Band saw alignment

[dr sportster]

On my horizontal Chinese band saw the top wheel is intentionally cocked tilted . Every band saw video on Youtube says the wheels should be in alignment . The pin for the top wheel is pitched upwards . As it is the blade keeps popping off. It should be mentioned I machined the shoulders off the iron wheels and put band saw tires on the wheels. Only thing I can see to do is make the top shaft pin be level not pitched ? Not frustrated yet .

 

[Eric in IL]

On a Do-All vertical band saw the top wheel is adjustable for angle. We adjusted the angle until the blade barely made contact with the shoulder on the wheel.

I think most band saws need a shoulder on the wheel to keep the blade from popping off.

 

[Steve@Advance]

Not sure which way they are tilted, are they twisted? Twisted could work if that's the way it is designed and has worked in the past. Before making any design changes, be sure everything is tight, the bearings are good, and not wallowed in the pulley bore or spun on the shaft.

But they have to be in alignment for the blade to track correctly, which will be a very minute adjustment.

You don;t want the blade contacting the step on the pulley, the blade guides should position the rearward travel. Even then, you don't want the blade barring hard against the guide stop, everything needs to be running as true as possible. The forward travel (off the front) is where the fine tracking adjustment comes in.

It's necessary to have some way to adjust the tilt of the wheels, be it shims or jack bolts, some way to change the tilt under load and actual running, tensioned, conditions. The alignment will change with the blade under tension, especially on a light duty saw.

 

[Janicholson]

The design with shoulders is tilted so the back of the blade is tracked to run against the ridge of the shoulder. If that is removed, the axles must be near perfectly aligned. The wheel (and rubber surface should be crowned in the center to assist in keeping the blade centered as they travel to the tight spot (think of the crown on a flat belt pulley). It is going to cause issues until there is an adjustment for the tilt. Jim

 

[Stephen Newell]

A metal cutting bandsaw needs the shoulder on the wheels. You probably need to replace the wheels but if it's harbor freight you won't be able to get replacement parts. Then rubber bandsaw tires are for woodworking bandsaws, not metal cutting. The metal blade is tensioned so much tighter than a wood blade the rubber tires won't work. It doesn't appear you have a fix other than to replace the saw. Anyway on the HF purple saw the upper wheel on the back side has adjustments where you can adjust the tilt of the wheel for tracking.

 

[timcasbolt]

(quoted from post at 16:16:07 07/06/21) A metal cutting bandsaw needs the shoulder on the wheels. You probably need to replace the wheels but if it's harbor freight you won't be able to get replacement parts. Then rubber bandsaw tires are for woodworking bandsaws, not metal cutting. The metal blade is tensioned so much tighter than a wood blade the rubber tires won't work. It doesn't appear you have a fix other than to replace the saw. Anyway on the HF purple saw the upper wheel on the back side has adjustments where you can adjust the tilt of the wheel for tracking.

My 80 year old Grob Bros. bandsaw has tires.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

I don't think I can adjust the wheels on my antique made in the USA bandsaw. It uses 2 inch x 120 inches. Only adjustment are to straight the blade before it cuts metal. Also adjust angle blade cuts metal.

I think the saw was made in Indiana.

 

[Stephen Newell]

Can you take a close picture of this area? It may just look like mounting bolts for the upper spindle but I bet there is a way to adjust the wheel there.

 

[dr sportster]

If I place shims under the top adjustable wheel I can get the pin the wheel rides on to be straighter and more parallel to the lower wheel { I am talking upper and lower wheels when the saw is raised ] . I will get it to work eventually . I am not buying a new saw .This one was sold by Northern Tool . It is no longer jumping off but not ideally tracking correctly yet.

 

[504]

One trick I learned it turn the rollers over, if the blade run off the other way you have found the problem. In my case the blase quite walking off.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

That moves the wheel to tighten the blade, not align the wheels.
If there's an alignment, I've never had to use in past 42 years.

 

[Stephen Newell]

My bandsaw has bolts on the back side of the upper wheel that adjust the angle of the wheel. Mine the blade started walking off and I was sure there was an adjustment so I started tinkering with the bolts on the back and discovered they adjusted the wheel angle.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

Stephen,
Unlike a belt sander where every time you put a new belt on you have to align the wheels or the belt will run off to one side, Every bandsaw I've owned, craftsman, delta and this antique, I put blade on and tighten, no alignment.

If my saw wheels were aligned, it was done at the factory. I have no clue where or how to align.

 

[T.R.K.]

On every bandsaw I have ever seen there is some way to adjust tracking. Sometimes it is not easily apparent but it is there. I would look for a setscrew or a jack screw that will change the angle of the idler wheel. Since you said you had the wheels off, if you left any pieces out during reassembly, check them.

You may have to replace your wheels now that you have modified them.

 

[1948CaseVAI]

Look for a youtube video about bandsaw tuneup with Alex Snodgrass. He is unconventional but his method works and is easy to follow. It is actually a pretty enjoyable 20 minute or so video.

 

[dr sportster]

I watched every You tube video there is Snodgrass too. Plenty of metal cutting band saws have tires. hundred if not thousands of wood band saws have been converted to metal. It is simply a matter of wheel alignment .Once I get that I am done.

 

[Stephen Newell]

Doesn't seem possible though. I have two woodworking bandsaws and one metal cutting and all of them you can adjust the angle of the wheel.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

It may be possible there are adjustments. I've never had to align my wheels on 3 different bandsaws, I only tighten. If alignment was done, it was done at the factory.

 

[Dusty MI]

(quoted from post at 06:04:12 07/08/21) It may be possible there are adjustments. I've never had to align my wheels on 3 different bandsaws, I only tighten. If alignment was done, it was done at the factory.

I have 2 band saws, 1 wood cutting bandsaw, and 1 like the one you show, but smaller.
The wood cutting one the is a vertical cutting saw and the top wheel is adjustable, to tighten and aline the blade.

The metal cutting one like your's, one adjusts to tighten the blade and there are 2 very small wheels that twists the blade, and another wheel that the back edge of the blade rides against.

 

[jon f mn]

Here is a pic of a saw like my Ellis. The red circle shows where the blade alignment is done. I believe most metal band saws put a twist in the blade for cutting, the Ellis twists 90*, but some use even more. That is why there is a backer on the wheels and no tires.

Most wood band saws don't twist the blade, they also run faster. That is why they use tires and no backers.