rikon 10-326

i bought a rikon 10-326 bandsaw about 2 yrs ago and never used it,,i went out earlier and tried to rip a 2x8 inch piece of maple and it did nothing,,,what little bit it did rip vered so far off it wasnt even funny,,any suggestions ,,,

Did you follow the setup procedure in the owners manual?

I would do that and make sure you have the appropriate blade. Then things should go smoother.

As mentioned......make sure it's set up properly...... I have the same saw and have no trouble cutting turning blanks out of 13" thick maple or cutting 1/8" strips off of a 12" high board....

It will help if you can give us a little more detail. But as-is, my first thought is to check that you have the blade tension release lever set to "tension". I mention this because it's real easy to forget that (DAMHIKT).

You can also go to Youtube and search for > Rikon 10-326 troubleshooting <. There's a video on overall setup, setting your tracking, and others that may give you ideas.

Are you using the factory-supplied blade? Mine wasnt too hot and I replaced it immediately. I'm told that isnt uncommon on new bandsaws.

Lastly, you can call Rikon for help troubleshooting. They have helped me a couple times.

Fred

Another suggestion . . . Look for the Alex Snodgrass video (from Carter Products) on bandsaw setup. His setup steps are specifically designed for bandsaw resaw setup but, if you get it set up properly for resawing, it will work for anything. I own a Rikon 10-325 Deluxe (essentially the same saw) and that setup process gives me excellent results. If it works for resawing, it should work for just ripping; almost anything - hard or soft wood.

Honestly this is the first time I have used the saw..and it still has the blade that came on it...and needless to say I have not touched the setting...it's like it was when I put it together...thank you for all your answers

look for Michael Fortunes bandsaw setup videos on youtube. And if you want to really understand what makes a bandsaw tick get your hands on Mark Duginske's book "The new complete guide to the bandsaw". Personally I would buy a quality blade for your saw and then go through setting it up. Bad blades like the cheap ones that come on most saws new cause more issues than almost anything else. For that saw I think I would start with a 3/8'' x3-4 t.p.i. blade ,this size would make a good general purpose blade on your saw.

Just because you haven't touched anything other than trying to cut doesn't mean it was set up properly from the factory. Really, check one of the suggested sources for bandsaw setup. I would always recommend the Alex Snodgrass (Carter) video as it is one of the simplest to follow. You can even buy a booklet from Carter which outlines the steps, but the video should suffice. Bandsaws are like any other tool. Factory default setup may or may not be right on and ongoing preventive maintenance is required periodically once initial set up is done. Mine Rikon bandsaw wasn't set up properly from the factory. Unlike yours it did cut but not well.

I've never had luck with blades that came with bandsaws. I would get a good bi-metal blade to start with. Then, like others have said, set it up.

Ummm,,,,is the blade on backwards (teeth pointing up)?

I agree with Alex, trash the OEM blade and buy a high quality blade.

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Originally Posted by Keith Outten

I agree with Alex, trash the OEM blade and buy a high quality blade.

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I keep the blade that come with the saw for use as a 'nail finder' or other material I wouldn't use a good blade on and the cut is not critical.

To the OP Just curious…what was the problem?

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Originally Posted by Randy Heinemann

To the OP Just curious…what was the problem?

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Apparently the OP believed it was the saw. He now has a new thread asking for advice on which one to buy as he sold this one.

It doesn't matter what saw you buy... if you don't know how to set it up or don't want to take the time you will never be happy with it...