# Bandsaw not cutting straight



## Varinokid (Aug 29, 2007)

I came across couple posts about how to make your bandsaw cut line straight but for the life of me I am unable to find it again.

I believe it provided url to another site which gave step by step.  

Any other information would be great.  I have Ryobi 9 In. Band Saw (I had this before I started pen turning)

I have jig set up to cut small wood to use for inlays but every time I want to make a straight cut..it goes off and gives me warped cut or angled cut.

I would use table saw but I want to make thinner inlays...with less risk of losing my valuable fingers (I use them to commuincate (sign language) and I'm in the computer field)

Thanks


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## Rifleman1776 (Aug 29, 2007)

Buy a new blade. Yers is dull. That's what happens when they go dull. Get a good one for replacement. And, make sure all your adjustments are correct.


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## great12b4ever (Aug 29, 2007)

Make sure your guide blocks or cool blocks are straight and the you have lined up all the rollers and everything, and like Franks said, a sharp blade is a must.  You can use the table saw.  Make yourself a vacuum fence, look in the library, I think their is a tutorial on this site for a vacuum fence and you can get very VERY thin strips and your hands/fingers won't be near a blade.  ALso their is a tutorial at www.georgeandsirik.com/knot-tutorial.html that shows making thin cut-offs foir celtic knots (maybe 1/16" or 1/32" or less safely.

Rob


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## fstepanski (Aug 29, 2007)

I 2nd Frank & I am Frank, gee, how does that work []

Wondering cuts is a good sign of dull blade.  I like the Timberwolf blades at PS wood  http://www.pswood.com/home.php?cat=47

They are a low tension blade.  Many tooth thickness configurations available, you can call them direct, explain what you want the blade to do and they will make recommendations.  GREAT company, GREAT blade, GREAT price..

Frank (too)


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## Firefyter-emt (Aug 29, 2007)

Keep in mind, you need to set each and every blade for drift. If I were you, I would look into making a sled that can have an adjustable fence on it. Normaly you adjust for drift in the rip fence not the table. You can run a miter sled off the fence and keep the sled alone, or run from the miter and agjust the seld.

A dull blade can cause this like said, but drift needs to be taken into account too.
I will also second the Timberwolf blades though.. I need to put in an order for a 115" blade for my big Walker Turner saw soon..


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## Varinokid (Aug 30, 2007)

Well I wandered off to Home Depot and brought a new band saw blade.  Got the one that cuts Metal (as they usually last longer) and oh boy oh boy...sure cuts real nice and straight!  Thanks for the quick tip.  I just didn't think the old one was dull as it was only used 3 times by my dad.  Must be the cheap blade that came with it. *shrug*


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## gketell (Aug 30, 2007)

3 times over how many years and in what environment.  When I lived in Hawaii blades would stay sharp at most one weekend.  Then the nice moist salty air would take care of them.  Less used the worse it got.

GK


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## jeffj13 (Aug 31, 2007)

While you want a sharp blade, drift is the most likely cause.  Here is a tutorial regarding drift.  You probably shouldn't use a metal blade for wood.  The teeth are too close together, which will not allow waste material to properly clear.  While it is unlikely that anything catastrophic will happen, the teeth will clog, effecting the quality and effectiveness of the cut (especially if you are resawing).

jeff

<b>Band Saw: Adjusting for Blade Drift </b>

The final phase of the band-saw tune-up is to adjust for drift. Unlike table saws, band saws possess a nuance called drift. This term refers to the fact that every blade has a tendency to cut slightly in one direction or the other. Fortunately, the drift for a particular blade remains consistent throughout the life of the blade. Therefore, the fence on the band saw can be adjusted slightly to compensate for that angle. 



The first step is to determine the angle of the drift. Use a jointed piece of kiln-dried stock that is 24 inches long by 2 inches thick. Draw a line down the length of the stock 1/8-inch from the jointed edge (figure P). 


Use the band saw to freehand a cut along the line, stopping a third of the way down the length. Set the sliding bevel gauge against the jointed edge and lock in the angle. Continue cutting along the line, occasionally checking the angle with the bevel gauge to confirm the angle of the cut (figure Q). 


Once you've determined the exact angle, adjust the fence on the band saw to that angle. The angle can be adjusted by first loosening the bolts beneath the front of the fence (figure R). 


Once the bolts have been loosened, tap the fence gently until it lines up with the bevel gauge to get the proper adjustment (figure S), then re-tighten the bolts. 


This adjustment should ensure straight cuts -- until you change the blade. Setting the blade to compensate for the drift is the most important step in fine-tuning a band saw. Once the adjustment is set up, you'll be able to slice off thin sheets of veneer with confidence.


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## Rifleman1776 (Aug 31, 2007)

jeffj13, I have read that drift advice on other forums also. To be truthful, I just don't understand it. On my bandsaw, a Grizzly 14" G0555, drift occurs only when I haven't adjusted or tensioned properly or when the blade is dull. If I tend to those matters correctly, the saw cuts straight. I use a variety of blades. When I purchase, they are often, but not always, Timberwolfs. Currently, I am using a mystery blade that was given to me and it does just fine. I know drift occurs and there are remedies. So these comments should just be classed as FWIW.


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## Firefyter-emt (Aug 31, 2007)

FWIW... adjustment of drift will not change the drift compared to the miter slot UNLESS you can adjust the miter sled or gauge to the newly adjusted fence. If your sled was built off of a miter gauge like I use on my big Walker Turner saw you can simply make the miter gauge 90 degrees to the fence itself and although it will no longer be 90 degrees to the table slot, it will be adjusted for drift. Drift is much more noticeable in resawing or long ripping with the band saw

Every blade you have would need to be set for drift because they all cut a bit diffrent.


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## Mudder (Aug 31, 2007)

> _Originally posted by fstepanski_
> <br />I 2nd Frank & I am Frank, gee, how does that work []
> 
> Wondering cuts is a good sign of dull blade.  I like the Timberwolf blades at PS wood  http://www.pswood.com/home.php?cat=47
> ...




You can also buy blades from the source:

http://www.suffolkmachinery.com/

They have a deal where you can get 4 blades for the price of 3. Check the details on the website.


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## beamer (Aug 31, 2007)

For what it's worth - Suffolk isn't the maker of the blades, PS Wood Machines is. pswood.com supplies north america with the steel bands and lots of places (like suffolk) weld 'em up at whatever length. In fact, I think that PS Wood actually imports the steel bands from somewhere in Europe, but can't speak for sure to that.

PS Wood is my source of choice, though. Barb will take good care of you, for sure.

Suffolk has a great reputation, too.


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