Bandsaw problem

[Gerald Lawrence]

Having a problem with my bandsaw and would like to see what diagnosis can be arrived at. Have a Grizzly GO555 with riser. It has a 1hp 110 motor. Has been working well cutting blanks from pecan about 6 inch thick . The last two the saw will slow and or totally stop in cut. Then the blade is stuck in wood.
Either I am asking more than this 20 plus year old saw will deliver (but it has before) or something wrong with motor. Running 1/2 inch 3tpi.
Any Ideas

 

[John Torchick]

I'm going to guess here with a couple of questions- Sharpen blade? Feeding too fast (I tend to do this)? Blade tension too loose and stalls/slips? I cut pecan on my BS but no more than 1-1/2 inch thick. This is with a finer tooth blade, not one like yours.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

It is a new woodslicer blade this time and tried very slow feed but still a problem.

 

[Gary Beasley]

What pulley do you have the belt in, high speed or low speed set? Also your blade might not have enough set to the teeth to keep the kerf open especially with green wood that has tension in it. I have the same saw, run it with the low speed pulley set for torque and with a similar blade can cut blanks nearly 12 inches thick. Another detail is to check the line voltage, especially while cutting. Any significant drop will lose a lot of horsepower.

 

[Dan Bevilacqua]

Have you checked the belt tension?

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Had the belt on high speed and switched to slow to see if that was problem . Will have to check tension and I did not think of that. BUT when it stops the belt is not slipping just stop motor is not moving.

 

[Gary Beasley]

Does sound like a lack of horsepower. How do you have it powered? Dedicated power plug, 15 or 20 amp circuit?
Motor might be power starved.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

20 amp circuit been in this outlet for 17 years.

 

[Richard Shelby]

When you say "'stop in cut" Does the motor stall, or does the belt slip?

 

[Gary Beasley]

Well if a voltage check under load proves good and the drop to low speed on the pulleys dont help theres a half a chance of motor problems unless a pulley is slipping on a shaft. Have you tried another species of wood to see if its just difficult wood? Did this just start happening with the new blade?

 

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I do suggest you try a new band, and it will probably cut just fine, as IMO your blade has lost it’s set and so binds in the cut, just IMO

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Well if a voltage check under load proves good and the drop to low speed on the pulleys dont help theres a half a chance of motor problems unless a pulley is slipping on a shaft. Have you tried another species of wood to see if its just difficult wood? Did this just start happening with the new blade?

Did not think about the pulley slipping . It has a key and maybeee it is a problem . Will have to check tomorrow. Was doing this with the old blade too.

 

[Gary Beasley]

Hope your guide rollers havent taken the set out of the blade teeth. Grizzlys original guide set was slightly prone to allow the blade to slip by the rear bearing and smash the teeth. I changed mine out for a Carter guide set, so much easier to set and keep set.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Hope your guide rollers havent taken the set out of the blade teeth. Grizzlys original guide set was slightly prone to allow the blade to slip by the rear bearing and smash the teeth. I changed mine out for a Carter guide set, so much easier to set and keep set.

I notice the upper back bearing is allowing that to happen. Is the Carter bearing larger?

 

[Gary Beasley]

The Carter bearing is mounted at right angle to the way the Grizzly bearing is, allowing the blade to run on the outer race instead of grazing the face. Less scrubbing and more stable. Adjustments are easier too, well worth the upgrade. If indeed the blade slipped past the back bearing the tooth set was likely ruined and thats causing the binding. You should be able to tell simply by feeling the blade, see how flat it is compared to a new one.

 

[Bill Boehme]

If you don't have Mark Duginski's "Band Saw Handbook "you need to get and read it ASAP. The number of potential problems is quite a long list, but using a methodical approach you should be able to find the cause of the problem in short order. A number of things come to mind:

• A lot of very good suggestions so far.
• The first thing I would suspect is that it stopped because the blade twisted in the wood. There are many reasons why that would happen. Most likely is the guides aren't set correctly. Worst case would be a cracked casting allowed the frame to flex.
• If the motor has a run capacitor (two lumps on the motor) or less common would be a start/run capacitor (no centrifugal switch) then a bad run capacitor or start/run capacitor could be the problem. Assuming that the saw quickly comes up to speed under no-load conditions then I would NOT suspect a problem with the start capacitor.
• A new blade can be defective. I had one with a crooked weld.
• Your saw is 20 years old and how many times have you replaced the tires? If the answer is never that may be the answer.
• Also, the V-belts might be worn out. A bell runs on the sidewalls. If it worn out it will run on the bottom and slip and often cause the pulley to get very hot.
• Motors are very reliable, but they can die. Losing power and running very hot are two symptoms of a dying motor.
• FWIW, I prefer Cool Blocks to bearings for blade guides. You can substitute a hard oily tropical wood for the Cool Blocks.
• What you really need is a new high power steel frame fire breathing bad boy bandsaw..

 

[Dennis Weiner]

I like the slipping wheel tire theory but it may be too optimistic. I had similar symptoms with my jet with riser blocks. Jet tech support recommended replacing the motor. That solution worked. A friend also had similar situation. He changed the capacitor but cleaned the motor of all caked in saw dust and he was fine. You can also check if there is an electric motor repair shop near you to determine the economics of a repair. You may also want to call Grizzly. Good luck.

 

[Stan Semeniuk]

Gerald , I had a similar problem with my Rikon and it turned out to be the run capacitor. My saw would take longer at start up to get to full speed and took me a while to notice the difference. Run through your check list of mechanical things, bearings ,tension, blade. Is the wood wet or dry?

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

The Carter bearing is mounted at right angle to the way the Grizzly bearing is, allowing the blade to run on the outer race instead of grazing the face. Less scrubbing and more stable. Adjustments are easier too, well worth the upgrade. If indeed the blade slipped past the back bearing the tooth set was likely ruined and thats causing the binding. You should be able to tell simply by feeling the blade, see how flat it is compared to a new one.

I will check some other things, but I think the bearing allowing the blade to slip and flatten teeth is the answer. It starts an runs fine and will cut a 3/4 board fine. Where the problem is almost immediately is on a 6 inch green wood. The new blade cut for about 2-3 inches when first put on then slowed and finally after slowing and moving forward very slowly a full stop and the blade was stuck in the wood totally. Had to chop it out. I will check the pulley and capicitor. I actually had one on compressor with wire burned off but it would not run at all. Thanks for all the answers fellows . I will post back the result when I get parts and new blade.

 

[robo hippy]

Well, dull teeth are a major problem, and kind of like sand paper, I want to get all I can.... Try cutting another piece of wood and see how it does. As for blades, the Lennox Bimetal Diemaster is the best blade out there... The teeth are M42 HSS, the stuff they use for pallet cutting blades. Most 3 tpi blades can be sharpened a few times...

robo hippy

 

[Gary Beasley]

If you had an old fashioned blade tooth setter you could revive a smashed blade and use it until it gets dull. Not sure if it would be advisable to try that freehand.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Gary you were dead on . Apparently the last time the bearings were adjusted the back bearing was turned too far forward and the front one then also pushed forward. So this allowed the blade to slip past the back bearing and flattened the set. I used pliers to put a simbalence of set back in the blade and shifted the bearing and VIOLA it works. Just ordered the Carter update set from Rockler and got that 15% off so today was a winner.
Thanks to all for your assistance. It is always good to have the participation we have here and the sharing that turners are willing to come forward for .

 

[Gary Beasley]

Glad you could get this resolved. The G055 is a nice little machine and does a good job if kept up and used within its limits. Take the time to tune it up and square the table and fence to the cut and it does a good job.

 

[Charlie Knighton]

Pecan is sort of mtn....trouble on band saw.....wait till u get it on lathe.....1st attempt do not viedo

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Pecan is sort of mtn....trouble on band saw.....wait till u get it on lathe.....1st attempt do not viedo

Charlie I have been turning pecan for quite a while and I agree it is nothing to take for granted and I probably sharpen at least 10 times on a piece this size. Have to count it on the one tomorrow. What I really love are the surprises inside ;voids and hollows.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Well I got the Carter bearings installed this morning and the saw runs like it is brand new and zips right thru that pecan. Thanks again to everyone for the advise especially Gary for the bearing advise.

 

[hockenbery]

Well I got the Carter bearings installed this morning and the saw runs like it is brand new and zips right thru that pecan. Thanks again to everyone for the advise especially Gary for the bearing advise.

Good to know it was just an upside down blade

 

[Russell Nugent]

Good to know it was just an upside down blade

Ha. I almost did that the other day. For the life of me can't remember why I turned it inside out but I definitely did it on purpose

 

[Bill Boehme]

Good to know it was just an upside down blade

I did that once while bragging on my new bandsaw to a friend. It took a while to figure out why that brand new blade was just burning the wood. Everybody needs to do that once as part of their continuing education.

 

[Doug Rasmussen]

There's a trick to cut light gage sheet metal with a skil saw by turning the blade backwards (really noisy). I haven't tried it on a bandsaw, but it should work.

 

[Bill Boehme]

There's a trick to cut light gage sheet metal with a skil saw by turning the blade backwards (really noisy). I haven't tried it on a bandsaw, but it should work.

You must not be a country boy. There's a much simpler, quicker, and quieter way to do it using bailing wire and a couple two by fours.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fkAorQiU4b4&ebc=ANyPxKrY0ZTqq5lJhFTOqJpsbcxJ9pFInnzaQiaph_HINWELYbwn8d334pZ4aRPqu49MvldY-zzjLiUyBLSBVtwh3fcSKKXrMQ