Band saw roller guide adjustments

[Michael Adelong]

Hello everyone. I've been hanging out for a while admiring all of your projects and getting tons of free information. You folks sure do some beautiful work. Thanks for all of the tips.

I purchased my first band saw last weekend. It's a Rikon 10-340. I need some assistance adjusting the guides. I have never owned a band saw, but I used one a couple of times 20 years or so ago in high school wood shop. Guess that really doesn't count as "experience". Unfortunately, I didn't sleep at a Holiday Inn last night either. :)

The manual (not the worst, but definitely not the best) says how to adjust the roller guides from a "loosen screw, move guide, tighten screw" perspective, but not a word about how to get them adjusted properly.

I need some "basic" info.. Should the rollers be in constant contact with the blade, or should they just lightly touch it without necessarily rolling on it all the time? Should I use a feeler guage, or maybe use some paper between the blade and the guides while tightening them? I'm lost.

Help! :o

Thanks again,
Michael

[Jamie Buxton]

I set the guides with a small gap. A piece of paper may work for you; I have a friend who uses a dollar bill. One thing you should check for is that the blade may be a tad thicker at the weld. After I set the side guides, I spin the wheels by hand. You don't want the guides set so close that you feel them pinching the blade.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Michael I went to a woodworking class a while back. I knew I would be getting a new Griz bandsaw with the bearing guides. He told us to fold a dollar bill and put it between the blade and bearing on both sides. He also said to do the same thing with the rear bearing. Mine is working just fine.

[Doug Shepard]

You also want the guides to sit back just a hair behind the back of the gullets on the blade. Set that first or you'll just have to readjust the thrust bearing (the back one) a 2nd time.

[Michael Adelong]

Thanks, Bernie. Just one more question.

He told us to fold a dollar bill and put it between the blade and bearing on both sides. He also said to do the same thing with the rear bearing. Mine is working just fine.

Would that be like folding the bill in half and putting 1 thickness on each side of the blade, or folding the bill in half and then wrapping that around the blade to have 2 thicknesses of bill on each side?

I have an uncanny ability to complicate the uncomplicated, don't I? :o

Michael

[Richard Wolf]

You had it right the first time. One thickness on each side.

Richard