badlyNeed help with band saw

[Jeff Dunlap]

I am having a problem with a band saw i recently purchased. It is a Grizzly G0555x. I set it up according to the manual but i am having a major problem. I think it may just be the blade that came with the saw, i did not buy another one i just used the one that came with the saw. I had it set so it would cut parralle to the miter slot the bearings i belive were positoned correctly the guide bearings spun by them selves without moving the blade when off, but spin when the saw is on the rear support bearing does not spin until wood is being cut is this correct? The major problem is that i can not cut curves the saw will not let me cut them it slows down or stops all together and i am not cutting tight curves either, there soft curves for a table apron. and do not know what is happening, i tried increasing and decreasing tension it helped some but did not solve the problem. i slowed my feed rate way down and agian helped but did not sole the problem can anyone help? also the blade is 3/8. any help is greatl appreciated.

[Howard Norman]

Jeff, it sounds to me like the tension on the drive belt is too low. If the saw is slowing down or stopping I don't think that you are getting the power from the motor to the saw. Try increasing the tension on the drive belt.

[Barry Vabeach]

Jeff, the "blade" that came with my Grizzly was worthless- you need a better blade to see what this saw can do. It sounds like you have the guides right - if you turn the upper wheel by hand, none of the guides should move. As you turn the power on and feed the wood, the blade gets pushed back into the thrust bearing and that spins until you stop feeding wood. Typically, the side bearings don't spin constantly when cutting - often just one or the other spins and that changes depending on the way you are feeding the wood.

[Pete Bradley]

Not directly related, but you might want to pick up one of the bandsaw books, Lonny Bird's or Duginske's.

[Russ Massery]

Ditto on the stock blade. About the only thing it's good for is setting up the saw.

[William OConnell]

Yes it sounds like the thrust bearing is set correctly. It should arely miss the blade and engage when fed wood
I agree with the stock blade thing and also check the drive belt. I don't know how thick the stock is your cutting but bogging down out of the gate sounds like a set up problem. I'm thinking its the drive elt tension mainly that would be my first adjustment.
Good luck

[Jeff Dunlap]

Thanks for al your help yes i did think about the drive belt and i am going to check that right now, also i am only cutting 3/4 oak, so the saw should have no problem with that. i will keep everyone posted, again thanks for all your guys help

[John Thompson]

As mentioned... stock blades are well.... stock blades. If you don't think a good quality, sharp, proper width and tooth selection is important to match to a job.... you would be wrong. You did not mention the width of the stock blade but.. I would guess it is 1/2" or smaller which is fine for soft curves that you mentioned.

If you are doing curves it certainly doesn't hurt to take a stone and round off the back corners of your curve cutting blade to reduce drag. But.. from what you have stated it sounds like a classic case of the belt or drive pulley's slipping as mentioned and would be the first thing I trouble-shooted as some have mentioned so I will second and third those that did.

Good luck...

Sarge..

[Jeff Dunlap]

I checked the belt drive and it seems tensioned proply when i squeeze it togetger it barly moves. So i think its pretty well tensioned, maybe to much is taht possible. also it is a 3/8" blade. From messing sround more i did notice this, if i increase tention to cut straight with no bow using the miter gage, the blade twists and i can't cut the curves. but if i release tension i can cut curves or the blade comes of track and i get the bow in cuts using the miter gage. And i agree with you sarge i think a balde makes i huge differenc, i did not buy a diffrernt one because this is my first bandsaw and i just wanted to get the saw up and running before i did anything, but i guess this blade is just that bad. So i do think it is the blade being of poor quality. I amd thinking of buying a timberwolf blade a 3/8" 6 tpi do you guys think that this is good enough to do light curves and circles but at the same time cut straight enough to cut checks on tenons? Again thanks for all your help. I don;t know what i would do without the insight of all the crekkers, i can only hope i learn enough to be able to help people as you guys do. Thank you.

[Bill Huber]

I think its been stated already but the problem is the blade.

When I bought my new Jet I was really not very happy with it, I had seen people cut on a bandsaw and it went just as smooth and fast as it could be. I couldn't do that with my saw.

I got a Timberwolf blade and I could not believe the difference, like a world of difference.

I will also say get a book, I have "The Bandsaw Book" by Lonnie Bird, very good book.

[Mike Wilkins]

Check these:
1. Adjust tension-try recommended settings first, then increase a little at a
time, like a 1/4 turn.
2. Adjust guides-I usually try to set the side guides approx. the thickness of
a dollar bill from a fully tensioned blade. The thrust bearing should be close
but not touching until you start into the cut.
3. Blade-try rounding over the back of the blade to make it easier to
navigate a curved cut.
4. Make sure the blade size is correct for your saw. There are min/max sizes
for every saw. You should check the owners manual for this.
5. Check drive belt tension and alignment.
6. Get your hands on one the bandsaw books by Mark Duginske or Lonnie Bird.
These guys know their way around a bandsaw.
They make their living with wood.
They are good.
Be patient. Call the dealer if needed.

[Robby Tacheny]

I have a go555x and I tentioned the stock 3/8" blade up to the 1/2" blade mark. I set the side bearings to the width of a piece of paper and So far I have cut a 4" or so circle with the stock blad, resawn about 6" pine and cherry (slow feed!), and haven't had a single problem with bogging down whatsoever. Also my rear bearing only spins when I am cutting thicker wood, which pushes it back.

Are you using any dust collection? I noticed that lots of sawdust gets on the wheels without it. That *might* affect slippage in tandem with a blade which is tentioned too loose. I haven't been using a bandsaw too long

I would recommend calling Grizzly tech support though. I don't believe the saw should just shut off unless you are cutting some seriously thick and hard stuff with a high deed rate or have a dull blade.

-R

[Anthony Whitesell]

Take a look through the Suffolk machinery website before making your decision/purchase. There's lots of good information on there about bandsaws, blades, setup etc. and it's not specific to Timberwolf blades. Keep an eye out for the blade thickness vs. curve radius chart to be sure that you're not trying to cut too tight of a corner.

When you say slow down, do you mean the blade or the motor? Down the motor sound like it's loosing speed or just the blade? Does you circuit have the proper side wire and how is the voltage at the outlet, with and without the load?

I would not only re-check you belt and blade tension again, but also the pulleys (note plural, ie., both of them) to make sure they are not slipping on their shafts. If you have a paint pen, you can place a dot at the joint between the pulley and shaft. Then use the machine for a while and then check the dot. It could be loose set screw or missing key.

[john l graham]

If you call Suffolk Machinery (Timberwolf Blade company), they will help you chose the right blade/s for your intended use and specific bandsaw. You can order directly from them or use the information to go and purchase elsewhere. John

[Mike Heidrick]

No disrespect with this post at all - just making sure the blade is on correct and not inside out and that the teeth sharp edges point down. Inside out blades do happen. Can you make straight cuts OK?

[Curt Harms]

No disrespect with this post at all - just making sure the blade is on correct and not inside out and that the teeth sharp edges point down. Inside out blades do happen. Can you make straight cuts OK?

The band was backward. I hope somebody didn't buy that and try to use it:eek:.

[Jeff Mohr]

Now that we are talking about blades, what would one recommend for curve cutting on the Grizzly G0555x?

[Bill Huber]

Now that we are talking about blades, what would one recommend for curve cutting on the Grizzly G0555x?


Here is a really good chart for what blade to use for what radius and wood.

http://www.suffolkmachinery.com/silicon_steel_selection.asp

[Doug Rogers]

You also might want to try Carter's Stabilizer. I just saw this demonstrated at the Wood works show. It is good for blades 1/4" and less. The woman demonstrating was cutting reindeers with a 3/8" blade. The 14" band saw was acting like a scroll saw.

The stablizer replaces the top bearing. The bottom bearings are adjusted out so they don't touch the blade. Sweet add-on.

Doug