Who Stands with Alex Snodgrass on Drift?

[vince mastrosimone]

I have my first bandsaw on order, so natually, I've been watching many bandsaw videos. Mr. Snodgrass and others says that if your saw is setup correctly, it will not drift. He says it is not THAT difficult to do.

Others folks are saying that it is nearly impossible for the average person to setup a bandsaw so it does not drift. They say you need to have a fence that can compensate for drift or use a pivot point jig.

What do y'all Creekers think? Who is right?

[Tom M King]

None of my bandsaws drift with a good/new blade on it. Only when a blade starts to get tired does it want to argue.

[Jim Becker]

What Tom said. A properly setup saw with a new, quality band will not drift. Initially. Once the band starts to wear... ;). 'Nature of the beast.

[Mel Fulks]

Non straight welds are the only thing I’ve seen cause drift .

[Lee Schierer]

I had problems with so called drift I tried the Snodgrass guidance after attending several woodworking shows and never got it quite right nor repeatable. Then I watched and I followed the instructions in this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNdrkmx6ehI). Since I aligned my table to the blade I can put on any blade and center the band on the upper wheel and get drift free cuts, both cross cut and resawing.

If you think about it we spend lots of time on our table saws aligning the blade and the fence to the miter slots. Why wouldn't you do the same thing to a band saw?

[Tom M King]

I should have stated that I have no idea what the snodgrass methods are.

[Zachary Hoyt]

I am firmly in the non-drift camp. I have had several band saws and have been able to pretty easily get them all to cut straight with a new or newish band. For the work I do being able to cut straight is important.

[Joel Gelman]

I do "stand with Alex Snodgrass" when it comes to the concept that if you have a miter slot on a bandsaw, the fence (and blade) should be parallel to the miter slot.... meaning you should not adjust the fence for"drift" in a way that creates fence and miter slot not being parallel.

I do buy into the idea that the fence and blade should be parallel and the way to do that is rotate the table vs adjust the blade tracking which changes the angle of the blade front to back.

[Myles Moran]

I had a bandsaw that drifted. It turned out the wheels were out of plane. Once I added a riser block and aligned the wheels, it had no drift issues. In that process, I also learned I could fine tune my blade alignment based on drift.

[vince mastrosimone]

I had a bandsaw that drifted. It turned out the wheels were out of plane.

If I remember correctly, Alex said that as long as the blade stays in the middle of the top wheel, it doesn’t matter if your wheels are coplanar. The location on the bottom wheel doesn’t affect anything. Did I get that right?

[Carl Beckett]

I had a blade that was drifting severely on me. I sharpened it and the drift went away.

I would bet that if I wanted to, I could dull one side or the other and get it to drift again. While I wouldnt 'choose' to do that, for whatever reason that blade did it for me.

No idea the implication just my experience.

[Edward Weber]

I can't stand the A.S. video, although I can agree on some things
I agree that the fence and miter slot should be parallel. On a properly set up saw, the blade can be further adjusted via the tracking mechanism IF necessary.

If the blade does not run parralel to the miter slot, it makes using a miter gauge and/or sled all but impossible, which drastically decreases your saw's capabilities.

I should also say in all fairness, that I never understood all the confusion regarding blade drift. For me, it's a straight forward mechanical concept of how the machine operates. Easily diagnosed and easily fixed.
ANY (crowned tire) bandsaw can be made to cut straight and true, it's not that difficult, IMO

[Doug Garson]

You can set up your bandsaw perfectly with the fence and miter slot parallel to the blade and achieve zero drift but one little nick from a nail or screw or hard knot in the wood and it will drift, DAMHIK.

[Richard Coers]

I'll just say, throw the factory blade away when you get the saw. They are notoriously horrible. I've never watched a second of Snodgrass advice. I learned how to use a bandsaw 55 years ago.

[Steve Demuth]

Add me to the list. Properly set up, with a blade that isn't dulled more on one side than the other, a bandsaw will cut straight and true, parallel to the plane of the wheel axes. You adjust everything else to that. I'd also say that in my experience at least, by the time the blade is dull enough to be a drift problem, it's too dull for resawing and anything else where you need a smooth, accurate cut, anyway. If your saw has measurable drift, put in a new blade, and adjust the saw until it doesn't, and the fence, miter slot and blade are all parallel.

[Chris Parks]

Others folks are saying that it is nearly impossible for the average person to setup a bandsaw so it does not drift. They say you need to have a fence that can compensate for drift or use a pivot point jig.

Those who think it can't be done need to learn that the table can be moved by releasing the bolts that hold it to the trunnion (on most saws). I think the greatest con in bandsaw land is the Laguna driftmaster fence and I wish I had thought of it.

[Tom Trees]

Fact is nobody aligns their wheels in the first place, so no-one is on the same page,
and unless one has accurate enough faces of the wheels, then it won't be possible to be sure about anything.
That being co-planar under tension, but far more importantly wheel alignment concerning the east/west adjustment, for longevity of parts
like wheel bores, but also worth noting proper wheel alignment won't nibble the apex of the tires.

The scribing beam makes all that very clear to see.
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And without having a pen on the end, then you won't get a true reading using any sort of straight edge.
On the wheels of my 24" machine, the upper one had an unnoticeable to the keen eye, 0.5mm discrepancy (intentionally so if you ask me)
I used this Shinwa 0.5mm thickness rule as a feeler gauge, and it was just about able to pass between the tram and the upper wheel,
whilst the lower wheel had around a 0.3mm discrepancy.
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Here's the variability what you'd see with the same sized machine, if you used a scribing beam to try take a reading, without addressing/checking the wheel faces...
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Depending on where that beam is placed on the wheel, without it being within tolerance, (this method makes that irrefutable)
then you'd not be in anyway able to trust the reading you took.
i.e that being some 4mm of variability as seen below.
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So there you go, Il gatto è fuori dalla borsa!

Not hard to see why the spread of ignorance is rife in the bandsaw world, and the reasoning is obvious,
that being "jobs for the boys".

Yet we will keep seeing folks fighting tooth and nail on these issues of drift, and refusing to accept that everyone is indeed... not on the same page whatsoever. :rolleyes:
BTW, glad to be able help re-establish those online friendships again, and stop the squabbling on such matters.

All the best
Tom

[Jim Becker]

If I remember correctly, Alex said that as long as the blade stays in the middle of the top wheel, it doesn’t matter if your wheels are coplanar. The location on the bottom wheel doesn’t affect anything. Did I get that right?
That doesn't work for a flat tire machine like the MM16 I use. Other than the rare use of a tiny 1/8" wide band, the teeth of the bands hang off the edge of the tires and do not run in the center of them. Centering is only possible on wheels that are crowned.

[Andrew Hughes]

Instead of adjusting the fence I adjusted the table in my 20 inch saw. I stuck a 12 inch ruler to the side of my widest blade and aligned the miter slot with the ruler.
When I had a pm14 I had to adjust the fence because the tables aren’t moveable. I aligned the fence once when I bought the saw.
Good blades with a good welds Is the key in my experience.

[glenn bradley]

Also what Tom said :). None of my bandsaws (or my friends bandsaws) drift. If you want to milk some more footage out of your blade and don't mind accounting for tooth wear and the associated tracking issues, no judgement here.

Love Alex. Do not agree with his opinion on wheels being coplaner. We all tend to recommend what has worked for us. I align my saws with the wheels coplaner. I align the miter slot to the blade path. I change blades with relative impunity requiring only the guides to be adjusted for different blade widths and thicknesses. Find your happy place and do as you will :D

[Todd Zucker]

I watched the video that Lee mentioned, followed the steps and have no drift.

[Derek Cohen]

That doesn't work for a flat tire machine like the MM16 I use. Other than the rare use of a tiny 1/8" wide band, the teeth of the bands hang off the edge of the tires and do not run in the center of them. Centering is only possible on wheels that are crowned.

My Hammer N4400 also has a flat wheel and cannot be adjusted according to the AS recommendations.

It needs to be stated that drift is caused by a number of factors, and it is simplistic to reduced this to one or two items. For example, a Taiwanese 14" bandsaw is likely to be built to very different standards when compared with an Austrian or Italian 18" machine. The rigidity of the frame affects the stability of the guides. The stability of the wheels and their bearings relate to their coplanar setup. Mine have never needed to be adjusted in a dozen years. Blades ride differently on flat wheels and crowned wheels, and this cannot be adjusted. Belt tension affects power delivery. Dullness of a blade affects power delivery. Both will lead to a blade being pushed harder-than-desired, which leads to the blade drifting. A cheap blade is likely to be duller, but also have unequal set, and that will definitely cause the blade to drift. This is also a function of too little downforce.

And it that is not enough, blades can be deflected by the grain, push away from the fence, and this is drift.

It is amazing that a bandsaw can actually cut straight! :)

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Zachary Hoyt]

We had a bandsaw mill at the farm for 15 years and I cut (at an estimate) somewhere between 120 and 150k board feet over that time. It had rubber 12" trailer tires and rims that the blade ran on, and I had to make it cut straight or I was wasting time, trees, and gas, and would have had unhappy customers. After that experience I can deal with a shop bandsaw more easily, so I have not generally found them intimidating. Earlier I said that I had never had a bandsaw I couldn't make cut straight, but that was not true. I was forgetting my first one, a 3 wheel 10" Delta that I got at the dump for $5 at the age of 14. One of the plastic wheels (the drive wheel) wobbled, it only took very thin 1/4" blades as I recall, and I could never get it to run long without the blade coming off the wheels. Looking back I can see why the person who took it to the dump made that decision, but I was able to use it to make some small cuts from time to time.

[Tom Trees]

Everything is movable, if need be, when you've got a datum line drawn from the upper wheel,
as every machine made today is of dishonest construction, not being fully adjustable, which the line shows very clearly.
That ain't knocking the components though, infact very much the opposite case, and testament to the quality of the Italian blueprint.

It's worth noting, some manufacturers don't stick to this recipe! by cutting corners with their wheels, thus making wheel alignment doubly important,
and then there are those other brands who's taking the wee completely, with terrible designs bringing things to a whole new level of "jobs for the boys"
i.e not being able to match the lower wheel to suit the non adjustable upper one.
something along the lines of below.
Proving that the whole situation as it stands with every vendor, is a joke really.

Question for the non believers..how far off that fixed datum line is tolerable?
Are you happy to have vibration, loose belts, to rely completely on the blade running against the thrust guide whilst cutting tenons
yada yada.


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Now folks can pretend all day long, that wheel alignment ain't important,
If they've got big fat wallets to be taking such a chance, as wheel bore wear is the result of ignorance/call it what you like.

See stainless steel toaster sleeve bodge below, as I don't have an affordable to me, local machine shop which I can employ to fix.
There are lots of ways to repair this without spending more than a week at it, and no worries thereafter compared.
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And yet folks will be making excuses like my old machine likely "paid for itself" which is the objective of everything made today,
(bar the three fully adjustable honest Italian saws out there, which they don't make no more)
i.e the ones with foot mounted motors.

The status quo that is, a jobs for the boys type deal, is fairly evident when you start looking at the machines when brand new,
and then see how those machines fair up after being "ridden hard and put away wet" which get listed on the bay.
Why anyone wouldn't be providing a video, is a bit of a hint aswell.

I find it amusing that you can provide the proof of the shortcomings of anything, yet the relentless marketing sways the majority,
that's mainly concerning the budget machines with the jelly tires, which further muddies the waters, in relation to this "drift" subject.
Very much another take on the misinformation, which if going by the forums like this one, being that the Italian's have seemingly been telling similar fibs
concerning the whole "flat tire" thing on their machines,
like where/when did that rumour start?
Thankfully they don't do that any more, (if they ever did)
as the likes of ACM specifically mention their tires are "camber ground and balanced", and likewise with Centauro, who make replaceable tires, so one can honestly see the profile on an official spare.

I know I've been irritating folks who say otherwise on this matter, and all I will say on that is, don't buy a narrow blade if you refuse to believe there is an apex/camber
on these machines, as it's so very important for many reasons, which I've proven in detail.

Though I have no sympathy for those who get shafted, as I make a point of the importance of good design,
and keep it up, so it's down to the buyer to make a good choice.
And just to finish up damning the cheaper options, to mention warranty's mean nothing, unless you can get a refund, which ain't easy, especially so with the budget machines.
bought the t-shirt which was expensive.

Well, until someone uses the scribing beam to prove the machine is indeed a lemon.
I'd like to see a manufacturer try squirming their way out of that one!

You might be wondering why I'm still writing on this, though I'm just being patient as of yet,
and simply giving the good guys some time, (despite my opinions)
After all they deserve it, compared to some who likely couldn't give a toss about human rights.
Casting work being dangerous, see the new Lie-Nielsen video for example, (making little things like hand planes)
and compare that with the Centauro Spa forge work, and question why we don't get to see the cheaper brands factories.
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Hope that made some suitable bed time reading for you.
Good night, and all the best.
Tom

[Josko Catipovic]

On my Delta 14", I was constantly struggling with drift. On the LT-18 with a 1 1/4" Resaw king, it's not an issue, although the fence does have a drift adjustment.

[Ken Krawford]

Carl, how did you sharpen the blade?


I had a blade that was drifting severely on me. I sharpened it and the drift went away.

I would bet that if I wanted to, I could dull one side or the other and get it to drift again. While I wouldnt 'choose' to do that, for whatever reason that blade did it for me.

No idea the implication just my experience.

[Dave Sabo]

I am not drinking the kool aid.

1. Bandsaws DO NOT have/produce drift. Bandsaw BLADES are what cause the phenomenom. A narrow blade with 12 t.p.i. is gonna "drift" and a different rate than a wide blade with 3 t.p.i. And a wide 3 t.p.i blade from Laguna is gonna drift at a different rate than the same width blade from Lennox.

2. Not all saws have miter slots. All miter gauges are quickly adjustable though.

3. Not all saw tables have enough adjustment to allow for some blades' drift. Modifying them would be too time consuming, costly, or not possible.

4. Every bandsaw fence I've ever seen is adjustable in extreme amounts to compensate for any amount of blade drift. Even the pre-war Craftsman I have - which pre-dated the "drift master" fence by at least half a century. Driftmaster's real claim to fame is not its adjustment for blade drift, but rather its ability to precisely and repeatedly move toward the blade via a acme threaded rod. Allowing for more convenient resawing.

5. Not every saw has crowned tires or specifies running the blade in the center of the top wheel.

My biggest issue with the AS way isn't whether it works. It's that it's not possible for every saw -and- that IT IS MUCH SLOWER for those saws that are then adjusting the fence. I also have a bit of an issue with the faithful failing to acknowledge that adjusting the fence does work and is a viable method on any saw whether it has a miter slot and/or fully adjustable table or not. That they think their way is better or they prefer the AS method doesn't bother me in the least. The adjustable fence works on any saw with any blade and is extremely quick to adjust.

Like most woodworking tasks, there are almost always different ways to accomplish a given task and very rarely is one inherently better than another.

[Rod Sheridan]

Step one is to set the fence parallel to the mitre slot.

Then put on a new blade on, maybe 3/4” wide, track it properly
, either centered on the tire or with the set of the teeth just off the front of the tire, depending upon saw design.

Adjust the guides properly, make a test cut, rotate table if required, done for life.

Note that some saws have dowels that locate the table so you can skip that step.

Regards, Rod.

[Tom Trees]

Making excuses like things being non-adjustable is asking for trouble, worn wheel bores suck, and not everyone is as lucky as others concerning the lottery..
like my previous new machine, in which the UK technician and shop owner couldn't sort out,
Full of confidence they were, and very condescending beforehand.
Though I didn't know what I was at either at the time.
I had to shell out for yet another blade, as they pooh-poohed my other blades, and stuck an oversized inch blade on it, out of frustration.

They only sold that machine for a very short time... and the side hustle company is gone, wonder why...
That shop up the road from me, by American standards that is... are selling something these days what's a much worse design
It's like they are trying to go under.:confused:
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That company also sourced another heavier machine, which is about as close to a knockoff as you could make...
Those Italian's better wake up and smell the coffee, what will their next one be like, they can make changes like underpants.
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And regarding the trunnion, ain't all too time consuming either, infact quite the opposite.
I took off more than I needed when filing those holes, as I was still clueless about how to set up a bandsaw.
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Pants idea I know, but I was just wanting to make it safe at the time, as the threaded boss had snapped off, (machine was in a rough looking state)
Changed that to a more Centauro-like setup, though with an awful looking handle..
(I didn't have the metal, nor an angle grinder at the time to make nicer, though I'll be copying the pleasing CO design when I get some solid round stock)
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Seems odd folks would scoff at the idea of commissioning a machine, once and be done with it forever,
but yet think nothing of spending yonks cleaning their blades and the countless other maintenance jobs one does from time to time.

All the best
Tom

[vince mastrosimone]

Thank you to all who have contributed to this thread. I believe my new machine has a crowned tire so I am going to try the Alex Snodgrass method. If that doesn’t work I can always do Plan B.

as long as the bandsaw works consistently, I suppose one could adjust to whatever they need to do to make straight cuts. Inconsistency and will drive you nuts chasing your tail.

[John TenEyck]

Thank you to all who have contributed to this thread. I believe my new machine has a crowned tire so I am going to try the Alex Snodgrass method. If that doesn’t work I can always do Plan B.

as long as the bandsaw works consistently, I suppose one could adjust to whatever they need to do to make straight cuts. Inconsistency and will drive you nuts chasing your tail.

Read the manual that comes with your saw. If it's a Grizzly, you'll find a well written manual if it's anything like the one that came with mine, and you can download and read it prior to the saw's delivery.

John

[michael langman]

I watched the video that Lee mentioned, followed the steps and have no drift.

Ditto. I too did this. with much success.

[Myles Moran]

If I remember correctly, Alex said that as long as the blade stays in the middle of the top wheel, it doesn’t matter if your wheels are coplanar. The location on the bottom wheel doesn’t affect anything. Did I get that right?

It's been a while since I've watched his videos, so I can't confirm his instructions. I'll add that the saw was very measurably out of plane and the adjustment was a few careful hits with a rubber mallet to shift the bolted joint. I measured the coplanar between the wheels with a level and a flashlight.

[John TenEyck]

And once you get the castings aligned, tighten that bolt really, really, really well. That bolt is carrying the full tension of the blade, so you want it to be prestressed, so it doesn't stretch under blade tension.

John

[Randall J Cox]

I'm with Lee. Michael Fortune video nails it. I've set up two bandsaws that way, an 18" and a 20" and both cut straight after adjusting the table to the band and the cut. Did not have to build in "drift" into my fences either. Good luck. Randy

[Randy Heinemann]

The answer, as others have said, is getting the saw setup properly and the Alex Snodgrass method works. Since I've used it, I get exceptional results. There are, o course, others who have slightly different steps in the setup but, in the end, if those methods work, they get the same results. Blade in the center, guides close enough to stop the blade from flexing to the side too much while not being in constant contact with the blade, and a table that is perpendicular to the blade and lined up properly. I bought the Snodgrass booklet many years ago and just have it there for when my memory fails me on one of the steps. Blade tension is only secondarily important as long as it's close to the deflection distance when putting pressure on it with your finger. Always, having a sharp blade is a requirement.

[Larry Frank]

The Snodgrass has worked for me. However, people have success with other methods. I am lucky because j have not had a "troubled" bandsaw.

[Curt Harms]

I'll just say, throw the factory blade away when you get the saw. They are notoriously horrible. I've never watched a second of Snodgrass advice. I learned how to use a bandsaw 55 years ago.

Throw the factory blade away? What do you use for a "nail finder" blade?;) But yeah, a good quality blade can make your life simpler and they don't last forever. It's probably not a bad idea to keep one or more blades for straight cuts and others for curved cuts. The theory being that non-straight cuts and create more wear on one side of the blade than on the other. Uneven side to side wear is a recipe for drift.

[Bert McMahan]

The AS method is a "how to set up your small 14" bandsaw for newbies" video. It's not supposed to the the bible on how to set up literally all bandsaws with all blades ever. Does it work for most 14" bandsaws? Yep. Most people that try it agree that it works, and it takes a few minutes to do once you get the hang of it. Does it work for a 20" bandsaw with flat tires? Probably not! They're different machines that have different design intents. Maybe it will, maybe it won't.

I watched that video a couple times when I got my Grizzly 14" bandsaw and got it set up and working the first time I tried it. Yes, the method definitely works, and the fence that came with my bandsaw doesn't have any drift compensation in it (at least that I can find, and the word "drift" isn't even in the manual). Spending an hour watching a video and twisting some knobs was much better than having to throw away a perfectly good fence and buy one with an adjustment in it.

I can't imagine getting passionately upset at a "how to tune your new cheap bandsaw" video (especially when the video shows a viable method, is safe, and is free to view).

[Edward Weber]

I can't imagine getting passionately upset at a "how to tune your new cheap bandsaw" video (especially when the video shows a viable method, is safe, and is free to view).

I don't know about passionately upset but the OP's question was/is, "Who Stands with Alex Snodgrass on Drift? "

Whether or not you find it to be viable, is your opinion, others express their views and experiences in different ways.

[Tom Trees]

Worth noting that blade tracking tutorials/opinions, and actual bandsaw setup are two differing subjects...
that is, for those who can't afford another machine, or indeed finding a machinist to repair their wheels.

Bandsaw setup ain't just for larger machines either, as seen in the link below,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypbRAmWQVTo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypbRAmWQVTo)
Indeed, there's a chance that saw wasn't that great to begin with, which emphasises the point of setup/commissioning a machine really.
Much the same case as with some unscrupulous designs of saws being marketed today, setup is likely to be of more importance,
and I wouldn't be surprised to see a glut of those having wheel issues in a few years time,
simply because folks aren't differentiating between those terms, and assuming the manufacturers know best.

Though perhaps I'm wrong, and some of those articles mentioned do have such information,
but from what I've seen or read, there's very little information out there of such, so I'm guessing not.
Not to pick only on Mr Snodgrass, as it's the same thing with all of the names in the game.

[Carl Beckett]

Carl, how did you sharpen the blade?

A thread here on it. https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?305519-Bandsaw-blade-drift

I used the technique in this youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoaOkqi-xxs

[Wes Grass]

A friend had several Amada cutoff saws. Went in there one day and he was cutting 8 inch plus stainless. Not a problem ... get the feed pressure right ... and ...

He'd 'dress' the blade every few cuts with a large oil stone. On the sides... look at which way its drifting and dull the appropriate side to straighten it out. 1-1/4" bi-metal blades... not cheap ... just figured into the quote as 'perishable tooling'. And he'd squeeze every last penny out of them.

Biggest saws he had, HA-400, would do 16" round. I'd personally want to stay somewhere below 'forklift required'.

[Ken Krawford]

Thanks Carl. I appreciate it. The file he used is a bit unusual. Any idea what it's called?


A thread here on it. https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?305519-Bandsaw-blade-drift

I used the technique in this youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoaOkqi-xxs

[Carl Beckett]

Thanks Carl. I appreciate it. The file he used is a bit unusual. Any idea what it's called?

I do not know. There were some links from others with ideas. I had some flat diamond stones that I stuck to a stick and used those (not too expensive to source). Wondered if sandpaper stuck to a stick would hold up (perhaps zirconia cut from a belt).

[Dave Sabo]

because this is veering a bit off track and I like a bit of controversy - I offer you folks this video from our ol' buddy AS in which he tells us to adjust the fence :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKx9CxAevW4

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKx9CxAevW4)
33min. mark is the place to be




There's also this dity from him advocating the same advice - though he is tryin to sell us a specific type of fence + companion jig:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKx9CxAevW4


SO..............................disciples of AS, I ask you - does his flip flop change your tune ?

Alter your opinion of him ?

Re-consider your position on adjusting the fence to deal with blade drift ?

-or- find it a big yawn ?

[Edward Weber]

because this is veering a bit off track and I like a bit of controversy - I offer you folks this video from our ol' buddy AS in which he tells us to adjust the fence :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKx9CxAevW4

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKx9CxAevW4)
33min. mark is the place to be




There's also this dity from him advocating the same advice - though he is tryin to sell us a specific type of fence + companion jig:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKx9CxAevW4


SO..............................disciples of AS, I ask you - does his flip flop change your tune ?

Alter your opinion of him ?

Re-consider your position on adjusting the fence to deal with blade drift ?

-or- find it a big yawn ?
This, and many other reasons, are why I refuse to listen to his advice, inconsistency.
I've said it before and I'll say it one more time.
Adjusting the fence to the blade is ridiculous and severly limits the saws capability. The use of sleds and other jigs that ride in the miter slot are rendered useless if the blade does not cut parallel. The blade has a built in tracking adjustment to fine tune the alignment, why not use it.

[vince mastrosimone]

My original thought was to determine if a home-use type bandsaw in reasonably good condition could be setup/tuned to eliminate drift. What I’m understanding is the answer is yes. It sounds like if you have everything square, a good sharp blade, guides properly set and the blade set on the tire properly, you should be good to go.

it has been fun reading the responses. Thanks to all of you who have contributed.

[Tom Trees]

Plenty folks on YT seem to copy his methods, to the extent that they haven't realized that he is...
not just the business, but in in the business!
If you've seen folks uploading a video with a new bandsaw, chances are they might indeed be poised as such.
Likely pull your back out by attempting such.... sure looks awkward, and an easy way of messing the cut up,
though maybe their tryin to be the next (insert brand) too, and making sure you can see the face and read the logo.
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Saying that, perhaps their simply unconfident with a brand spanking new machine..
From some I've seen, I would feel the same TBH.
You might come across some mention of blades exiting out where most stand.
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And note most Italian machines either side of the fence is optional...
Take what looks to be amongst the oldest logistically transportable consumer bandsaws from Italy,
(which came with a rip fence, and not using a power feeder.)



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Never had a blade snap on me, but I get the feeling a blade exiting the machine has happened to a few.
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Merely assumptions though, I should ask Grant this in the youtube comments.

[Edward Weber]

My original thought was to determine if a home-use type bandsaw in reasonably good condition could be setup/tuned to eliminate drift. What I’m understanding is the answer is yes. It sounds like if you have everything square, a good sharp blade, guides properly set and the blade set on the tire properly, you should be good to go.

it has been fun reading the responses. Thanks to all of you who have contributed.

I took a few pictures a while back to illustrate this exact point. I know this is only a 2x4 but it proves that ANY saw can be tuned to cut straight and parallel to the fence.
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