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Thread: Grizzly band saw - wood pulling away from fence

  1. #1
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    Jan 2018
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    Cleveland, Ohio
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    Grizzly band saw - wood pulling away from fence

    I have a buddy who recently bought the Grizzly G0531B band saw and says the wood is pulling away from the fence very badly.

    He has ensured the wood is square and flat, the fence is square, the blade is square to the top, has tried it with 2 new sharp blades, blade is tight and not wobbling, and the roller bearings are close to the wood but not touching. He said he also called Grizzly and did everything they stated and was set up according to the instructions and what Grizzly customer service said.

    Any other thoughts on what could be going wrong or potential fixes?

    Thanks,
    Nick

  2. #2
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    Mar 2016
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    Millstone, NJ
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    Is he feeding too fast? The blade will track if not perfect(too loose, guides not setup right, etc)

  3. #3
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    Too me it’s sounds like standard bandsaw drift.
    Adjusting the angle of the fence should fix it.
    Thats my best guess from a thousand miles away.
    Aj

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
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    Moscow, Idaho
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    It sounds like a blade-drift problem. If the wheels are crowned, then adjusting the tracking should help. Otherwise, adjusting the fence to be parallel with the blade cut should work.

  5. #5
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    Has he put the blade in the center of the top wheel? That's first. Then adjust the miter slot parallel with the blade and the fence parallel with the miter slot. A blade with 20K psi or more tension that is sharp and has equal set on both sides will cut straight, requiring no more than maybe a very slight adjustment of tilt to the top wheel. If it won't, change blades. If it still won't, it's probably time to check the alignment of the wheels.

    The manual for my Grizzly bandsaw is very well written, easy to follow, and should address all of the above.

    What blade is on the saw?

    John

  6. Try this:

    Use a piece of plywood about 4 inches wide by 13 inches long. Draw a parallel line down the middle lengthwise. without using the fence guide the board so it cuts along the line until you are about 2/3 through the length, then carefully hold the board in place while shutting off the saw. Without moving the board clamp it to the top of the saw, then adjust the fence so it is snug with the edge of the board.

  7. #7
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  8. #8
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    Sep 2007
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    I've found it to be signal that my blade needs to be replaced. Might not be your problem.

  9. #9
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    May 2014
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    Alberta
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    As John said above the miter slot needs to be parallel to the blade. If blades are new and sharp this is what I would check.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by John TenEyck View Post
    Has he put the blade in the center of the top wheel? That's first. Then adjust the miter slot parallel with the blade and the fence parallel with the miter slot. A blade with 20K psi or more tension that is sharp and has equal set on both sides will cut straight, requiring no more than maybe a very slight adjustment of tilt to the top wheel. If it won't, change blades. If it still won't, it's probably time to check the alignment of the wheels.

    The manual for my Grizzly bandsaw is very well written, easy to follow, and should address all of the above.

    What blade is on the saw?

    John
    The above is the correct way to align the saw.

    The fence, once adjusted parallel should never require realignment.....Regards, Rod

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Cleveland, Ohio
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    92
    Thank you everyone for the responses. These are very helpful. I have sent this thread over to my buddy. The video is also very helpful.

    Thanks again,
    Nick

  12. If you have blade drift, IME, it is either a dull blade, or a poorly adjusted saw. Adjusting the blade to ride properly centered on the upper wheel when at the correct tension with all the guides backed off is a good start. Then set the guides. Fence should be parallel to the miter slot. Don't force the feed too fast.

    I have owned several different band saws and never seen drift that wasn't eliminated with a sharp blade and proper setup. Even a blade that is evenly dull on both sides doesn't drift on my saw.

    Oh, another issue can be trying to re saw a non flat face. Joint first.
    Last edited by Pete Staehling; 05-08-2019 at 8:00 AM.

  13. #13
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    Never saw that video. Great information.

    Thanks Mike King.
    Rick Potter

    DIY journeyman,
    FWW wannabe.
    AKA Village Idiot.

  14. #14
    I followed this video:

    https://youtu.be/wGbZqWac0jU

    I watched that several times before setting up my first bandsaw and have had zero drift. It works perfectly well and was easy to follow even as someone who'd never used a bandsaw before.

  15. The best way is the Alex Snodgrass way. I have tried to adjust for drift by cutting a sample board and aligning my fence, it works, but the Alex Snodgrass way adjusts the saw correctly. Google him, but the method is to put the gullets of the teeth on the center of the top wheel, he claims if you center the blade it can rock back and forth on the crown. With the gullets on the center the blade is stable, then spring clamp a piece of long thin wood to the blade with a relief cut for the teeth (he uses a nifty magnetic guide). This piece of long thin wood is oriented in the direction of the cut, so this is the path of the cut. Then adjust the table using the miter slot to this long thin wood. I cut logs on a 17" grizzly and re saw straight as an arrow. Try it

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