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Thread: Bandsaw blade back-forth wobble

  1. #1
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    Bandsaw blade back-forth wobble

    I'm a relative newbie still, having purchases my Rikon 10-324 a few months ago. It's been great so far, but I don't think I have it set up quite right. I put a Timber Wolf 3/4" 3TPI blade on it for ripping, which is what I wanted the machine for. The blade has a considerable amount of wobble front-to-back. I can get rid of most of the side-to-side wobble by adjusting the tension, but cannot figure out how to fix this issue. I put a 10-second video here of the blade running if that helps:
    https://drive.google.com/open?id=11n...l0igzF30D1hWp5

    Thanks in advance for advice!

  2. #2
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    If the blade you had on before ran fine I'd say it's the blade. Could be a bad weld. Take the blade off and lay it flat on your bench. The blade should be flat on the bench everywhere. And FWIW, that saw will probably not be able to put much tension on a 3/4" blade, despite Rikon's claim that it can use one. You might get better performance from a 1/2" x 3 tpi blade.

    John

  3. #3
    Yeah, blade weld . Some are so bad you can see it just by raising the gaurd.

  4. #4
    Best bet first is to try a new blade on it, looks like it could be a bad weld.
    Make sure your side guides are set far away from contact with the blade, as the set on the teeth are getting damaged in the video..
    You won't know how far the next blade might wander backwards.

    Good luck
    Tom

  5. #5
    Oscillating blade... Cool! My Bosch Jigsaw has that feature to allow you to plunge cut with the blade. Nice to see advancements in technology coming to the bandsaw market!

  6. #6
    Before you put on a new blade, you might want to try to do some practice on adjusting the blade guides. The side guides should be a little further back, so they clear the set of the teeth plus a 1/16 -1/8. I suspect they should also be a little tighter, but its hard to tell from the side view. The thrust bearing should be a bit closer. On a blade that doesn't wander front to back as much it should be backed off just a little so it doesn't contact the blade at idle, but it is supporting the blade as soon as you start the cut. Make sure that there still is enough clearance between the set of the teeth and the side guides when blade is touching the thrust bearing.

    Also, check that your bandsaw wheel tires are clean and in good shape, in case gunk or wear is causing the blade to wander

  7. #7
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    I run a 3/8" 5 tpi blade on my 14" Jet bandsaw. I don't experience wobble. I rip with it if needed.
    My saw has a riser block.

  8. #8
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    Chances are high it is a weld issue. The blade in the video is oscillating at roughly 6hz. The blade length is 111" so 9.25' per oscillation thus 55 1/2' per second so about 3300 fpm. IIRC the Rikon 14" saws run about 3000 fpm so within the margin of error of my counting the oscillations. This means the oscillation is almost certainly blade-based and the most likely blade issue is a weld that is not straight. You can check the weld with a straight edge but often it is easiest to see a small error by laying the blade with the backside on a flat floor.
    Of all the laws Brandolini's may be the most universally true.

    Deep thought for the day:

    Your bandsaw weighs more when you leave the spring compressed instead of relieving the tension.

  9. #9
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    Hi Steven

    i had the EXACT same issue about one year back with a timberwolf blade!!! In fact my issue was so similar that I thought the video you posted was the one I uploaded to my thread asking for the same help last year. See my thread here and some very similar responses:

    https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread....em)&highlight=

    In the end after way to many brain cycles I took the advise of Van Husky and purchased some new blades from Spectrum Supply and the issue was resolved 100%. I will warn you that the shipping cost charged by Spectrum is high when compared to other vendors but the actual blades are most of the time 1/2 the cost so it is still a great deal and good excuse to buy more than one blade. One other comment about Spectrum supply customer service, when placing my second order with them I made a mistake and asked them to add an additional 5/8" instead of 1/8" - totally my fault.... After receiving them I tried to use one but they were to large to tension on my machine. So I called them and they said send them back and let's see what we can do to fix them, so I sent all 5 back and they called to inform me that the amount needed to be removed was to small to reweld with accuracy, but for an additional $5 (total) they would replace them all with the correct length. That single gesture will secure my business forever.

    good luck with resolving your issue - take it from me it is an easy one to solve just going to cost you few more bucks to get an accurately welded blade to replace the junk timberwolfs.

    TomD
    Last edited by Tom DiBiasio; 01-05-2019 at 9:29 PM.

  10. #10
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    I took the blade off my saw and put on on my granite kitchen counter to check flatness. Lets just say I could see the light. Did the same with the 5/8 4TPI blade that came with the saw and it was much flatter. Put that one on the saw and *boom* no more wobble. Guess that'll teach me to order blades from Amazon. Kinda mad though because it's not exactly a cheap blade. Too bad I'm way past the 30-day return period. I just ordered a new one from Highland Woodworking (1/2" 3-4TPI), hoping that will be better. Thanks for the diagnosis!

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steven Mikes View Post
    Too bad I'm way past the 30-day return period.
    While I suppose it is obvious now it is always a good idea to check every bandsaw blade as soon as you get them in. EVERY blade welder will muck up a weld now and then and some of them will get through QC. Highland generally has good welds (though they do not weld them themselves) and good CS if you have an issue. I will say for future reference that you can get the same or better quality blade stock from saw shops and supply houses for less money.
    Of all the laws Brandolini's may be the most universally true.

    Deep thought for the day:

    Your bandsaw weighs more when you leave the spring compressed instead of relieving the tension.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Van Huskey View Post
    While I suppose it is obvious now it is always a good idea to check every bandsaw blade as soon as you get them in. EVERY blade welder will muck up a weld now and then and some of them will get through QC. Highland generally has good welds (though they do not weld them themselves) and good CS if you have an issue. I will say for future reference that you can get the same or better quality blade stock from saw shops and supply houses for less money.
    Here, here. I wave this flag quite often and really beat myself up if I catch myself leaving a received box unopened for more than a few days. As to the Timberwolf with the bad weld, Suffolk has happily replaced the 2 or 3 blades I have received with bad welds over the years. Give them a call; their intention is not to sell you a blade you cannot use
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  13. #13
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    update: new 1/2" woodslicer 3/4TPI blade arrived. Installed and set guides. It's joyous.

  14. #14
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    Steven, I remember that feeling. When I got my 14" Rikon all put together and made the first cut, it was with the 5/8" no-name blade that came with it. It was slow, noisy and rough and I was questioning my choice of saws. I put a 1/2" Woodslicer on it and it was a different saw. Yeah, I know it doesn't wear that well, but I've yet to find anything that cuts as nicely.

  15. #15
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    Another thing besides a bad weld that can make a blade pulse back and forth is a crack in the blade. Our sawmill uses 1-1/4" .050" blades and when they've been sharpened a few times and run for a while they get old and begin to crack starting in the tooth gullet and working back through the blade. When I see the pulse I've found it's best to shut the engine down right away before it breaks right through. It's less likely on a new blade, but still maybe something to watch for.
    Zach

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