# I think my band saw needs adjusting



## Seffers93 (Sep 5, 2020)

I've only used this new Wen band saw a couple times. And it will NOT cut straight! I just read that having the blade too tight can cause this issue as well as too loose.. Maybe I have to find that sweet spot. It was tightened all the way down for this cut. 

Luckily, these scales are thick enough so I can still have enough material after I sand them down on the belt grinder. But I definitely need to get it figured out!

I really like the glued pieces in this layout though!


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## Bensbites (Sep 5, 2020)

I am far more precise with my table saw. My bandsaw is a POS.


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## Seffers93 (Sep 5, 2020)

Bensbites said:


> I am far more precise with my table saw. My bandsaw is a POS.



I thought about getting a table saw.. a little out of my budget though. I know my terrible results are just user error.


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## Tim Rowland (Sep 5, 2020)

A few things could be your issue there.
Blade thickness
Type of blade....for re sawing you want a 1/2" or thicker blade with about 3 tpi
blade tension
Feeding speed/Pressure
Side pressure
Bearing or blade guide adjustment
Guidepost not lowered enough

Most people like to follow Alex Snodgrass method to set up a bandsaw properly.
Watch this video and a few of his other basic bandsaw videos and it should get you going in the right direction.


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## Seffers93 (Sep 5, 2020)

Tim Rowland said:


> A few things could be your issue there.
> Blade thickness
> Type of blade....for re sawing you want a 1/2" or thicker blade with about 3 tpi
> blade tension
> ...




I'll check this out. Thanks Tim!


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## inferno (Sep 5, 2020)

i use the japanese carpenter saws, those thin ones. i have one double edged, fine and coarse. and one with extra material on the spine to make really straight cuts.


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## Seffers93 (Sep 5, 2020)

inferno said:


> i use the japanese carpenter saws, those thin ones. i have one double edged, fine and coarse. and one with extra material on the spine to make really straight cuts.



Interesting! I've never seen one of those.


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## inferno (Sep 5, 2020)

Japanese Saws Home | FINE TOOLS 

i dont have any good expensive ones though, but they are not crap either. i think i payed 30€ or similar for each of mine locally.


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## Seffers93 (Sep 5, 2020)

inferno said:


> Japanese Saws Home | FINE TOOLS
> 
> i dont have any good expensive ones though, but they are not crap either. i think i payed 30€ or similar for each of mine locally.



Might have to try one. Not having any luck with this band saw.


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## Seffers93 (Sep 5, 2020)

So I'm starting to convince myself I'm not experiencing user error. I'm definitely not ruling it out yet, but I think it may just be the cheap machine. I've aligned everything properly and followed that video Tim posted (which was super informative, by the way) and tried cutting at different levels of tension and still drifting wayyy off. I wasn't thinking it could be the blade because it's new out of the box. BUT... a lot of people are saying its crap. So my next step is putting a better quality blade on and seeing what happens. Hopefully it does the trick because I can't afford another power tool like this lol.


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## Tim Rowland (Sep 5, 2020)

A quality blade can make a huge difference. Also using the correct tooth shape,pitch,and tpi are all important. 
For a basic carbon steel blade timberwolf makes great blades.


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## Seffers93 (Sep 5, 2020)

Tim Rowland said:


> A quality blade can make a huge difference. Also using the correct tooth shape,pitch,and tpi are all important.
> For a basic carbon steel blade timberwolf makes great blades.



I made a quick order for a new blade. Lowest TPI I could find for my size was 6 TPI. I didn’t look terrible long though as it was in between work calls. We’ll see how it goes.


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## Dave Martell (Sep 5, 2020)

Bandsaws can be a real pain on the ass when you first set them up. I struggled soooooooo bad with my cheap-o Craftsman saw and wasted so much wood as a result it was flat out stupid. What helped in the end was a whole bunch of little things combined. 

My biggest leaps forward came from getting quality blades, in my case I went with (in the end) Lenox bi-metal with a variable pitch at 6-8 TPI (I think) and also adjusting the roller guides. Mark from Burl Source gave me some invaluable tips back then with regards to the guide rollers. The next thing that helped was making sure every damn thing was squared up and of course nothing was - not even the fence to the table and blade! The final thing was making my own insert - what a big difference having a smooth transition at this critical place made to my cuts. 

Funny thing to note is that I had tried lower number TPI blades but they didn't do anything but make things worse on my saw, which is opposite of what I should have seen. Makes me nervous to get a new bigger better saw some day. 

Oh, one more thing, get the widest blade that your machine will take. Mine will only allow up to 1/2" which is IMO the minimum for cutting a block the size of what we do, anything less just twists. I'd go 1" if I could!


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## Seffers93 (Sep 5, 2020)

Dave Martell said:


> Bandsaws can be a real pain on the ass when you first set them up. I struggled soooooooo bad with my cheap-o Craftsman saw and wasted so much wood as a result it was flat out stupid. What helped in the end was a whole bunch of little things combined.
> 
> My biggest leaps forward came from getting quality blades, in my case I went with (in the end) Lenox bi-metal with a variable pitch at 6-8 TPI (I think) and also adjusting the roller guides. Mark from Burl Source gave me some invaluable tips back then with regards to the guide rollers. The next thing that helped was making sure every damn thing was squared up and of course nothing was - not even the fence to the table and blade! The final thing was making my own insert - what a big difference having a smooth transition at this critical place made to my cuts.
> 
> ...



I really appreciate the tips Dave!

I’m working with a cheap 9” Wen from amazon. I’ve followed all the instructions I can up to this point besides getting a new blade. Once it gets here tomorrow, I’m going re-align everything and follow everyone’s tips and hope for the best. And as you mentioned, I’m going to make sure everything is squared off too. 

Again, thanks for the tips. Much appreciated.


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## Dave Martell (Sep 5, 2020)

I just checked out your bandsaw in your shop pictures thread and it's pretty clear to me that your blade isn't wide enough. You've got basically a scroll saw there when you need a band saw - LOL. Hopefully your new blade will help but I'm concerned that you can't use a wider blade on this machine but hopefully you can.


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## Dave Martell (Sep 5, 2020)

Looks like your saw might take a 1/2 blade since Wen sells them in that size.


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## Seffers93 (Sep 5, 2020)

Dave Martell said:


> I just checked out your bandsaw in your shop pictures thread and it's pretty clear to me that your blade isn't wide enough. You've got basically a scroll saw there when you need a band saw - LOL. Hopefully your new blade will help but I'm concerned that you can't use a wider blade on this machine but hopefully you can.



The one that comes on it is 1/4” lol. The manual says it can take up to 3/8. I cut my handle shape tonight.. wasn’t too fun but I made it work without too many issues. I’m hoping I see a difference with the new blade.


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## Dave Martell (Sep 5, 2020)

Seffers93 said:


> The one that comes on it is 1/4” lol.



I think we've identified your problem.


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## Seffers93 (Sep 6, 2020)

Dave Martell said:


> I think we've identified your problem.



It seems so lol. I’ll just have to make it work for now


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## gregfisk (Sep 6, 2020)

If you’re using a 1/4” blade make sure it’s tight and don’t push your product through it too hard. IOW, don’t put too much pressure on the blade, otherwise it will try and drift.


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## juice (Sep 6, 2020)

So size DOES matter?


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## M1k3 (Sep 6, 2020)

juice said:


> So size DOES matter?


Uh yeah! Ever try to wear shoes 2 sizes to small? Or try to put a wheel for a compact car on a big rig truck?


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## Seffers93 (Sep 6, 2020)

gregfisk said:


> If you’re using a 1/4” blade make sure it’s tight and don’t push your product through it too hard. IOW, don’t put too much pressure on the blade, otherwise it will try and drift.



Yeah, it seemed to improve by reducing pressure, but I haven’t seen a huge difference between medium tension and fully tightened. Wonder if it’s just that bad of a blade lol. As it’s drifting far right, I just started twisting my blocks far left and it’s actually doing okay. Even okay enough to shape my handle. Feels like I’m going to break it though!


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## gregfisk (Sep 6, 2020)

I’m certain that a wider blade will help a lot. I have 3 bandsaws and the two things that help with cutting straight lines is tension on the blade and the width of the blade. Also make sure all of your guides are adjusted close to the blade so that they just touch on all 3 side. You should have guides below the table as well.


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## Seffers93 (Sep 6, 2020)

gregfisk said:


> I’m certain that a wider blade will help a lot. I have 3 bandsaws and the two things that help with cutting straight lines is tension on the blade and the width of the blade. Also make sure all of your guides are adjusted close to the blade so that they just touch on all 3 side. You should have guides below the table as well.



Just got the new blade in the mail so we’ll see if it helps! I’ll make sure everything is adjusted properly.


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## Yet-Another-Dave (Sep 6, 2020)

Wider is better for straight cuts, until it isn't! Be wary of going too wide, you need enough tension on the blade to cut properly and your saw frame limits that. (Rule of thumb I've been given is 1 step less than the manufacturer says is the widest for the saw, since many overstate that capability to make their product sound "beefy". Just because you can crank things down and get enough tension the blade doesn't fall off, doesn't mean you can get enough tension for it to cut well. In fact I've seen several people, who get excellent results, recommend no wider than 1/2" unless you have a 20+" industrial machine. )

Another couple things to watch are sharpness and feed rate. Once a blade dulls it just won't cut well. (Cut circles and it can dull on one side so it won't cut straight.) Also, the narrower the blade, the more teeth per inch, the smaller the gullets. You need to feed slowly enough your gullets can clear the waste or a perfect blade will wander.

I'm guessing with your small saw, a sharp 1/4" blade that is well tensioned, the fewest teeth per inch available, and a very slow feed rate might be the best you can do.


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## Seffers93 (Sep 10, 2020)

Thanks for all the info everyone.
Update: got the new blade on and tuned everything up. It’s like cutting butter!!


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