Conventional wisdom has it that blade tension should be released between uses. Just wondering what experimental or experiential evidence is available that not doing so wil damage blades, bearings, springs, tires, or even frames?
[OP]
Member
Conventional wisdom has it that blade tension should be released between uses. Just wondering what experimental or experiential evidence is available that not doing so wil damage blades, bearings, springs, tires, or even frames?
Member
Its an urban myth.
Contributor
I release mine when not in use.
Sid Matheny
McMinnville, TN
Moderator
Lots of people say to never release the tension.Originally Posted by Ed Nygard
The manufacturers say to release the tension, but not necessarily between every use.
From my Rikon 18" bandsaw manual:
"18. Release blade tension when the saw will not be used for a long period of time."
Choose for yourself who to listen to. Individuals who do or don't detension provide only anecdotal "evidence" to back their position, as in "I've been doing it this way for years my pa for years before me and...".
I've never heard of someone conducting a proper experiment that that quantifies the benefit of following the maker's guideline. (A multi year experiment with a bank of identical bandsaws, some with the tension never released, some released every day, some released only during long periods of no use. What does it do to the blade, the tires, the tension spring, etc. Then test again with a different blade.)
I personally release mine only when I know I won't be using it sometime in the next few days. I always release tension on my WoodMizer sawmill at the end of the day. I always release tension on my metal cutting bandsaws and my 14" wood cutting bandsaw since it may be months before I use it again.
JKJ
Contributor
and this from the Laguna manual for the 1412 band saw:
If you are not using the bandsaw for extended periods of time (overnight),
remove the tension on the blade. This will increase the life of your blade and the
machine. If tension is left on the machine, flats or grooves can be formed in the
rubber of the wheels, which will detract from the performance of the machine and in
extreme cases cause vibration. Removing the tension will greatly enhance the life of
the machine, bearings and tires.
Stand for something, or you'll fall for anything.
Member
I think part of that is if the bandsaw sits unused for lengths of time. I've never released the tension on my bandsaws and as far as I can tell have never had any bad consequences. Blades to break every now and then but it's probably due to use rather than blade tension. I do use my saws often so they don't sit for more than a day except in rare occasions.
Member
Have the manufacturers done controlled tests to back their recommendation?? I doubt it. Leaving tension on would damage a blade is yet to be shown AFAIK, if so how? Maybe a very small saw might suffer, I will buy that but not a bigger one. I guess the worse that could happen on bigger saws is the tyres will need replacing earlier but my saw is about six years old and the only time the tension is off it is during a blade change and the tyres are still in very good condition.
Chris
Everything I like is either illegal, immoral or fattening
Member
Not to hi-jack this thread but since we are writing about bandsaws ,has anyone here have any opinions about carbide-embedded blades as grizzly t24785 ? and as the tension thing goes my wood-cutting bandsaw has a unloader on it so why not use it.
Contributor
As far as the blades go, I wonder if they're Grizzly branded SuperCut blades.
http://www.supercutbandsaw.com/gold.html
My saw came with a quick tension release. I paid for it, why not use it? I imagine the best answer is how long will the wheels and bearings sit in one place? Overnight, it probably doesn't matter. Weeks or months? It may matter.
Contributor
If steel springs and rubber tires are degraded by constant load, you'd be putting your car up on blocks every night.
Member
If you start your saw with the tension releases, it will usually ruin the blade.
Member
This is one of those "to each his own" things. But if you're looking for an actual factual reason, in reality there isn't one.
The supposed reason for releasing tension is to prolong the life of the spring, not "damaging the blade". That's ridiculous IMO.
I'm telling you guys I've run the two bandsaws I have for 15+ years and never released the tension once & never had a problem.
And what are you doing reading that owners manual anyway? What's wrong with you? LOL
Contributor
I have an older Jet 14" saw with a riser block. For years I never released the tension on the blade. Last summer I found that I couldn't get the blade to track or even stay on the wheel. Low and behold the lever arm that controls the tracking had cracked and then broken. After taking it apart I discovered that it was made of pot metal so the long term tensioning had probably cause the failure. I was fortunate to find a replacement assembly with the tracking arm, spring, and tensioning screw. Needless to say I now release the tension whenever I am done with the band saw. I modified the tensioning screw and now loosen it with 15 turns after use.
Cheers,
David
Moderator
Yikes, I'm caught. I read every manual. I organize them by category in a file cabinet. I've been known to print on-line only manuals.
There is a even secret society of manual readers. Sometimes it seems half the people in the world don't qualify for membership.
Contributor
John I suspect your estimate of unqualified/disqualified people is low. I do the same, read them and print out those that are electronic. I've already learned a lot of the stuff in them and the product liability lawyers certainly have input but once in a while there's a pertinent fact.
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