Horizontal Bandsaw Problems – -Advice Please.

[John RutzenParticipant @johnrutzen76569]

I have one of these saws and wouldn't be without it. Mine is a Draper but they are all pretty much alike. I don't find it difficult to change the blades, I usually put the blades into the guide rollers first and then twist the blade to go over the wheels, having slacked off the tensioner of course. I dispensed with the cover years ago, if the blade breaks or comes off then it just stops. Like others have said don't have the rollers tight on the blade, it should be easy to slide the blade between them. I only buy the carbon steel blades, they last a long time provided you have the saw on it's slowest speed.

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

Nigel

I should have the Alpine saw manual somewhere safe and could scan it if you'd like a copy. Don't recall seeing it this century but fairly sure I know where it ought to be.

I've fitted eccentric adjusters to all four of my guide wheels made to give the maximum possible throw without serious re-design. Looks like I needed all that throw to get to a workable set-up.

The standard two guide bearings fixed and two adjustable set-up is basically to accommodate variations in blade thickness. The fixed mounts are supposed to be on the inside to define the blade path. That design assumes the saw is made with sufficient accuracy to put the fixed bearings in the right place. Not so with mine. Looking at it now it appears that the constructional errors add up to cumulative errors in guide position approaching 1/4" out of line.

As I said earlier mine worked adequately as standard once a satisfactory adjustment had been achieved for several years before misbehaving. I can only assume that it took several years for wear and other strain related issues to accumulate to a level preventing the standard set up from coping with mis-alignment.

Clive

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Possible Progress?

I felt well enough today to have another look at the machine.

Removing the top pulley, I realised I could fit a pair of simple guides for the axle-block, made from bright steel-angle, on the interior of the bow.

They share the tapped holes already there for securing the two retaining-strips for the block, held on the outside of the bow by M6 screws. The screw lengths were only about half the thickness of the frame casting, so I could tap the holes right though and secure both pairs of parts independently.

I drilled the holes in the angles generously over-size and slotted them slightly, for simple adjustment.

This removed the swinging effect that had made life right difficult.

'

To set the pulley along its stub-axle, I replaced the spacer cut from an odd length of tube, with steel and PTFE washers, the latter from one of those assortment boxes from Aldis or a motor-parts shop. I will have to revisit it, as I think the pulley is rubbing slightly. It would make sense to measure and turn a proper spacer from brass or something.

Watching it running – socially distanced as I had the door open – it seemed to track OK though.

'

Next was to fit and set the guides as best I could, but I think I distorted the blade quite badly with all this fafffing, so really, can't adjust the machine properly until I can obtain a new blade. Clamping the guide-carriers still seems to pull them out of line though, and the blade emerges slightly twisted from the rollers .

Even so, It cut reasonably squarely through a piece of 25 X 12m, black mild-steel; and came to rest with a much smaller gap than previously, between blade and steel.

'

I stopped there while the going was good…..

[vic francisParticipant @vicfrancis]

Hi Nigel, speedy recovery, err well I used said bandsaw, think it was a pinacle? Early 4.5 hori / vertical typical design but after experimentation in setting esp the crown wheel used it alot ie daily! And with the thin cork on the lower drive wheel it hardly broke any blades, perhaps one per year! I used very little blade tension…. so blades lasted a long time, unless snagged…and a reasonable downcut pressure to avoid rubbing.I used it for 6 years plus as well! It came from another dept so it was second hand .Useable when I got it as well.I always cut dry or friction would be lost…The procurement woman was tight about buying things, ( packs of blades) so I made sure things lasted! The sort of work it did was bar and tube upto 30mm ; I once cut 70mm bronze bar ! But best to turn it…There is a quality difference between blades, the thicker blade was superior, and fine pitch was preferred. The workshop was too small to have a decent cutoff type so I made do… I also improved the work holding clamp… Evo stick glued the cork to the wheel… I tried rubber originally, but creep occurred! , cork was the best; boiler insulation would be perfect around 2mm thick.

regards

vic

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

John Rutzen –

I have the handbooks for the Draper and Clarke saws. Both specify a 0.001" clearance for the blade – which does not allow much for a thicker weld.

'

John Fletcher –

Brings back memories… I was the materials store-keeper for a screen-printer manufacturer for some years, back in the 1980s. Until the company bought a band-saw blade welder, I had to use silver-soldering on a simple jig to make up blades from stock rolls in various tooth-counts, as you describe. That was for a multi-speed Startrite vertical saw I used for plate-cutting from 16mm alum-alloy, to quarter-inch gauge plate – the latter was used for big plate-cams, before the stepper-motors and electronics in the very sophisticated machines the firm makes now. (A hacksawing machine with roller-bed dealt with the bar stock.)

'

Clive –

Finding the Clarke and Draper manuals seems to cover it, but thank you for the offer. They are all basically the same machine with only detail differences.

You may have hit the rivet on the head with my saw: as with yours, wear and tear catching up with it. That could account for the cut being inside the rest line of the blade by an appreciable amount, although I seem to have reduced that a bit.

The blade-guide bars are hardly exemplars of precision-machining, and one rocked quite noticeably on a surface-plate. I was able to cure that to some extent by careful filing, which revealed enormous machining chatter-marks. The slide-ways in the frame look reasonably well machined, but I could test them with a suitable straight-edge.

Rather crocked at the moment, I am not doing much in the workshop, but you've given me a clue as to what is still going wrong. I have noticed one of the guides moves noticeably sideways when I tighten its clamp.

'

Vic –

Thank you for your best wishes. It won't be speedy I'm afraid, and it's knocked my workshop activities right back because I cannot stand at a machine for long.

I will bear in mind what you say, of a cork tyre. For the moment I want to fit a new blade without modification as I think the existing one, my last, is too distorted to give a fair test to the machine. It will cut but meanders rather wonderfully. I have some thin cork sheet I could probably use.

I buy the blades from the local 'Toolstation' but unless I can make up enough order for delivery to be worthwhile that's out of reach. I dare not risk driving, even the couple of miles each way, for the time being.

[Cornish JackParticipant @cornishjack]

Axminster horizontal/vertical two wheel bandsaw. The urethane 'tyre' on the motor drive wheel has stretched and had to be shortened and 'bodged'. with cyano. Works as a temporary fix, but I would like to fit a new one. The only ones I have found so far, come from the States and need a mortgage!. Does anyone have a source which will leave enough change to buy food !

rgds

Bill

Edited By Cornish Jack on 27/05/2021 19:08:17

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

Don’t axminster carry spare parts or info on sourcing materials to repair their products?

[Cornish JackParticipant @cornishjack]

Thank you NDIY – It was a thought that had flickered through my sub-consciousness before embarking on a world-wide search !

In lieu of any helpful suggestions, for anyone with similar woes, cutting the expanded tyre, and glueing the cut ends to fit, does provide a temporary fix.

rgds

Bill

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Interesting, the comments re setting the giude rollers clear of the blade!

I set mine to bear against the blade, without problems, but on my Warco one, all rollers are adjustable.

I would have thought that having the rollers clear of the blade would allow it to twist, or move from side to side.

A machine with backlash is unlikely to cut accurately, or consistently.

If it cuts in an arc, you may be loading the blade down too hard.

As long as I do not overdo the down feed pressure, once set up, with the blade tensioned, using the Jaques Maurel Tensionmeter, it cuts pretty accurately, and instead of blades breaking, they wear out!

Howard

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