My Bandsaw actually cuts straight!!!

[Christopher Pine]

At the woodworkers show a week or so back I broke down and bought the carter bandsaw guides for my 14 inch jet bandsaw.. I am in hog heaven!!! This is the best my bandsaw has ever worked.. A great part due to the guides but while I was at installing them I put some effort in and really tuned it up.. and with new blades as well.. Like a new machine!

Amazing what you put up with and when you finally fix it you wonder "why didn't I do this sooner?"


Regards
Chris

[Mark Singer]

What did you get...the Bandrollers?

[Frank Pellow]

Congratulations. I hope to be able to say that myself someday. But I know that it will take study, work, and perhaps even some auxilary parts before that day comes.

[David Duke]

I actually did the same thing myself on my BS (minus the Carter guides I run Cool Blocks) a couple of months ago and its amazing how well your tools will work when tuned/adjusted properly!!

[Curt Harms]

I had a similar experience. I have a G1148, which is no Minimax's better looking brother:rolleyes: With a locally acquired blade, I couldn't resaw AT ALL! Blade wandered, caught, life was ugly. Read about parallel wheels, cool blocks and Timberwolf blades. It still ain't a Minimax's better looking brother, but it's certainly better. Bookmatching can look pretty cool!

Curt

[Allen Bookout]

I guess that I am one of the lucky ones. I usually get the lemon if there is one. I bought one of the last of the American made Delta 14" bandsaws with no motor. Built a base and put in a 2 hp and installed a riser. Made sure everything was tuned and the wheels aligned and it has cut straight from the beginning. Never wanders or cuts crooked. No special rollers or anything. I do use Timberwolf blades though. I wonder how much that has to do with it? I use the flutter test to adjust the tension which is close to the scale reading even with the origional spring.

May be I should not have said anything as tomorrow I will probably start it up and it will explode.

I am still wondering how much the Timberwolf blades have to do with it as I have never used any other brand.

Frank, I remember seeing post from you in the past about bandsaw problems. I tried a search but did not see exactly what I was looking for. Did you get the General 690? From your post I assume that you are still having problems. I feel for you as I know what that is like. May be some of the responses here will be of some help. GOOD LUCK! Allen

[Bernie Weishapl]

I think Allen the TW blades have a lot to do with it. I use them as well as the 1/2" woodslicer. Now that blade does a superb job on resaw. So I keep a 1/2" woodslicer and Timberwolf I keep 3/4" X 2 tpi for logs, a 1/2" X 3 tpi, 3/8" X 6 tpi and 1/4" X 8 tpi. That is what Suffolk recommended for what I saw and I have have really good luck with these. I have the Carter Bearings. I tuned mine and like Chris says what a difference especially with good blades.

[Mike Cutler]

I guess that I am one of the lucky ones. I usually get the lemon if there is one. I bought one of the last of the American made Delta 14" bandsaws with no motor. Built a base and put in a 2 hp and installed a riser. Made sure everything was tuned and the wheels aligned and it has cut straight from the beginning. Never wanders or cuts crooked. No special rollers or anything. I do use Timberwolf blades though. I wonder how much that has to do with it? I use the flutter test to adjust the tension which is close to the scale reading even with the origional spring.

May be I should not have said anything as tomorrow I will probably start it up and it will explode.

I am still wondering how much the Timberwolf blades have to do with it as I have never used any other brand.

Frank, I remember seeing post from you in the past about bandsaw problems. I tried a search but did not see exactly what I was looking for. Did you get the General 690? From your post I assume that you are still having problems. I feel for you as I know what that is like. May be some of the responses here will be of some help. GOOD LUCK! Allen

Actually Allen, your Delta has a lower bearing design that is different than the Jet. Which may have helped you out.
The lower bearings on the Jet 14" are upside down in my opinion. The thrust bearing is below the guide bearings. ON all the Delta's I've seen, this is the reverse, and the thrust bearing is closer to the underside of the table.
When I installed the Carters on my 14" Jet, I modified the mounts to more closely mimic the Delta configuration for lower guide/thrust bearing assy.

Chris. It's always satisfying get a machine to perform well. I struggled with my Jet 14" for quite some time before I could get it to resaw even remotely acceptable.

[Christopher Pine]

Yes the guides that have the bearings on each side of the blade is what I bought. They have another guide that is used to cut very tight curves with your blade on low tension... kindof neat but I wanted to use for resaw mostly and the occasional gentle curves... anyway works well. I have tuned the saw up in the past with ok results, but this is best so far. I do think good blades make a big differance as well!

Chris

[Frank Pellow]

...
Frank, I remember seeing post from you in the past about bandsaw problems. I tried a search but did not see exactly what I was looking for. Did you get the General 690? From your post I assume that you are still having problems. I feel for you as I know what that is like. May be some of the responses here will be of some help. GOOD LUCK! Allen

Allen, I ended up buying an ACM Star 400 bandsaw. See the thread http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=15720. ACM makes the bigrer Lagunna saws and the ACM Star 400 is similar to the old Laguna 16HD saw.

I mentioned in the recent thread http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=26620 that I am having difficultly getting a straight cut. The first thing that I am going to do it to get a new blade. I will probably also get an after-market adjustable fence.

Also, a lot of the problem is probably me, because I have had very little experience with bandsaws. I plan to read more on the subject.