Problem cutting straight lines with Band Saw

[Stephen Clem]

I recently purchased a Delta 9" Band Saw. It's bottom of the line ($100):o , but it was all I could afford at the time and needed it for the cradle. It worked great for all the curved cuts. However, when I tried setting the miter gauge to 90 degrees and make a straight cut, it does a terrible job. It starts out straight as I hold the workpiece firmly against the miter gauge. After about 2" it starts curving off towards the back of the saw. By about 5 inches it would curve to about 30 degrees off! I reset the miter gauge with a try square to make sure it was correctly set and it duplicated the same curve. I've never used a bandsaw before now, so I'm sure it's my technique. Can anyone offer any suggestons? I use the table saw for most cutoffs, but I would like to be able to cut straight with my bandsaw for small pieces, etc. Would a tiny crosscut sled for the bandsaw help?

[Jim Becker]

Stephen, what you are experiencing is blade drift...something common and normal for band saws. Did you put on a new blade after cutting all those curves? Have you been releasing tension when not using the saw? Have you (with a new blade installed..."tracked" the cut" to find the "natural" blade drift angle for the machine so you can set your cut-off fence on the miter gage to be perpendicular to that line? (You may find it useful to pick up one of the band saw books which often go through these procedures...Mark Duginski's book is one of the "bibles" on this...)

[glenn bradley]

Embrace your blade drift, don't fight it. A bandsaw is not a tablesaw. Drift is normal. Just try a couple test cuts to see where the blade is going to go (this assumes a good blade and proper tensioning, etc.) and work with it, not against it.

[Stephen Clem]

:eek: I have done none of these things... I should have done some research beforehand. I've had the saw for about 2 weeks now. It came already set up with the bade tensioned. Since I haven't released the tension, is the saw going to be ok? I tested it out and it worked fine for curved cuts, at least I think it did but I have nothing to compare it to. I'll just go grab a book. Sounds like there's a lot to learn.

[Jim Becker]

Ah...stock blade. You really may want to buy a few new blades. They will help you a lot, although you still need to test for drift before starting a cutting operation.

[Stephen Clem]

Thanks guys!

[Pete Brown]

Also keep in mind that the bandsaw isn't the best machine for crosscuts. If you have one, use a miter saw or a table saw for that. With appropriate setup, you can do decent ripping on the bandsaw, and of course, curved cuts work well.

Assuming a reasonable level of quality in the machine, crosscuts will work with appropriate technique and adjustments. However, it's a pain as you have to find out how the blade drifts and then

To help a little, set the upper blade guides so they are right above the stock. The more blade you expose, the more drift and other issues you run into.

Given the amount of drift you have, the blade may not be adequately tensioned or located properly on the wheels. There are lots of ways to figure out tension - expect to break a blade or two when you are learning how. Mark's book "The Bandsaw Book" will help you out, although it is primarily focused on larger machines. Most of the concepts still apply, however.

Pete

[Phil Thien]

There is a significant but fun learning curve to bandsaws. I suggest getting books by Mark Duginske.

I have a small (9") Inca bandsaw which I purchased used. It took several months to come to terms with it and make all the necessary repairs/adjustments. Now it cuts like a dream.

BTW, I have tried almost every blade for small bandsaws on the market. I have found the MK Morse blades sold at Menards to not only be the best, but also the least expensive (about $6 for a 59-1/4" long by 3/8" by 6-TPI blade). It cuts through 5" thick maple no problem.

[Curt Harms]

Hi Stephan

As Jim alluded to, You might try a different (better?) blade. I've also read where blade tracking can affect blade drift. Tracking to the back of the wheel will cause drift one way, tracking toward the front of the wheels will cause drift the other way. I don't recall which was which. See if You can convince the blade to track in the center of both wheels. Also don't use the same blade for straight cuts and curved cuts. Doing curved cuts apparently affects tooth set and wear so the blade doesn't want to cut straight. I had a cheapy band saw-G1148 and now have a better band saw- Rikon 10-325 and was able to set both up so they had no noticeable drift, I could resaw on both using a fence without the need for a jig to compensate for drift. I used Timberwolf blades on both although any better quality blade should work equally well.

I DID apparently damage a blade and didn't know it. A blade that formerly cut straight wouldn't cut straight no matter what I did. Tinkered, cussed and finally tried a new blade. That was the cure.