bandsaw help??

[mike falconer]

I bought the 14" bandsaw from harbor freight about 6 months ago. Since then I added a 6inch riser block. now I know this isn't a great saw to start with, but mine sure seems week. today I was trying to cut a few bowl blanks, they are about 5" thick and was cut a 10" diameter out of wet walnut and eucalyptus. but the saw keeped bugging down, motor was running but blade would stall out, pretty sure I had it tight enough as there wasn't any play in the blade. Any ideals or is it just a under powered saw?

[Grant Aldridge]

I have no idea what the power ratings are on that saw but 5" wet wood is not an easy task for it. What blade are you using? How many tpi?

[Lee Schierer]

Tighten the belt. If the saw stalls and the motor is still turning, the belt is slipping.

You might want to tell us what blade you are using as well.

[mike falconer]

I was using a 3/4 3tpi resaw blade. I was shooting for a hex/octagon shape not trying to round off the blanks. I do believe the saw is rated at 3/4 hp ( whatever that means from HF?)

[tom lucas]

That blade is likely too aggressive for the saw, and too wide, especially in wet wood. Get some 1/2" and 1/4" to 3/8" inch bimetal Lennox blades. Half inch about 8 TPI. 1/4" about 12 or more TPI. Blades make the most difference on a band saw. And the motor should never run with the blade stopped. Something is not right there. Also, check your tires.

[Steve Eure]

First off, a resaw blade is not a good choice for wet wood. I would consider something on the lines of woodturners blade that Highland sells. It's a 3/8" blade and 3 tpi. This blade is designed specifically for what you are trying to do.

[Bradley Gray]

I agree with Tom that your blade is too wide but I would get Lennox flex back instead of bi-metal as they require less tension and would not go above 3/8 x 4tpi.

Narrower and thinner blades require less power.

[John K Jordan]

A 3/4" blade is too big and difficult to tension properly on a saw like that, in my experience. Things can bog down because of belt slipping, teeth dull, or insufficiently tensioned such that the blade is bowing in the cut, causing an overwhelming amount of friction.

If the motor is running and the blade is not moving I would suspect the belt is slipping or one of the pulleys is not fastened properly to the shaft. You might have to watch to see what is going on. If running the saw with the lower door open wear safety gear and be very careful. I might position a mirror so I could watch the action and stay well out of the way.

JKJ

[Mike Cary]

Okay, everything said so far is correct. Another thing, the radius you can cut with a 3/4 inch blade is 5 1/2 inches. If you try to cut a 10 inch circle you are going to bind the back of your blade in the kerf.