Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: hook on January 04, 2011, 11:19:38 pm
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well, since i'm one of those tool junkies I bought a bandsaw. A 9" craftsman. I know...It should of been bigger and more powerful, but...there is a budget and if I ever build a bow that actually holds its self together for more than a couple of shots I might consider buying one that is right for any job!
I have already broken the 1/4" 14TPI blade that it came with along with an exact replacement. I had read on poorfolk bows today that they were not good for anything so i bought the 3/8" 4TPI that he recommended. As i was ripping a thin strip from a new oak board this eve. I was not impressed by this blade, It stalled, weaved, left washboard-like marks, it was just generally tough to deal with. I should mention that the last blade break also broke my kerf plate? (the plastic insert)
Is this just a bad blade for ripping a 2 1/2"x3/4' board? I was sawing with the 2 1/2" up. (parallel to the blade)
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I like the woodslicer blades from highland woodworking 4 tpi. Not sure how that would work on a 9" saw. more teeth might be better with low power. You shouldnt be breaking blades that fast. Especially if your sawing straight lines on square stock. ??? Do you have a rip fence ? If the teeth grab the stock and its not held good it can kink the blade which can cause it to break and take out the insert as well. Not a problem when sawing something with a wide flat bottom but tall and thin, or uneven pieces can be trickier.
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I love my 9" bandsaw. That coupled with my belt sander is probably the best tool that ive bought. Great choice...
-Ian
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I would guess you might have been forcing/pushing the wood through the blade too fast causing too much torque on the blade. Were you going slow and letting the saw do the work? This would be especially important the way you were cutting it. But again it could just be the blade.
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I have a 10" craftsman,,same problem,I have broke 3 blades in two weeks. I thought I was the only one!
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Will it take a wider blade,I use a 1/4 on my 12 inch saw when I want to cut curves but a wider one 3/8 to 1/2 if I am just wanting to cut a straight line. I have a bigger saw now but kept the smaller one set up just for cutting curves,like in the handles and such. :)
Pappy
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I have a 3/8 blade on it now. I was shaving a strip off a pyramid. (very slowly) but the blade would bow out and bog the motor down. yes I do have a rip fence, a straight board with wood clamps! lol
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Is your band saw properly tuned? That makes a huge difference. The blade needs to track properly, have the right tension, and the blade guides need to be precisely aligned. I started out with a 9" bandsaw and the same blade you are using. When I first tried using it, It wouldn't cut worth nothing and I broke a blade. Once I got it tuned up, I cut several bows out of osage staves with no problems. I have since upgraded to a 12" craftsman and love it.
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I have a craftsman 9" and I have cut several oak boards, a cedar stave, antler, and just recently a bigger piece of elm. It works very well. All of this has been cut with the same blade. You have to set the saw up correctly. I am using a Lenox 3/8" blade 6 tpi. You need to have your guides set very close and your upper guide needs to be as close to the work as possible to keep the blade from bowing or pulling to the side. You can bog the saw down by feeding the material to fast. I have even cut a little bit of osage on it and it did that without a problem. I got the 9" saw because of its price. I picked it up off of craigslist for $75 new in the box never opened.
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What James said, properly tuned and upper guide close to work. I use a Grizzly Ultimate but same rule applies. Timberwolf blades are a good choice.
Jeff
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Best site for the top of the line bandsaw blades:
http://www.tufftooth.com/
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I run a Jet 14" bandsaw and currently have a 1/2" 4tpi skiptooth blade in it. It cuts like a demon, but the kerf from the skiptooth blade is pretty significant, especially if you move quickly. It will cut up to about 3" thick seasoned osage, more if it is green. Seasoned osage is really hard stuff and forces slow cutting. The mesquite I use for tip overlays and accents cuts like butter in comparison. I also agree, setting up the bandsaw guides and blade tension is critical to the saw working correctly.
Be careful roughing out bows/staves with a bandsaw. If you don't watch to keep things exactly vertical/horizontal or if your blade is bending, your cut on the bottom might be in a totally different location than the top. Easy to ruin good bow wood, especially with hard wood like osage. :(
Good luck with yours.
George
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What James said, properly tuned and upper guide close to work. I use a Grizzly Ultimate but same rule applies. Timberwolf blades are a good choice.
Jeff
Ditto on the Timberwolf blades. They are good. You need a blade that has some set and is 3tpi. When cutting green wood unless the saw blade can make room for itself by creating a good sized kerf the blade will bind. The binding is caused by the heat from friction that causes the moisture in the wood to expand the wood,seizing the blade. If you have to "horse" the wood you aint got enough saw or you got a dull blade or both. I'm on my third saw now, a old Yates American 20" built in the 50's with a 2hp motor. I use 3/8 or 1/2 3tip x 144" and if I have to rip Ipe or something harder my friend has a 5hp resaw.
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I'll second Timberwolf blades, haven't been able to wear one out in 3 years.
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What Osage Outlaw said is exactly right . . .
Don't matter if you own a Rolls Royce; paved in gold bandsaw, if it isn't tuned properly, it's not going to cut constitantly, hence the washerboard effect.
Although there is a slight difference in design between models, they all basically work the same.
Consult your manual for the tuning procedure according to your model: tension, tracking, setting the bearing guides, 'WORKING SLOW WITH PURPOSE,'
blade guide height above working piece.
If you follow these guidlines, I think you will have much better results. Bandsaws do require a learning curve in their operation.
A linisher (upside down belt sander) is a 'must have' if you own a bandsaw.
TIP: Un-tension your blade prior to not using, it will last longer.
Hope this helps :)
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Like Osage Outlaw says, make sure you've tuned up the bandsaw, there are loads of videos and stuff on Youtube showing how to do it.
I bought an AS (alternate set) blade it makes a wider cut and is great for ripping through green timber.
I find my bandsaw needs plenty of attention to keep it running sweet and a good blade is vital
Del
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wow! tons of input, thanks everybody, my manual wasn't real specific about tuning. I have the guides set very close...a couple of .001's and both upper and lower rollers are rolling. I cranked the tension up to almost max when I started having problems, besides that I don't know what else to do except watch some "youtube" at least I learned enough to stay outside the lines when cutting and my board is not to floor tiller stage yet, hopefully when i get all those washboards smoothed out it will be close.
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Get yourself a copy of The Bandsaw Book by Lonnie Bird. It gives great instructions on properly tuning a saw to get the most out of it.
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Hi Hook
I just happened to have a pdf copy of that book as a backup to the original one I own.
I accidentaly dropped you a link to the said item in your message box . . . oops! Check your pm's
If anyone else wants a copy, send me a pm quick before I remove :)
Gaz
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Howdy guys,
Yup, what Osage Outlaw said. The table top bandsaw I have was given to me from my brother who couldn't get the thing to cut worth a hoot.
I bought The Bandsaw Book and I got the thing running really well. From the book, I think it has a lot to do with getting the upper and lower pulleys lined up while the tension is on. And, then you have to set up the guides.
Good luck,
Canoe