bandsaw tracking - tension on or off

[Mark Evans]

I have a Laguna 14bx bandsaw. I've read the manual, watched various videos and I'm still questioning things.
1.) Do I set blade tracking with tension on or off? I've seen and read that the quick release should be off (no tension), make a small tracking correction, re-apply tension and spin. I've also read/watched where the tension was left on.
2.) Is run-time tension set before or after tracking?
TIA.

[David M Peters]

I adjust tracking with tension applied... on my 1412 the blade is barely engaged with no tension.

I'm not sure what the benefit would be for removing tension... are they worried about excess wear on the threads?

[Edward Weber]

IMO, tracking needs to be checked with tension applied, normal operating condition.

[Mike Cutler]

Checking tracking, without tension applied, cost me a little over $200.00 this past August.
I absentmindedly set the tracking on my 18" Rikon, with a 1" Lennox blade. Turned the bandsaw on, and the blade was damaged, when it jumped off. I didn't even have the time to shut the machine down.
To add to the insult, I waited 10 days for a replacement blade. Now I have 2 blades. ;)
Adjust tracking with tension applied.

[Richard Coers]

After you set tracking once, there should be no major adjustment after that. So I always check tracking with the machine running. So tension on. But, I never (50 years) take the tension off after I like the tracking anyway.

[Robert Hazelwood]

Removing the tension before turning the tracking wheel makes it easier on the screw threads. If you are maxxed out on blade tension it can take a lot of force to turn the tracking knob, so I see why someone would say that, but it seems overly cautious to me. It wouldn't hurt anything though, except to make it slightly more tedious to get the tracking right.

[Mark Evans]

I appreciate all the input. The Laguna videos specifically show changing tracking with tension off. I recently went from a 1/2" blade to an 1/8" blade and it was a major difference in tension. A real PITA to get that 1/8" blade tracking right too. Here's the link to the video: https://youtu.be/5wVNliX6qgI?si=N5Fp328v0j38lijL&t=17

[John TenEyck]

There's no way I could adjust tension, or tracking, on my Grizzly with a 1" blade installed with tension fully engaged. I lower the quick release lever to take off enough tension to make adjusting tension or tracking easy, then push the tension lever to fully engage it again. Then check the tracking and tension. Rinse, repeat, until both are where I want them.

John

[Randall J Cox]

I have a 20" Powermatic, check tracking with tension on (3/4" blade). Then stand back and turn on, should be same tracking. (This my 3rd BS, did same on all) Randy

[Tom M King]

I don't even adjust the little ones with full tension on. Some tension on all of them, but neither full nor none.

[Erik Loza]

I track it with just enough tension to keep the blade in the wheels.

Erik

[Tom Bain]

I can’t say this is the best way, but I adjust the tracking as I’m tensioning. Turning the wheel by hand and adding tension, adjust the tracking, add some more tension … just keep repeating until I have it all where I want it.

[Lee Schierer]

I never adjust tracking when fully tensioned. The die cast parts on Delta saws are notorious for breaking with too much tension. I do it the same way as Eric, with just enough tension to keep the blade in place. Once I aligned my miter slot and fence to the blade (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNdrkmx6ehI) and learned to center the blade on the upper wheel, I have had much better results with my band saw. I rarely have to adjust tracking even when changing blades.

[Chris Parks]

IMO, tracking needs to be checked with tension applied, normal operating condition.

I thought that was the whole idea, cut and check "drift" then adjust tracking to eliminate the "drift".

[John TenEyck]

I thought that was the whole idea, cut and check "drift" then adjust tracking to eliminate the "drift".


Yes, absolutely true. I think some folks comments about adjusting tracking with minimum tension stops short of what they actually are doing. Like I said earlier, on my large saw it's not possible to adjust the tracking with the blade under full tension, so I unload the tension lever enough that I can make a change to the tracking adjuster, and then reapply full tension. THEN I check the tracking. If it's not right, I repeat the process. Increasing tension causes the C-frame of the saw to distort, even the most robust frames. If you adjust tracking at one tension, the blade is not likely to track the same at another. This is especially true when using wider blades where machine deflection really starts to add up. The reason manufacturers have a maximum recommended blade width is partially related to machine deflection. If you want to see how much the frame on your saw deflects, put a dial gage between the upper guide and table. Crank up the tension and watch the gage.

The reason manufacturers have a maximum recommended blade width is partially related to machine deflection. When you increase tension the frame bends and the upper guide assembly moves down and to the right. At some point, the upper guide assembly gets far enough out of alignment that the guide on the left will rub against the blade. If you raise and lower the upper guide assembly, you will see that the gap changes. The more robust the saw, the more tension it takes for that to happen.


John

[Edward Weber]

Yes, absolutely true. I think some folks comments about adjusting tracking with minimum tension stops short of what they actually are doing. Like I said earlier, on my large saw it's not possible to adjust the tracking with the blade under full tension, so I unload the tension lever enough that I can make a change to the tracking adjuster, and then reapply full tension. THEN I check the tracking. If it's not right, I repeat the process.


+1
This is a simple procedure to do and only takes a small amount of time to align your saw properly. I would add that when we say, "adjust the tracking" we're usually talking about very small adjustments. Many times it's a quarter turn, sometimes less.