"Paul Hofnagel" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Two questions for the group
>
> What is the proper way to check for drift on a band saw?
>
> Is drift a permanent feature of the saw or do I need to re-check
> whenever the blade, etc. changes? Should I mark the band saw table
> with this info for whenever I need to resaw?
The right blade and the right tension or a properly setup saw can eliminate
drift. I've seen it done, but others say it cannot be.
Take a square board. Draw a straight line the length of it. Now make a cut
following the line, but do it freehand, not with a fence. Cut at least half
way, then stop the saw. The amount of angle you have is the drift. Adjust
your fence to the board and complete the cut. Yes, it can vary from blade to
blade because the blade is a part of the cause of the drift.
Ed
[email protected]
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome
Edwin Pawlowski writes:
>> Is drift a permanent feature of the saw or do I need to re-check
>> whenever the blade, etc. changes? Should I mark the band saw table
>> with this info for whenever I need to resaw?
>
>The right blade and the right tension or a properly setup saw can eliminate
>drift. I've seen it done, but others say it cannot be.
Yeah, it can, and sometimes with no tune-up needed. I have a Shop Fox 16" blade
and yesterday, partly out of curiosity and partly out of a need for a couple
photos, I took a piece of chinaberry, made a fast jig (V angle at the point),
left the 1/4" Olson blade in the saw and ran a resaw. No drift until I
one-handed (and my near useless left hand at that) the last 1-1/2" so I could
fire the camera with the other hand (timer wouldn't work because it was chilly,
maybe 20 deg. F.).
Charlie Self
"Take care of the luxuries and the necessities will take care of themselves."
Dorothy Parker
http://hometown.aol.com/charliediy/myhomepage/business.html
"Charlie Self" wrote in message
> Edwin Pawlowski writes:
> >The right blade and the right tension or a properly setup saw can
eliminate
> >drift. I've seen it done, but others say it cannot be.
>
> Yeah, it can, and sometimes with no tune-up needed. I have a Shop Fox 16"
blade
> and yesterday, partly out of curiosity and partly out of a need for a
couple
> photos, I took a piece of chinaberry, made a fast jig (V angle at the
point),
> left the 1/4" Olson blade in the saw and ran a resaw. No drift until I
> one-handed (and my near useless left hand at that) the last 1-1/2" so I
could
> fire the camera with the other hand (timer wouldn't work because it was
chilly,> maybe 20 deg. F.).
Agree ... have a 1/2", 3TPI, TimberWolf on my 14" band saw that will saw as
straight as a table saw. It's the only blade I own that has that
characteristic so well defined ... so I take good care of it.
--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 1/16/04