Subject: Metal cutting bandsaw

From: "David C. Hufford" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 07 Apr 1996 11:09:01 -0400 (EDT)

I acquired a small (4"x6" capacity) horizontal/vertical metal cutting 
bandsaw.  I have one question about it's operation.  It has a 
spring-tensioner to counter the weight of the saw when used for 
horizontal cutting, but I don't know how to adjust this for proper 
tension/weight.  Is there any rule-of-thumb or guideline for adjusting 
this tension?  I assume if the saw stalls while cutting, the tension is 
too light to counter the weight of the saw on the work, but beyond that 
I'm unclear.  Any suggestions would be appreciated.

David C. Hufford

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From: [email-masked] (Phill Jackson)
Date: Sun, 7 Apr 1996 08:55:27 -0800

I assume if the saw stalls while cutting, the tension is
>I'm unclear.  Any suggestions would be appreciated.

David,

By "stalls" do you mean that the blade continues to move but there is no
cutting action or that the blade stops rotation, jammed in the cut?

If the former, then there should be less tension on the spring, allowing
more saw weight to be transferred to the blade.  If the latter, then more
spring tension to reduce the friction of the blade against the steel.

At least it works that way on my Grizzly saw.

Phill

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Sun, 7 Apr 1996 13:37:58 -0400

In a message dated 96-04-07 11:12:21 EDT, [email-masked] (David C.

>I'm unclear.  Any suggestions would be appreciated.
It's the opposite, I believe, Dave.  The more tension on the spring, the
lighter the load on the saw blade.  If the cut stalls the machine then there
is too much weight on the blade and you should tighten up the spring not
loosen it.  At least this is the way it works on the saws I'm familiar with.

It's not an exact science on how much tension to put on the blade when
cutting but there should be enough to ensure a good bite on the tooth of the
blade, if it's not enough then the blade skips more than cuts and dulls
rather quickly.  If it's too heavy, you can break the teeth at the start of a
cut or stall the blade.  You will notice too that cutting wide pieces on
edge, you may want to start off lightly then increase the load as the blade
travels midway through the cut, at least with a horizontal saw.  Try to find
some kind of balance between the two extremes.  On one saw, I have an added
plate that acts as a weight when I lay it on the saw at the proper time, on
the other larger saw, I standby and hold the saw by hand at the beginning of
a long cut then let the full weight do the rest of the job, or slide the
built-in counterweight to a different position during the cut.

If your saw is Taiwanese or Chinese, then you may find it difficult to align
the blades with the guides that are provided.  I have one Taiwanese machine
that just keeps going and going, (I don't know about the Chinese brands) and
everytime I think I'll get rid of it, I change my mind because I like the
size which is better suited in the space I use it in.  Also, once I found the
just right adjustment for the blade, I filed matching marks in the slide
portions of the guides so I can always return to that mark after making a
temporary change for a cut.  The horizontal slide and vertical guide
adjustments are important to maintain for a true cut. The American saws have
better guides, but I haven't seen too many around in the size that you have.

These machines are great in the shop, so much better and accurate than the
old horrible horizontal power hacksaws I used to have.  Never again with
those things, although they have their uses for heavy stock.
Chris Ray