Huge problem with new Laguna resaw king band saw blade

[John K Jordan]

... Barring any revelations, I'll be on the phone with Laguna on Monday.

Before calling them you might check the actual tension with a borrowed a tension gauge or use the caliper technique given here:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...33#post2640833

They might be able to better advise if you can give them a number. BTW, I and others have found out that the tension marks on at least some saws are not accurate.

JKJ

[Aaron Wingert]

VanHuskey my thrust bearings are about 1/32" behind the blade, and are spinning freely.

Here's video of the Timberwolf cutting hedge today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx_dsyciEZI

[Van Huskey]

I am trying to figure out what exactly is happening and honestly I am not sure. It seems a tooth is catching on the upper edge of the cut, but based on how it did on the mahogany it wouldn't seem to be an odd tooth, which you inspected for anyway. You can't do anything about tension since you are maxed out but if it were me I would try it with the thrust bearing much closer to the blade just a "micron" off the blade and make sure the side guides are VERY close as well. When I slowed the video down I saw the blade moving rearward more than I would like.

Do you have any pictures of the top of the kerf from either piece that the saw "bucked" on? They may give an indication whether the teeth were hitting outside the expected kerf, maybe a chunk out of the side of the kerf at the top. The only time I have ever had anything like this happen was hitting a hidden nail or rock but that obviously is not the case here.

[andy bessette]

Be certain you're correctly adjusting both upper and lower sets of blade guides.

[Aaron Wingert]

Van Huskey, here's a video showing the cuts where I got the same catch at about the same depth of cut on the cocobolo. Same piece of wood from the previous video. The green hedge has already been cut up with the new Timberwolf blade, so it isn't something I can show you. On the green hedge I made it maybe 1-1/2" to 2" before the first big bang. Thank you for the input on the roller guide thrust bearing placement. I'll get it a bit closer on the next round.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA6g2G8xs1Y


Andy, yep my upper and lower guides are adjusted.

Thanks again guys, appreciate all the ideas and time spent helping.

[Van Huskey]

OK that is different than I expected to see but it seems clear that the blade is going wonky somewhere around the middle of the cut and catching the side faces of the teeth. I have been afraid to pronounce it as lack of tension since that isn't something you can fix but I am leaning farther that way. That section is the farthest from the side guides where barreling is the worst and I think a bunch of teeth are grabbing the side. Since you are maxed out on tension get all the bearings right up to a whisper away from the blade and try again, but I am not sure if at will fix the issue.

Obviously, get in touch with Laguna, they may have seen the issue and have more insight, both videos should help them with the diagnosis.

Also, understand I am just guessing here since I have never had this issue and can't remember anyone mentioning a similar issue on any forum I read. I am going on the side of the teeth grabbing because the teeth on the TW blade are set so they have clearance behind the point so side pressure won't grab like the carbide teeth will. Again, this is all guess work. Hopefully Laguna will have a different view along with an easy solution.

[Andrew Hughes]

I'm still seeing a piece of wood that's getting pulled down into the throat plate.The coco bolo has not been jointed flat and your plastic throat plate is flexing.
I had the same thing happen to me when I ran a RK blade on a Laguna 16 inch.I was cutting Gaboon Ebony It as some years ago and I don't remember if I ever got it solved.
Try this lay a piece of 3/4 plywood on top of your table make the cut with a flat side down.
I think you be able to get the blade to cut but will find that the wood is out classing your saw.

[Van Huskey]

I'm still seeing a piece of wood that's getting pulled down into the throat plate.The coco bolo has not been jointed flat and your plastic throat plate is flexing.
I had the same thing happen to me when I ran a RK blade on a Laguna 16 inch.I was cutting Gaboon Ebony It as some years ago and I don't remember if I ever got it solved.
Try this lay a piece of 3/4 plywood on top of your table make the cut with a flat side down.
I think you be able to get the blade to cut but will find that the wood is out classing your saw.

I see what you are saying and it certainly is a (real) possibility. The secondary table would rule it in or out. While I may well be wrong the speed and violence of the catch indicates to me that even if a non-flexible throat plate was installed it might mitigate the symptom I don't think it is the root cause.

[Steve Demuth]

I've been watching this thread and I am with Van in leaning toward insufficient tension as the primary issue. A blade like that should be tensioned close to 25000 psi for the hardest wood and deep cuts, and you're not going to get anywhere near that with that saw. The blade is .024" thick, and .75" nominal depth, for a cross-section of .016 sq in. It's a bit less than that because of the gullet depth, but say it's .012 sq in. If your saw can put 100lbs on the blade, which is probably generous, that gives you roughly 8000psi tension. The blade lacks the beam strength at that tension to not distort in a hard or deep cut, and the big overhanging carbide teeth are probably gouging sideways into the kerf, causing the catch.

[John K Jordan]

I've been watching this thread and I am with Van in leaning toward insufficient tension as the primary issue....

That's the reason I suggested measuring the actual tension, either with a gauge or the free digital caliper method. If the actual tension is known it might eliminate some of the guesswork.

If the tension is low, the spring weak, and frame it strong enough it might be possible to install a stiffer spring and get some additional tension, but at the risk of warping the saw or the tensioning components. I did exactly the latter on a 14" Delta. I was trying to properly tension a large blade that Delta optimistically implied would work. That's when I bought a tension gauge.

JKJ

[Steve Demuth]

Yep, makes sense, and I'm not disagreeing - just pointing out that we and Laguna already know you can't properly tension those blades for really hard cuts on a 14" saw. The numbers just don't add up. I have the Resaw King for my own 14" saw. Great for the cuts it can handle, but with very definite limits.

[Andrew Hughes]

Laguna sells Rk blades with their 14/12 bandsaws.I though the powermatic would be as stout as the 14/12 maybe not.
I still stand by my first thoughts feeding rough sawn coco bollo.
The Rk blade is a fine blade for very precision cuts.But only if it's feed right.
The obvious solution is a 20 inch BS and a Woodmaster Ct.
I have not found anything more rugged then the Woodmaster Ct.Ive used it to Resaw Plywood,Hickory,Oak,Basswood, cedar.It just keep going.