as well. Perhaps I'll return them and get the Iturra or maybe a Woodmaster CT.

[Michael Dunn]

Have you cleaned them? I would do that before replacing. Looks like you are getting pretty good results. Congrats on the new saw!

I cleaned the tires the only way I know how. With Mineral Spirits. Here much cleaner. They look pretty tore up though. I'm thinking they need to be replaced.

[Erik Loza]

...thinking it couldn't possibly be any of the 4 new timberwolf blades i was using. turns out they all had misaligned welds...

This is a lot more common than people think. We actually dropped one (very well known) supplier of blades for exactly this reason. Too many returns. Remember, it can be the best blade stock in the world but there's still a human being setting the ends in the welding jig and sometimes "Friday afternoon" comes sooner than others. 99.99% of the time, oscillation of the blade is going to be a bad weld.

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[Joseph Tarantino]

Yes!!! Exactly that. I should contact HWW. I am using the Wood Slicer blade at the moment. I have another WS , and a Timber Wolf to try as well. Perhaps I'll return them and get the Iturra or maybe a Woodmaster CT.

a wood slicer? i'd always heard those were really good blades, unlike the timberwolfs. i'd go with iturra, and a replacement HWW blade (they'll hopefully stand behind their product). the t-wolf i'd just return and not waste time or money on it. my oscillating problem was totally resolved with a lennox blade from iturra. even smoothed out the saw's operation (note the nickel on the table for the first 50 seconds):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67s4qtbxHsk

[Michael Dunn]

Same here. I heard the TW's were great too. They came highly recommended by someone very reputable with nothing to gain from me buying one. I still haven tried my TW yet. I have to finish a couple picture frames and a mirror frame for Mother's Day.

I'm just glad to be making some saw dust that matters.

[Joseph Tarantino]

my TW experience taught me to install new blades with the guides and thrust bearings backed all the way out. then run the blade to look for blade "loping" before readjusting the guides and thrust bearings. i think many WWs just install the blade, adjust the guides and thrust bearings and those adjustments mask poor blade welds.