Bandsaw use advice

[Michael Scussel]

I have a Laguna HD 16, 21/2horse power bandsaw. I got this saw about 25 yrs ago. It has the wheel guides, not ceramic. The saw sat idle after smoking the tires on it using a 1" blade about a year after getting it. After repeated attempts to fix it using various FLAT tires on the flat wheels and trying adjusting the lower wheel ( didnt really know what I was doing) having the tires come off and the blade not tracking properly I gave up. The saw sat for20 +years in a corner of my shop idle and collecting dust. It was a constant y reminder of my in noability to get this thing right. I am fairly mecha ically inclined and usually can get things fixed one way or another. So fast foward about 24 years and i re orgsnized my shop and pulled out the saw to get to the bottom of the issue I was having, the tires. So armed with info i got from this sight, i tried again. Was able to cut some blanks finally. But to get to this point I had to leave the lower wheel out of plane by a 1/4 inch. Well the carter bandsaw tires finally came off and I was at square one again. So i found a place that sold crowned urethane tires from i think was bandsaw tire warehouse and ordered a set. Got them made sure my wheels were in plane and put them on. They were loose. The guy sent ⁹a printout saying they might need to be glued and he recommended weldwood contact cement. Glued them on and the bandsaw runs great. Finally.
So, I have been using 1/2 inch 3 tpi blades to cut my blanks but I believe the blade to be lacking for larger blanks or other jobs.What blades do you all use for different cutting jobs. Large bowl blanks up to 10-12 inches thick, ripping logs etc. Lots of mesquite here in Az. Also blade tensioning. Anyway to get it correct. How? Also how do I cut staight top and bottom and along the legnth for ripping. The blade wants to wander. This saw in nice but no matter how much i read on the subject of blade tensioning i just dont seem to get it right. Apologies for the long write up but I felt a little history on me and my saw would help hilite the frustration. Thank you

 

[Jeff Holmquist]

I wouldn't emphasize getting the wheels coplanar. I think that you'll find this video useful.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGbZqWac0jU

 

[Jeff Holmquist]

Regarding the blades, your 1/2 x 3 tpi is probably pretty good for ripping. People like the Wood Slicer blades (me too). Maybe 3/8 x 6 tpi or so for shaping blanks. I'm sure that others will have additional angles on this.

 

[Michael Scussel]

Holy mackeral. Thanks Jeff for that video. Answered a lot of quetions for me. In fact im gong to head out to my shop and go through the steps in setting up my saw.
Will a 16 inch saw handle a 1/8 inch blade. I would like to try some of those boxes. What a great video thank you for posting it.

 

[Jeff Holmquist]

Michael, great, I found the Snodgrass video helpful too.

 

[guy laizure]

I use 3/8 woodturner's blades from Highland Woodworking on my Minimax 16 to cut bowl blanks. For resawing and straight-line ripping, I use a 1/2- or 5/8-inch blade.

 

[Richard Coers]

After teaching some beginner classes at Woodcraft, they were pretty impressed by what I could do by not paying any attention to performing a high-precision setup. What I do differently from most people is feed the wood with my fingertips. I can feel the blade cutting, and don’t force the wood through the blade. Technically, you don’t need guides at all if you have a sharp blade and feed the wood slowly with no side loading or not cutting too small a radius for the blade.

 

[Wally Crawford]

I use Union Grove Saw and Knife blades on both my Rikon and my PM. As far as tension, this little device https://www.eztension.com/buy-one-now/eztension-bandsaw-tension-gauge is working well for me and much more affordable than some of the other choices.

 

[Jeff Holmquist]

After teaching some beginner classes at Woodcraft, they were pretty impressed what I could do by not paying any attention to performing a high precision setup.

1. I don't know that many people think that it takes a genius to set up a band saw.
2. I'm glad that your students are impressed with you and your approach.

 

[John K Jordan]

I wouldn't emphasis getting the wheels coplanar. I think that you'll find this video useful.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGbZqWac0jU

I'm firmly in coplanar camp.

I've seen the Snodgrass show in person at a symposium. He has a lot of energy. As for the techniques he touts in setting up and tensioning a bandsaw, let's just say we'll have to agree to disagree.

For setting tension I use a Starrett gauge.

JKJ

 

[robo hippy]

I have a Laguna 16HD. Mine has a 4 hp motor and needed a 30 amp circuit. I use it for cutting slabs, and use a Lennox bimetal blade 1 1/4 by teeth at 3/4 inches apart. It will walk through anything, at least if the blade is sharp. I have a smaller saw, a PM, for cutting circles. It has a 3 tpi bimetal blade as well.

robo hippy

 

[John K Jordan]

Lennox bimetal blade 1 1/4 by teeth at 3/4 inches apart.

Wow, those sound almost like my Woodmizer sawmill blades - I have some with teeth 7/8" apart and others with spacing of over 1". I think the gasoline engine is 25hp, It's cutting through wood up to 26" though. Good clean fun.



JKJ

 

[Tom Rice]

I have a Griz 19” bandsaw, 3 HP, stock griz guides, are very adjustable and very easy to align,
Been using the Carter AccuRight 3/8” 3tpi blades for sawing blanks, work really well, finesse is important, slow and steady, for sawing veneers on the same saw i use Laguna Resaw king blades, 1-1/4” 2/3 tpi, they cut like butter, can just sand the stuff with 120 grit and go and its perfect enough for me.
On my small Norwood mill i run timber wolf blades, sometimes silica steel, sometimes cobalt, different set on them all depending on what im cutting, have a laguna resaw king that fits on that too and same thing as my shop saw it cuts super smooth, just gotta have a good setup on the saw, and some finesse to get good results.
Carter has a bunch of good vids on their site, just need to look, youtube has a lot of good info too, as with almost ANY machine, precise setup gives better results

 

[Tim Hunter]

'Not a Snodgrass fan either - he might as well just be a Carter sales rep. If you want world-class equipment advice, become a member of OWWM.org However, we don't discuss the import machines that lots of folks on this site have...but the principles are the same, and can be discussed apart from any specific machine make. In general, though, properly glued and crowned rubber bandsaw tires are preferred over urethane.

Tim

 

[Michael Scussel]

Thank you for the responses, I only have 1/2 inch blades right now will get a 3/8 blade with more teeth and give that a try. Those tension gauges are expensive, wont be getting one. Cant find the bandsaw insert any where for this saw and was wondering if any body has ever turned one for there saw. It is if i remember 1 3/4 dia. I have some lignum vitae to use for this. See what happens. Because the new tires that i put on, they are a 1/4 inch thick and that throws off the cut in the insert by 1/4 inch. So all custom on the insert.

 

[Jeff Holmquist]

Cant find the bandsaw insert any where for this saw and was wondering if any body has ever turned one for there saw. It is if i remember 1 3/4 dia. I have some lignum vitae to use for this.

Michael, I did turn inserts for one of my saws; I used HDPE. You will have the nicest looking insert on your block with the lignum vitae.

 

[John K Jordan]

Thank you for the responses, I only have 1/2 inch blades right now will get a 3/8 blade with more teeth and give that a try. Those tension gauges are expensive, wont be getting one. Cant find the bandsaw insert any where for this saw and was wondering if any body has ever turned one for there saw. It is if i remember 1 3/4 dia. I have some lignum vitae to use for this. See what happens. Because the new tires that i put on, they are a 1/4 inch thick and that throws off the cut in the insert by 1/4 inch. So all custom on the insert.

Some clubs will buy one to loan to members. I talked our club into getting one - we got a Lennox which is FAR cheaper than the current price of my Starrett. I compared it to the Starrett the the results were the same.

Also, many people make a tension gauge, every bit as accurate as a purchased gauge. I have pictures and info. It's basically a simple dial indicator in a frame that measures the stretch of the steel. Blade width and thickness don't matter - the math is the same. It does require doing the math with Young's Modulus but it's not hard. The commercial tension gauges have the math built into the gauge on the dial.

I've made most of my bandsaw inserts on the lathe. I've used thin plywood and plastic. (I might be concerned that inserts made from solid wood might warp, although lignum vitae might be fairly stable. Could drill and tap for leveling set screws.

I also bought some made of plastic with to fit my saw, premade with the right sized recess that set on the lip in the hole in the table. Came with the height adjustment set screws to make it perfectly level with the table. That was easier and they last a long time All I had to do was cut a slot for the blade.

The width of the blade and the tpi depend on the radius turned and the thickness and type of the wood. I've never had the need for a 1/4" blade and I'm happy with 1/2" 3tpi for cutting up green logs and dry blanks.

 

[robo hippy]

I am pretty sure you can cut a 5 inch radius with a 1/2 inch blade. Not sure how small you can go with a smaller blade. The thing about teeth is that more teeth equals slower feed rate. 3 tpi on my saw is fine for cutting circles on bowl blanks. Carbide teeth are for cutting veneers. My "slab" cutting bandsaw has teeth at 3/4 inch apart.

robo hippy

 

[Dean Center]

Thank you for the responses, I only have 1/2 inch blades right now will get a 3/8 blade with more teeth and give that a try. Those tension gauges are expensive, wont be getting one. Cant find the bandsaw insert any where for this saw and was wondering if any body has ever turned one for there saw. It is if i remember 1 3/4 dia. I have some lignum vitae to use for this. See what happens. Because the new tires that i put on, they are a 1/4 inch thick and that throws off the cut in the insert by 1/4 inch. So all custom on the insert.

You could make them on a 3D printer pretty easily. You just need an average 12 year old grandchild. There may be a printable file already for your saw, or you may have to take one and adjust the diameter.