Bandsaw wont cut straight

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35Mastr

Mastr Blastr
Joined
May 17, 2007
Messages
1,484
Location
Newark,California
I just picked up a 7" horizontal Master Machinery band saw this morning.So I get home eager to try it out .I put in a piece of 3x3 tubing fire it up and it cuts through like butter.So I am all happy that it works well.Then I pull the piece out and I notice that the cut is not straight.So I cut it again.Same problem.Its at least 1/8 of and inch off from top to bottom maybe more.The wider part in the pic is where the blade starts and the lower end at the bench is the final cut.I checked the vise for square and its ok,I even moved the guides in as far asI could and it still cuts crooked.Funny thing is the cut is always wider at the start then at the end.

Has anyone ever had this problem???All input is appritiated.

crooked.jpg
 
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This is how I set up a band saw.
1. Install thickest, tallest blade as possible.A GOOD blade.(Set tension correctly)
2. Make sure the guide wheels or guide blocks are set correctly in relation to the blade. This ensures the blade stands straight. If you have blocks a couple thousanths of clearence is OK. If you have bearings move them up to lightly touch the blade. (Equaly on each side.)
3. Move rear arm (guide) as close as possible to work.
4. Vise tight, coolant or oil if needed, and SLOWLY make the cut.

It's all about rigidity and feed rate.(sound familar?)
Hope it helps.
 
Is it a new or used unit? There are several adjustments you can make to true the cut it makes. To set it so the blade is running perpendicular to the piece, I put the blade down all the way and lay a square against it, and set the clamp piece exactly 90 degrees to that.

But you are saying yours is cutting more off the top than the bottom, so it looks like the blade is twisted from being exactly straight up and down. There are also some adjustments to tilt the cutting head to make it straight. I have never had to so that on ours, so not sure what it entails.

There are also guide rollers that are adjustable and they take the blade, which is coming out of the pulleys crooked, and they twist it straight. I think that might be your problem, they may not be adjusted right. There should be two sets of these ball bearing guides that spin when the blade is moving. They should be right up against the blade, squeezing it and forcing it to run horizontally between the two sets. Mine has a nut and screw driver slot arrangement so you can loosen them and turn the screw until it moves over and touches the blade. These guides wear out and crack from metal shavings hitting them, so I keep some spares on hand.

Another thought is that you have too much space between the two roller assemblies. You should have as little room as needed to just clear the piece you are cutting. For example, if you are cutting something 1 x 1 you can slide them almost together so there is almost no room between them. But if you are cutting something 2 x 2 you have to move them further apart. These are usually held by knobs that you hand loosen and tighten.

Post me some pictures especially of the area of the blade where it contacts the piece being cut. In the meantime, look at the blade in that area to see if the contact guide rollers are doing their job and are twisting the blade straight right there.

Don
 
I went through that senario a while back with my own bandsaw. Found the blade was at fault. The kerf was more pronounced on one side than the other, making the blade cut/remove more material on one side causing it to follow the more aggressive teeth and walk off to one side. You can try and see if you can feel any difference of the teeth from one side of the blade to the other. Sniper
 
In a jam one day I had to run to Northern and buy one of their blades, it was horrible. Cut funny and lasted about one day. I usually buy Sterritt blades and get 6 months or more out of one, and that is cutting a lot of steel during that time.

Don
 
Man these guys got some really great ideas that probably will fix that band saw of yours. But here is a little bit different slant on what your problem might be.

A few years ago I bought a brand new band saw from a quality supplier here on the net. They have asked me not to devulge there name for reasons that will become clear. This saw had a mind of its own sometimes I would be cutting a gusset or support piece and the finished piece would look like a Chinese Dragon or really ****ed off Gargoyle or something. Turns out that on the day my saw was made there was a lunar eclipse that was only visiable from a Island off the coast of Southern Chile and just that exact moment the eclipse happened some Chile guy was adjusting his rear view mirror and caught the last reflections of light from the eclipse. These light reflections were bounced off of the Ionosphere and around the globe and into the third window from the left at the factory were my saw --- At that Very moment was getting it table installed. These rays of eclipse light hit the newly installed table at a angle of 17.097 degrees thus chaging the molecular structure of the first .087 of an inch of its surface. Thus making the saw cut crooked.

Maybe thats what happened to your saw TOO!!!!

Roland
 
Man these guys got some really great ideas that probably will fix that band saw of yours. But here is a little bit different slant on what your problem might be.

A few years ago I bought a brand new band saw from a quality supplier here on the net. They have asked me not to devulge there name for reasons that will become clear. This saw had a mind of its own sometimes I would be cutting a gusset or support piece and the finished piece would look like a Chinese Dragon or really ****ed off Gargoyle or something. Turns out that on the day my saw was made there was a lunar eclipse that was only visiable from a Island off the coast of Southern Chile and just that exact moment the eclipse happened some Chile guy was adjusting his rear view mirror and caught the last reflections of light from the eclipse. These light reflections were bounced off of the Ionosphere and around the globe and into the third window from the left at the factory were my saw --- At that Very moment was getting it table installed. These rays of eclipse light hit the newly installed table at a angle of 17.097 degrees thus chaging the molecular structure of the first .087 of an inch of its surface. Thus making the saw cut crooked.

Maybe thats what happened to your saw TOO!!!!

Roland

I had a hammer that worked like that, I had to throw it away, but it came back. :D
 
Man these guys got some really great ideas that probably will fix that band saw of yours. But here is a little bit different slant on what your problem might be.

A few years ago I bought a brand new band saw from a quality supplier here on the net. They have asked me not to devulge there name for reasons that will become clear. This saw had a mind of its own sometimes I would be cutting a gusset or support piece and the finished piece would look like a Chinese Dragon or really ****ed off Gargoyle or something. Turns out that on the day my saw was made there was a lunar eclipse that was only visiable from a Island off the coast of Southern Chile and just that exact moment the eclipse happened some Chile guy was adjusting his rear view mirror and caught the last reflections of light from the eclipse. These light reflections were bounced off of the Ionosphere and around the globe and into the third window from the left at the factory were my saw --- At that Very moment was getting it table installed. These rays of eclipse light hit the newly installed table at a angle of 17.097 degrees thus chaging the molecular structure of the first .087 of an inch of its surface. Thus making the saw cut crooked.

Maybe thats what happened to your saw TOO!!!!

Roland

You got to be ****ten me.You actually beleive that?
 
Man you dudes are LAME!! Thought a little humor might just be a good thing. Too many tight AH I guess. Adios

Roland
 
Man you dudes are LAME!! Thought a little humor might just be a good thing. Too many tight AH I guess. Adios

Roland

Come on Roland, we were just playing back at you. We knew you were just kidding. Besides, everybody KNOWS Mercury has to be in retrograde for that to happen!!!!!!!! ;):):)

Don
 
Roland

Could someone go over to Rolands place and see if he is hiding in his tree house,....errrrr.... I mean space capsule.
Come on out and play Roland. It's just that you haven't been the same since the accident with the photon scrambler! All the guys at the Academy miss you!!
 
Well,Here is an updated.I took in all the advice and very good suggestions and I got her to finally cut straight.It still will need some fine tunning,But that will do for now.

I want to thank all of you that gave all the excellent information and suggestions.The pics always help out also.Thats why I like being a part of this board.People always willing to help each other out.

She looks real ruff,But she runs and works well.I need to make a table so I can use it in the vertical position and get a new pump for it.Also need to make a belt guard.Now to tear her apart and put some paint on it.

Thank's Again.

Here are some pics
BandSaw004.jpg

BandSaw003.jpg

BandSaw002.jpg

BandSaw001.jpg
 

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