Hmm...this isnt normal

[nick brigg]

i was just re-sawing some 3" pine on my steel city 18 inch bandsaw with the stock 3/4" blade. all was going well until about halfway through the cut, i noticed it started to "S" in the cut and proceeded to leave me with a very scalloped surface. now i did not set the fence for drift just yet and it was tracking pretty well until it got half way in the cut. did i just get excited and started to push too hard or is there something else i should work out?

[glenn bradley]

Could just be inconsistency in the material. I would slow down a bit and see if that cure it. I would also check the blade tension but pine is generally pretty easy going.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Nick..........Is the "S" vertical in the wood as you are resawing or is it along the horizontal length?

[Tom Veatch]

i was just re-sawing some 3" pine ... about halfway through the cut, i noticed it started to "S" in the cut and proceeded to leave me with a very scalloped surface. ...

I've noticed that some pines, especially SYP, the difference in hardness between the fast and slow growth portions of the annual rings is phenomenal. I wouldn't quite go to the extent of comparing it to a laminate of balsa and hard maple, but that wouldn't be too far wrong.

If the grain approximated quarter sawn and the cut was along the grain, I'd guess the blade was deflecting off the hard strips and trying to follow the soft part of the grain.

[nick brigg]

well im not sure how to answer that but its on top?

Nick..........Is the "S" vertical in the wood as you are resawing or is it along the horizontal length?

[Don Stutsman]

Nick,

Sometimes a line to follow helps with monitoring bandsaw 'drift'. If that is not a problem and you are getting a 'cupped' or 'S' cut on the vertical plane, it is usually a factor of a dull saw blade, trying to cut too fast, blade tension, or some combination of the three. I would try to eliminate each of those factors and try again.:)

Don

[nick brigg]

yeah i was thinking something along those lines, these stock blades suck! i took the blade off and its pretty dull and i honestly havent used it all that much. can someone suggest a good 1/2 blade for re-sawing/general cuts, preferably something affordable that'll last longer than 3 cuts hah!


Nick,

Sometimes a line to follow helps with monitoring bandsaw 'drift'. If that is not a problem and you are getting a 'cupped' or 'S' cut on the vertical plane, it is usually a factor of a dull saw blade, trying to cut too fast, blade tension, or some combination of the three. I would try to eliminate each of those factors and try again.:)

Don

[Ed Blough]

Check blade tension with the blade hot. I had a blade that once it got up to temp stretched enough to start wondering. I got rid of the blade.

[Justin Bukoski]

I've used these blades for a couple of years now and been extremely happy with them. Super thin, super sharp, last a long time and come in custom sizes. One of the best $50 spent in my shop


http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1293&HS=1

They have a 3/4" version as well

[Alan Schwabacher]

Since it was pine, another thing to check is whether the blade is covered with pitch. If it's dirty it can behave as if dull, and overheat, causing dulling and other problems. Cleaning and waxing the blade can help, but if the stock is full of gunk, it will get dirty again.

[Scott Rollins]

Alan stole my thunder, This happened to me when resawing some 8" pine last week. Almost all the way through the cut and the blade and bandsaw started binding suddenly. I slowed down the feed and finished the cut with a huge "S" shape cut into the last 3" of the board. There was a very strong pine pitch smell in the shop. Right in the cut line before the very rough area of the board was a pocket of resin about the size of a dime. I cleaned the blade with some pitch cleaner and easily cut the next board.

[Eddie Darby]

I've had a blade going real well ,a nd then start to do weird things. Turned out to be a crack on the blade that was forming and releasing the tension.

[Bill White]

I second the Highland Hardware "Wood Slicer".
Bill

[John Thompson]

I'll third Justin and Bill on the Highland Wood-slicer. I used a 1/2" on a smaller BS for many years, but have put a 3/4" on my Steel City 18". BTW.. Highland has them stock at 137" for your saw, so no need to wait on a custom build for your saw.

On a note: .... the Wood-slicer was not designed for nor or is a good blade for wet lumber (green logs, etc.). I use a bi-metal for that task....

Sarge..