POS 9" Delta BS bandsaw

[sachbvn]

This bull-honky band saw is giving me the fits.

I bought the thing for like 40 bucks - ok fine, whatever - I didn't get anything gloat worthy, but I didn't have a BS at the time, and thought this would work for a little while on rough stuff.

It came with an 1/8" blade - which was dull as hell, so I found a replacement at Menards. I bought an 1/8" and had a hell of a time getting it to track correctly - in fact, I quit trying and left the saw for several weeks.... one day, tinkering, I got it out and messed with the tensioning and stuff.... guess what? I got it to work! The BS has really been helpful in several occasions, but by no means a "main staple" in my shop.

Well - I broke that 1/8" blade the other day cutting something pretty thick...so - I bought a 1/4" blade at Menards with a little bit more aggressive TPI. Guess what? I can't get the damn thing on!

I tried for a near hour - It tracks fine on the bottom wheel - the top wheel it gives working it's way to the back of the wheel and then falling off. I have used my fingers to hold the blade in place and keep it mounted centered on the wheel (even tried the complete front of the wheel) and then, by hand, rotated the wheels and kept nudging the blade into the right spot for a dozen or so revolutions of the wheels. The thing STILL tracks to the back of the saw if I don't hold the blade in place. I've loosened the blade tension, tightened the blade tension......

What gives?

Zac

[dcarter636]

We started with a POS small three wheel bandsaw and spent enough on replacement blades to have paid for half of a 14" saw.

I think you need to accept that those little saws like little blades and start saving for a more bigger saw.

[TDHofstetter]

It doesn't have a tracking adjustment knob?

That blade MAY be defective, too - if it's stretched a tiny bit at the toothed edge, it'll try to roll off the back just as you describe.

[Joe Lyddon]

Tension is a very key factor... Must be LOOSE when replacing the blade... Tightened to just the right point before using it...

AND loosened again when NOT in use.
(count the number of turns so you can quickly get it back to tension) ;D

The tires may have gone bad... if they are cracked, probably so...
If you can find Urethane tires for it, they are the very BEST you can use... but, rubber if you can't get'em.

Put a straight edge across both wheels... they should be in perfect alignment.

Your guides should be properly adjusted also... do you have a manual on it?

Hope this helps...

[rrich]

There are two important adjustments on any band saw.

1 - The wheels MUST be co-planer to each other. Put a straight edge across both wheels and the straight edge should touch at 4 places simultaneously. This is the first thing that needs to be adjusted.

2 - There is a tilt or tracking adjustment for the top wheel. This adjustment keeps the blade on the wheels.

The tension adjustment is more or less a blade thing. You adjust the tension to keep the blade working correctly and without flutter. Too much tension will cause the blade to pop off the wheels. Every time that a soft spot in the tire passes under the blade, the blade moves a bit. It doesn't take too many passes before the blade walks off of the wheel.

The guide rollers/bushings/rubbing blocks or what ever your saw uses are intended to prevent the blade from walking off the back of the wheels. These MUST be adjusted exactly with every blade change.

[Leo Voisine]

I had a Crapsman band saw.

Bought nice blades for it

Bought nice tires for it

Worked on it

Threw it away

Kept the motor

Bought a decent bandsaw.

NOT delta.

I think everyone knows how I feel about Delta.

[rrich]

Dec 28, 2009 19:53:27 GMT -6 Leo Voisine said:

I think everyone knows how I feel about Delta.

No, Leo. Tell us. ;D