Bandsaw Cut Quality Problems

[Martin Hutton]

Running a Ridgid BS14002 with Olson blades (balanced the wheels, added a plywood base to the top, replaced belt with a link belt, etc.). Currently using an Olson 1/4" 6-TPI flexback and cutting ~2-3/4" thick Black Walnut. I also have a a 4-TPI and 10-TPI in 3/16" I could troubleshoot with as well.

I've ran into the same issue when I use the standard guides with cool blocks as well as after I installed the Carter Stabilizer and run only that. Every once in a while, the workpiece will effortlessly cut a small spurt and leave an angled cut in the profile of the wood (sounds a bit chaotic; like a low frequency screech). I thought it was when I was pushing the piece through too fast, but it's been happening recently on slow straight cuts as well.

1.jpg

Also, sometimes I get a wavy cut (I backed the blade back a touch in the pic). It seems it happens more when I'm moving the workpiece slow as opposed to fast. I've read it can happen when moving fast and the chips don't get cleared fast enough, they force themselves on the sides of the blade. However, when I'm moving fast and keeping pressure against the piece, I feel like i have more control and it doesn't happen. Sometimes on curves I find sometimes I get into the habit of cutting by pushing the piece more sideways into the blade instead of straight and turning the piece more smoothly.


2.jpg

[Andrew Hughes]

Try setting up your rear bearings so that they equally support the blade when cutting. If you need suggestions how to. I can help. Some like to omit the rear bearings contacting the blade and just crank up the tension. Not me.

Good Luck

[Rod Sheridan]

6TPI is pretty fine for material that thick.

Try a coarser blade....Rod

[John TenEyck]

I agree with Rod. I never use more than 4 tpi for cuts over about 2". Also, you can cut straight with a 1/4" blade, but it's a lot easier with a 3/8 or 1/2" blade if your saw can tension it. I use a 3/8" x 4 tpi blade as my general purpose blade on my 14" Delta. It can cut stuff from 1/2" to 6" thick as well as negotiate many curves.

John

[Lee Schierer]

It may be just the photo being a bit out of focus, but the tips of those teeth look pretty rounded over. I agree with the others that a wider blade makes resawing easier.

[Martin Hutton]

I'm cutting anywhere between 1" radius to 6" radius or so on the same blade. Figured 1/4" is the widest I could get away with and the only brand I saw with a sub-6-TPI blade was Timberwolf (shipping hurts for a single blade but I could buy a few). Maybe I need to look a little harder at other brands as well. Olson flexback sets me back $13 or so with free ship.

However, I noticed with the carter stabilizer, when you push it up into the blade, the blade tracks further forward on the tire. I brought it back further on the tire so that once I engaged the stabilizer to the blade, the teeth were centered on the tire/wheel (snodgrass method). My test cut looked a bit better so I'll have to trial that later.

[glenn bradley]

Another vote for a bit more blade and a bit less teeth in the work. I do use 1/2" or 3/4" for resawing where others like much wider so I am not just calling for more width casually. You may be surprised in the difference with even a 3/8" 4TPI skip tooth blade as far as accurate tracking on a 14" saw.

To the jumping or sudden easy-feed behavior, wood has varying densities and it is up to us as the operator to control the feed. If you require enough feed effort that it is challenging to adjust more and less pressure on-the-fly try slowing your feed rate. The blade should easily "eat" the material as it is fed. If there is stalling or you find yourself leaning into the cut, your blade is probably ready to be replaced.

It is important to remember that steel bandsaw blades are wear items. Like sand paper of the brakes on your car, they have a usable life after which things get unpredictable. Delaying replacement only buys you frustration at best and failure at worst. I always have a few spares of my preferred cutters hanging near the saw.

The exception is my carbide blade; I am watching for a sale in order to acquire a backup for this as well. It is frustrating and time consuming to stop work for a failed or failing cutter for which you have no spare. Forging ahead when things aren't working as expected just leads to more work fixing things after the fact.

[Richard Coers]

The true test if your feed speed is correct is shown with sawdust. If you see any sawdust in the kerf or sides of the stock when you are done, you are feeding too fast. The gullets are overloaded and can't pull all the sawdust out. That also results with a jump. If the kerf and stock is perfectly clean when the cut is completed, you are feeding just right.

[John TenEyck]

If you are cutting a 1" radius then of course the maximum width blade you can use is pretty narrow and the blade will dull on one side more than the other if you most often cut in the same direction. That blade will do a poor job if you then try to resaw with it. Better to change blades to one designed for resawing, then go back to the narrow one when you need to do more curved work.

John

[Doug Garson]

Sharpening a bandsaw blade is very easy so if as Lee suggested your blade is dull, you should be able to sharpen it in under an 1/2 hr using a cut off wheel on a Dremel.