Stephen Edwards
03-30-2008, 3:29 PM
I've just ordered and received the G0555X bandsaw. It's a is a hoss of a machine for the money and the size. ! I like it a lot. I took about 6-7 hours, taking my time, to put it together and familiarize myself with it. I also ordered and installed the riser block with it.
Once it was assembled and tuned....blade properly tracking, etc I did my first test on a piece of 8 inch wide scrap cedar. A perfect 1/8 slice.....then another. No problem. Then, I did the same thing with a piece of hard maple about 6 inches wide. I sliced a perfect 1/4 inch x 6 inch slice. No blade drift at all.
However, I do have one problem with it which needs to be solved. I sliced some 8 and 10 inch hardwood pieces. No drift at top and bottom of the cut. But, here's the problem: On those wider hardwood boards the blade bows in the center of the board. I'm using a 1/ 2 inch , 3tpi, positive claw Timberwolf blade. In other words, When I saw the board and get about 6-8 inches into the cut the blade begins to flex in the center of the board (to the right) away from the fence, which is to the left of the blade. The result is that on the board.....let's say an 8 inch hardwood board 2 feet long.....I set it up for a 1/4 inch slice. I end up with a slice that is 1/4 inch thick top and bottom the length of the cut. But in the middle of the board it is convexed to maybe 7/16 thick. It's as if the blade is hitting hard grain and following the grain rather than keeping straight up and down. The blade flexes in the center of the board.
On this 1/2 inch blade I set the tension to 3/4 on the tension scale. Maybe I need to get a 3/4 inch blade and one of those aftermarket tension springs that are advertised as being stronger. What are your thoughts on this? Again, there's absolutely no drift at the top and bottom of the board. The flex is in the center and I have the guide bearings lowered so that they just clear the top of the board as it's passing through the blade.
Any thoughts, tips, suggestions, etc would be appreciated. This is a fine machine and I want to solve this problem. Thank you.
Once it was assembled and tuned....blade properly tracking, etc I did my first test on a piece of 8 inch wide scrap cedar. A perfect 1/8 slice.....then another. No problem. Then, I did the same thing with a piece of hard maple about 6 inches wide. I sliced a perfect 1/4 inch x 6 inch slice. No blade drift at all.
However, I do have one problem with it which needs to be solved. I sliced some 8 and 10 inch hardwood pieces. No drift at top and bottom of the cut. But, here's the problem: On those wider hardwood boards the blade bows in the center of the board. I'm using a 1/ 2 inch , 3tpi, positive claw Timberwolf blade. In other words, When I saw the board and get about 6-8 inches into the cut the blade begins to flex in the center of the board (to the right) away from the fence, which is to the left of the blade. The result is that on the board.....let's say an 8 inch hardwood board 2 feet long.....I set it up for a 1/4 inch slice. I end up with a slice that is 1/4 inch thick top and bottom the length of the cut. But in the middle of the board it is convexed to maybe 7/16 thick. It's as if the blade is hitting hard grain and following the grain rather than keeping straight up and down. The blade flexes in the center of the board.
On this 1/2 inch blade I set the tension to 3/4 on the tension scale. Maybe I need to get a 3/4 inch blade and one of those aftermarket tension springs that are advertised as being stronger. What are your thoughts on this? Again, there's absolutely no drift at the top and bottom of the board. The flex is in the center and I have the guide bearings lowered so that they just clear the top of the board as it's passing through the blade.
Any thoughts, tips, suggestions, etc would be appreciated. This is a fine machine and I want to solve this problem. Thank you.