Scott Welliver
10-12-2007, 12:17 AM
I'm not sure if there is any good way to answer this question via text, but here goes: How smooth should a band saw cut be?
Note -- All the blades mentioned below are Timberwolf and all are brand new...
I've had my MiniMax MM6 for a few weeks now. I was running a 1" 4tpi blade and thought the cut quality was pretty decent. Not table saw smooth, but pretty darn smooth. Same with the 1/2 14tpi blade. No complaints.
Today I tried the 1/8" 14tpi blade and was very disappointed. It left a very rough, or "ridged" cut. I tried tensioning loose via timberwolf's "flutter" procedure, and I tried bringing the tension up much higher. No difference. I've tried cutting faster and cutting slower. No difference.
Thinking maybe it was a bad blade, or perhaps that I setup the Carter stablizer wrong, I put on the 1/4" 14tpi blade and Euro guides. Same problem, a very rough cut with "ridges" no matter what I did.
The blades cut straight -- no problem with blade lead -- but leave a very "ridged" surface.
I'm new to this so I don't really know what to expect. Are ridges in the cut just normal for a 1/8" or 1/4" blade? How smooth a cut should I expect from this size blade?
Thanks,
...Scott
Note -- All the blades mentioned below are Timberwolf and all are brand new...
I've had my MiniMax MM6 for a few weeks now. I was running a 1" 4tpi blade and thought the cut quality was pretty decent. Not table saw smooth, but pretty darn smooth. Same with the 1/2 14tpi blade. No complaints.
Today I tried the 1/8" 14tpi blade and was very disappointed. It left a very rough, or "ridged" cut. I tried tensioning loose via timberwolf's "flutter" procedure, and I tried bringing the tension up much higher. No difference. I've tried cutting faster and cutting slower. No difference.
Thinking maybe it was a bad blade, or perhaps that I setup the Carter stablizer wrong, I put on the 1/4" 14tpi blade and Euro guides. Same problem, a very rough cut with "ridges" no matter what I did.
The blades cut straight -- no problem with blade lead -- but leave a very "ridged" surface.
I'm new to this so I don't really know what to expect. Are ridges in the cut just normal for a 1/8" or 1/4" blade? How smooth a cut should I expect from this size blade?
Thanks,
...Scott