bandsaw tension knob lube?

[Tom Henderson2]

Greetings.

I have an old 12" Craftsman bandsaw; from the 1970's. This is the two-wheeled version with cast alloy frame and plastic clip-on cover. You've seen jillions of them at garage sales.

It isn't much, but it has been well cared for and suits my needs at very low cost.

Adjusting the tension is a bit of a challenge though; it takes a lot of torque to twist the knob, mostly due to friction.

I can tension the blade adequately -- it just takes a lot of twisting force and is hard on the wrist.

So I'm not trying to get more tension; just the same tension with less stress on my wrist. I hope that makes sense.

The threads on the rod and the know appear to be in good shape, and the knob spins easily when the tension is low. But the threads and the thrust surface are dry (no lube)

I was wondering if there is any reason I couldn't put a bit of anti-seize lube on the threads...

The tension knob sticks up out of the top of the case, so doesn't see much dust. So I don't think it will get gunked up.

Any thoughts?

Tom in SoCal

[Bill Dufour]

I would use something like dry graphite any oil or grease will attract dust and form an abrasive paste. I would take all the moving bits apart and clean and lube them. The slide may be jamming under load.
Bil lD

[Rick Potter]

I would just put a dab of lubriplate on the threads and run them up and down to get it in the casting. Wouldn't bother me at all to have to clean it every couple years.

Heck, what else can you clean in the shop at eye level with no crawling around.

PS: If it still tightens too stiffly, pull the knob off, replace it with a couple locked nuts, and use a ratchet....gently. A buddy of mine did that with his MM 20", and it worked great.

[John K Jordan]

Tom,

My guess is lube on the threads won't solve the problem. You might disassemble it and see if the flat tension plate that slides in grooves is sticking. I worked on a bandsaw recently and the plate was warped a little and was binding which made tensioning difficult or impossible. The tension screw itself turned easily. A bit of quality time with a flat file fixed everything.

BTW, I haven't seen that model. I think I've been to one yard sale in 40 years. And if you do use lube on bandsaw part consider using a dry lube that won't collect fine dust and gum up things.

JKJ

[Lee Schierer]

I have lubricated the threads on my band saw tension adjusting mechanism with a few drops of oil. I've had no problem with dust accumulation on the lube. I also lubricated the threads on the two bolts that hold the table in place for tilting.

[Tom Henderson2]

Everyone -- thank you for your thoughts; all good inputs.

I did pull the top wheel and got a good look at the tensioning mechanism; it appears to be in good shape and everything slides freely. I cleaned it up, reassembled with a little anti-seize on the tension thread and it is *hugely* improved.

I am sensitive to how lube can attract gunk, but this thread is at the extreme top of the saw and don't think it will get too gunked up. If it does, I'll just clean it up from time to time as Rick suggests.

I took this opportunity to try and improve the balance on the top wheel; just added weight to the "light side" until it stopped moving under gravity alone.

I am pleased at how much smoother it runs now! Someday I'll have to do the same for the bottom wheel.

Again; thanks to all.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Everyone -- thank you for your thoughts; all good inputs.

I did pull the top wheel and got a good look at the tensioning mechanism; it appears to be in good shape and everything slides freely. I cleaned it up, reassembled with a little anti-seize on the tension thread and it is *hugely* improved.

I am sensitive to how lube can attract gunk, but this thread is at the extreme top of the saw and don't think it will get too gunked up. If it does, I'll just clean it up from time to time as Rick suggests.

I took this opportunity to try and improve the balance on the top wheel; just added weight to the "light side" until it stopped moving under gravity alone.

I am pleased at how much smoother it runs now! Someday I'll have to do the same for the bottom wheel.

Again; thanks to all.

I use White Lithium Grease for my machines.

[Randall J Cox]

+1 for the white lithium grease. Not a big deal to have to clean and re-grease every couple of years. Randy