Reducing bandsaw vibration

[Andrew Williams]

I have a 14" Jet bandsaw and am looking into ways of reducing vibration on it. When I first set it up last year after purchasing it, I tuned it up as best as I could, including shimming it up from the floor with wood which helped considerably on the vibration issue. The wheels seem to be well balanced and relatively co-planar. I am using swedish silicon blades. Just today installed a link belt on it and have been running tests. Essentially, most of the vibration that still exists comes from the motor only. If I run the motor with no belt, it creates enough vibration to annoy me, although I have been able to use the saw for everything I have needed it for.

Essentially, I am wondering if there is a way of stiffening the motor mount plate (currently made from sheet steel and probably a great transmitter of vibrations), or perhaps adding dampening like rubber washers on the mount bolts. Has anyone tried these types of fixes? I worry that rubber washers might cause the motor to eventually slip a bit over time.

[Doug Shepard]

You might wnt to check out something along thse lines, although it's going to change your belt length slightly.
http://www.mcmaster.com/ctlg/DisplCtlgPage.aspx?sesnextrep=622359214341953&ReqTyp=Catalog&CtlgEdition=113&CtlgPgNbr=1314&ScreenWidth=1024&McMMainWidth=628

[Ken Garlock]

Hi Andrew.

I am not familiar with your saw, so I assume that the motor is mounted directly to the saw frame and not hung like a contractors saw. The first thing I would do is to assure myself that the motor is tightly mounted. I suspect you have done that already.

Second, I would remove the motor entirely from the saw and run it on the bench to check for vibration. A good motor, spelled Baldor or Lesson, should run as smooth as the hair on she-mouse's belly.

If it still vibrates, remove the pulley and try again. If it is vibration free with the pulley, I would check the pulley on the saw. There is a good chance that one of the pulleys is the source of your problem.

You should be able to remove most of the vibration by eliminating possible causes one at a time.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Pulleys and belts are the main culprit for vibration.

The heavier the belt the more vibration. Those link belts are pretty good. Those cast aluminum pulleys that come on lower end machinery are terrible~!! Toss 'em and get machined balanced cast iron pulleys. If you get 'em used look for the name "Boston Gear" or "Browning."

The main band blade wheels may also be out of balance.

Correcting that is a time consuming beast of a meticulous job. Hand spinning them in free state in a special bearing pedastle 'till you can identify which part of the wheel ends up lowest after a free spin. Then you weight the other side or drill the wheel on the heavy side. Repeat, repeat, repeat till you either have it right or abandon all hope.