Bandsaw blade jumping front to back

[Marcus Ward]

I just picked up a G0513X2 and am assembling it. In accordance with the collected wisdom I put the blade on without the guides touching to set it up and it's jumping front to back about 1/8 of an inch when running. Obviously it's welded crooked but not being a bandsaw expert I have no idea if this is normal. How on earth would you set the guide behind the blade if it's jumping like that? Anyone have any input on this?

It's a 1" timberwolf blade. It tensions fine according to flutter. The stock 1/2" blade that came with it has a tiny jump but probably not enough to worry about.

[Jamie Buxton]

If the blade is new, you may have a bad weld. If the blade is used, it may be on the verge of breaking. When blades age, sometimes they work-harden, and cracks form. The cracks run front-to-back across the blade. When they haven't completely crossed the blade, the blade does that front-to-back hopping.

Here's a thread...http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=40569&highlight=bandsaw+blade

[Mike Cutler]

Marcus

That blade should run dead straight along the back. A 2-3 varipitch has what appears to be a hop from the front, but it's just the change in the gullets.
The thrust bearings need to be a few thou' behind the back of the blade. An 1/8" won't allow you to set the thrust bearings properly.
If the blade is new, I'd be looking to get a replacement.

[Howard Acheson]

>> Obviously it's welded crooked but not being a bandsaw expert I have no idea if this is normal.

Contact the blade manufacturer. What you describe is not acceptable behavior. Blades should ride smoothly and not "jump" back and forth.

[Marcus Ward]

Thanks for the information, guys. Maybe go with a Woodslicer this time?

[Matt Ocel]

I have not been disappointed since using a Woodslicer.
Cuts like a hot knife thru butta.

[Phil Thien]

Thanks for the information, guys. Maybe go with a Woodslicer this time?

Get the Blade Runner from Iturra Design. They used the exact same blade stock (made by Sharptech in Atlanta) but charge substantially less.

[Marcus Ward]

You guys think I should go 3/4" or 1"? I am going to be doing primarily straight cuts and resawing.

[Curt Harms]

I would definitely call Timberwolf. I have a 3/4" variable pitch that certainly does not do that. Did the saw come with a blade? If so, does it run smooth? Something is certainly out of whack. Congrats on the saw, it seems like a good one.

Curt

[Jake Helmboldt]

You guys think I should go 3/4" or 1"? I am going to be doing primarily straight cuts and resawing.

Marcus, my less than expert opinion is to go with a 3/4". I have never gone bigger on my 19" Shop Fox and I can cut wafer thin slices.

BTW, I had a similar issue (moving back and forth) and I think it was largely the blade. For resawing I found a local Lennox dealer that was much cheaper than anything online.

[Marcus Ward]

The blade that came with the saw is reported by all to be terrible but it's not bad. A little too much tooth for resawing but I resawed some 5" cherry today and it was acceptable. It doesn't jump. How does one find a local lenox dealer?

[Barry Vabeach]

Marcus, go with a 3/4 - it is pretty hard to get the 1 inch blade on the saw because of the size of the opening in the table- and if you twist it getting it into place, you can ruin the blade.

[Jim Ciesla]

I've been using Timberwolf blades for a while with no problems so I don't think it's the brand that's a problem. I've read that it may not be a good idea to use the maximum size blade that the BS allows. Go to the 3/4" as stated above.

[Marcus Ward]

As for using a 1" blade on the saw, the timberwolf guy says his blades take less tension so by his logic it ought to work fine on here. The jumping is certainly not a saw problem as the stock blade doesn't do it. Sure it may not be a brand problem but how many of these do I have to try before I get one that's coplanar? I'm leery of receiving more of these to be an unpaid QC tester for timberwolf.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Marcus,
is the Timberwolf blade new? If so, have you contacted Timberwolf about the problem? I think the first thing I'd do is contact them and see what they think and what they are willing to do to rectify the problem. EVERY manufacturer is going to have a product ship that is less than perfect. It's going to happen.

[Marcus Ward]

The blade is new, purchased from Grizzly on Saturday.

Okay I got an email back from Timberwolf, it says:

Thank you for your business. If you bought the blade directly from Suffolk Machinery Corp. please contact Tom at 800-234-7297 ext. 14. If the blade was purchased from Grizzly please contact their customer service department directly.

Which to me says, "Buy another brand". I'll be ordering a Woodslicer directly.

Grizzly contacted me and told me to send it back.

[Marcus Ward]

Just an addendum. The woodslicer from highland is 37.99 for my length, the same thing from Iturra was 27.40 so I ordered it from Iturra. I'll let you guys know how it does when it gets here.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Marcus,

I don't have a Timberwolf blade and I have no connection with either Suffolk or Grizzley. But, I'll disagree with you. I think it is only common courtesy to contact the company from whom you bought something and give them a chance to make it right before you come online and start complaining or berating their products. I'll repeat myself. Any company will eventually have a problem with a product. It's going to happen. Maybe not in a theoretically ideal world....but in the real world it's going to happen.

There are a lot of folks here that swear by Timberwolf blades....not swear at them.....

[Marcus Ward]

I wasn't badmouthing them, did I say at any point anything that was opinion about the blade? Merely that it wasn't functioning properly and that I didn't want to be an unpaid qc'er. I think you're reading far more into this than is being said. The company's response that I need to contact the reseller isn't the sort of service I expect these days so I'm buying another brand. Grizzly always makes it right, I've never had a bad experience with them.

[Chris Padilla]

Do you observe anthing unusual if you take the blade and lay it on your shop floor, full circle? Does it lay flat...no kinks/bends/flat spots in the blade? It should form a nice circle with the back touching all the way around.

[Marcus Ward]

Haha!! That'd require the floor of my shop to be flat. Sorry, I can't check it that way. I have wedges under the corners of everything. Good suggestion though, if I had a sheet of melamine I might try that but I have none.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Maybe...

But you don't know what type of a contractural agreement there might be between Grizzley and Suffolk. Grizzley might have an agreement that they will handle any of the warrantee problems on the blades that they sell so that they can manage the type of service their customers get.

The company I work for uses and sells a lot of computers manufactured by a specific major manufacturer but we do all the service and warrantee work because we can insure the customer is handled in a manner that we feel they deserve.

[Marcus Ward]

My supposition that they're doing a poor job at customer service is as valid as yours that they have some sort of contractual obligation to allow grizzly to handle it.

You're a moderator, I'm almost smart enough not to get into an argument with one because I know I can't win, however, I'm not going to give them the benefit of the doubt. This blade is off enough that it should have been caught in QC or never welded that way in the first place. You get one chance to make a first impression and they blew it. That's all. I'm buying something else.

[Scott Hubl]

I have a couple bandsaws a 14" Ridgid with riser and the Grizzly G0513 17".
I have Timberwolf and Highland Woodworking Wood Slicer and their Woodturners blades even have some Olson All Pro's and out of those 3 brands I like the Highland Wood Slicer and their Woodturners 3/8" blades the best.

I don't think you'll go wrong by ordering a couple of the Wood Slicers at all.
If your into turning and cutting Green wet wood get a couple of their Woodturners blades.

[Jake Helmboldt]

The blade that came with the saw is reported by all to be terrible but it's not bad. A little too much tooth for resawing but I resawed some 5" cherry today and it was acceptable. It doesn't jump. How does one find a local lenox dealer?

Lenox used to have a "dealer locator" function online, but I can't find it now. Maybe look in the yellow pages or check with some local machinery/industrial supply places.

Also, the Olson blades are supposed to be really good (the choice of Mark Duginske) and if you search the archives you'll find an online dealer that has good prices. I've been meaning to give them a try since my saw doesn't take a common size.