Attacking the 4x6 bandsaw

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J Harp:
Be sure to check the wheels for roundness. I have an older all cast iron model made by Rong Fu Both wheels were lobed enough that the bumps could be felt easily by touching the surface of the turning wheel with a fingertip.

I took a light cut across the rim of each wheel, just enough to clean them up. That cured the problem of the blade jumping off for me.

Jim

RodW:
Glad you got this sorted. I went though this process a while ago and shimmed the sliding guides on the outside of the top wheel out with a few washers rather than to disassemble stuff and move the bottom shaft out.

The missing piece which I picked up elsewhere is to move the blade once it is tracking and place a 12" metal ruler between each pair of guide wheels and tighten the rollers up so they hold the ruler. Then it is really simple to true the blade with a set square horizontally and vertically. This is so much easier than trying to true the blade with test cuts.

vtsteam:

--- Quote from: RodW on May 10, 2013, 05:18:22 AM ---The missing piece which I picked up elsewhere is to move the blade once it is tracking and place a 12" metal ruler between each pair of guide wheels and tighten the rollers up so they hold the ruler. Then it is really simple to true the blade with a set square horizontally and vertically. This is so much easier than trying to true the blade with test cuts.

--- End quote ---

Ah, this gives a reference for the initial setting when both inside and outside rollers are the adjustable type. Definitely the missing piece. Thanks so much !!! :nrocks:

vtsteam:
Further attacks today:

I bolted a small vice to a 6" x 6" x 3/8" piece of plate -- that can be clamped into the main bandsaw clamp to hold small pieces close to the blade.

I drilled two 5/16" holes in the bandsaw base plate and tapped them 3/8-16 to take studs and miller clamps -- again to hold small pieces near the blade.

I welded a 3" long piece of 3/8" steel plate to the edge of the cast iron movable swiveling bandsaw clamp to extend it as wide as the fixed clamp.

I used 7018 stick, back welded in 1/2" sections, peening the weld until cool to the touch for each weld section before continuing to the next. This worked and the cast did not crack and the weld is solid.

Always wanted to try that method. Usually i braze cast iron and insulate it in wood ashes afterwards to let it cool slowly. But the short back weld method worked without preheat and insulated cool-down afterwards. Very impressed.

Made the mistake of trying to trim the rough piece in the bandsaw afterwards -- the blade cut fine until it hit the weld metal. But that was probably the equivalent of chilled iron and dulled the teeth on an expensive bi-metal blade. :palm:

Oh well, should have known better and ground the weld out where the blade would cross. In fact I did, afterwards, and the damaged blade cut verrrrrrryyyyyy sloowwwwwly through the remainder of the softer steel. Well, got it done.

Tomorrow I will add a screw spacer to the far side of the new extension. No more trying to find stock the same width as a short piece when clamping in the main vise. So now I have 3 separate aids to clamping short or irregular pieces.

RodW:
While looking at your saw, it might be worth considering a new table. I was getting some stuff laser cut and for an extra $10.00, I got two of these plates made out of 5mm plate from a DXF file I did up. Some saws have the slot in the table facing towards the back but this table works on it as well.

Which after the holes were countersunk looked like this.

The critical dimension is the distance between the bolt holes.

I've since seen a variation to this where the plate was attached to another block of metal and stayed on the saw and hinged up out of the way when in horizontal mode. I don't use the saw vertically that often so won't worry about it.

Also, probably not as flexible as some other methods to deal with cutting short pieces of stock. I donated a drill vice to my saw.

Welded some scrap together

Drilled some holes and threaded a couple

Bolted on the vice and adjusted some overhanging bits...

And it works well

Some do have other solutions which allow the angle to be adjusted but this works well for me. I've since massaged it a bit and got the vice closer to the blade and trimmed a bit more off. It is just a matter of removing the swivel jaw and putting the vice on in its place and it is squared against the back gauge. Anyway, I can hold about 10mm with it now.

The other thing I have found that makes it cut crooked is too much downforce on the blade.

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