Bandsaw Help

[Rich Chilcot]

On Sunday, when using my trusty old Grizzly 1019, a series of really bad things happen. Since the only sharp blade I have left in the arsenal was a Timberwolf 3/4" 3tpi, I loaded it on the machine. Since I have a Carter Quick tension device, I followed my nomal procedure of bringing the lever to the proper height for operation. I tensioned the blade and proceeded to roughing out a NE bowl blank. During the cut, the motor bogged and stalled. This generally happens so I wasn't to concerned. I removed the wood from the blade, added tension and tried again. The motor stalled again. This time I went to check my belt. So, I unplugged the machine and released the tension via the Carter device. Well the belt was warm, but not worn, so back to work. I plugged in the bandsaw and tried to tension the blade. The Carter device auto-disassembled and my upper arm cracked. NOOOO!!! I have ordered a replacement upper arm and sent the Carter device back to the manufacturer. Now comes the question (finally). Although, this has been a good saw with the exception of being underpowered and some alignment issue with respect to adding the riser, would you suggest a new saw or upgrading the motor?

[Nancy Laird]

New saw--definitely new saw. Take a look at the Steel City, they have four models in 14, 16, 18, and 20". If those are a little pricey for your wallet, look at the WoodTek four-speed metal/wood saws in 15 or 18" models. www.woodworker.com (http://www.woodworker.com).

Nancy

[Tony De Masi]

Rich,

Is the carter still under a warranty? If so fine. If not, as was the case when the arm on mine broke, bring it to Dennis and have his welding shop take care of it. They did mine and no more issues. Probably stronger than new.

Tony

[Steven Wilson]

3/4" for bowl blanks???? why not use a Timberwolf AS blade in 3/8" size? I have a Minimax MM20 and I wouldn't pull out a 3/4" 3tpi blade for bowl blanks, need something that evacuates the kerf better (like the 3/8" AS blade), no wonder your machine is stalling.

[Jim Becker]

I agree with Steven on the blade selection. Definitely use the AS series...they are made for wet wood...and you don't need or want a wide blade for this kind of cutting.

As to the saw...understanding a machine's limitations is important. I do agree that Carter should replace the product if it's under warranty. But you also need to make sure you're not over tensioning the blade. A 3/4" Timberwolf generally doesn't require a lot of tension...which is good considering that most 14" saws really cannot get to high enough tension for other types of wide blades.

If your primary function for the band saw is cutting turning blanks and you tend to larger material, most 14" saws are not the best choice for both size and power. The compromise is to use the band saw for the smaller stuff and just rough them out with a chainsaw for big stuff. There really isn't any reason that you need to make your blanks perfectly round...that's what the lathe is for!

[Wilbur Pan]

One other thing to consider is that you were using a pretty wide blade. According to the Timberwolf folks, a 3/4" bandsaw blade has a minimum cutting radius of 5 7/16" (http://www.suffolkmachinery.com/silicon_steel_slection.asp). This means that the blank you were cutting would have to be at least 11" (actually, 10 7/8") in diameter. If you were trying to cut a blank smaller than that, you would have been binding the blade in the cut, which will stall out your motor. No amount of increased tension, increased hp, or a new saw, will reverse this.

[Rich Chilcot]

The radius of cut was not the issue. My blank was well over 15". I also want to point out that I normally do not use this blade at all, but at the time was the only one available at that time.

[Dick Durbin]

If the war department gives her blessing, go for the new saw. My old 1019 is still working just fine with a blade I bought from Highland Hardware specifically designed for cutting wet wood.

[George Tokarev]

It's the castings. Had a raft of difficulties with some Grizzly shop tools up a school. Granted, inexperienced kids are not known for the best procedure, but we did have 50 year old Delta and Rockwell machines of the same type to fall back on while the parts were shipped. That says something. Very large crystals in the iron of the Grizzly stuff. You just exceeded its elastic limit or discovered a preexisting crack with your new tension-taker.

[Ken M Nelsen]

"I plugged in the bandsaw and tried to tension the blade. The Carter device auto-disassembled and my upper arm cracked. NOOOO!!!"

Rich,

Forgive me, but I'm on the local volunteer rescue squad and was sure it was you humerus that let go. :D That would call for splinting and a run to the emergency room.

Be well,

Ken

[Rich Chilcot]

Good catch:D . Although any given day, it might be my arm not a tool piece. Like I told my daughter today, if I had a horse as broken as me, I would have put him down.

[George Tokarev]

Forgive me, but I'm on the local volunteer rescue squad and was sure it was you humerus that let go. :D That would call for splinting and a run to the emergency room.
[/quote]

Nah, sling and swathe. Have to use those cravats the state mandates for something other than a source of safety pins. :rolleyes:

[George Conklin]

3/4" for bowl blanks???? why not use a Timberwolf AS blade in 3/8" size? I have a Minimax MM20 and I wouldn't pull out a 3/4" 3tpi blade for bowl blanks, need something that evacuates the kerf better (like the 3/8" AS blade), no wonder your machine is stalling.

Sorry fellas, but the coffee hasn't kicked in yet. What does AS mean?:confused:

[Rich Chilcot]

Well the bandsaw is up an running. The replacement piece actually fits better than the original. The wheels are coplaner:D . Sometimes it pays to just be lucky. Although there is a down side...SWMBO said that since I fixed the saw, there was no need for a new one:( . That will teach me.

[George Tokarev]

Sorry fellas, but the coffee hasn't kicked in yet. What does AS mean?:confused:

Alternate set, as in teeth. Makes a broader kerf, which helps with wet wood, not required for dry.