"Toller" wrote in message
...

I think it was probably the guides. When I pulled them out, I found the
faces weren't square anymore. Resurfaced them, and it is much better now.


Symptom, not cause. Ceramics.

Changing grain in the material will also contribute to drift.


One of the worst ways to get drift is to saw close to the actual grain
direction, but not quite. Least resistance.

Have you cleaned the rubber on the wheels? This problem shows itself by
the blade not tracking true. Working green wood would leave residue on
the blade and be deposited on the wheels.


Might cause sticking or slipping, but hardly drift.

Cleaning the wheels was easy enough, but yes, there is residue on the
blade. That can't be helping matters.

How do I clean the blade? Plastic wool did nothing at all. Thanks.


WD40 here. On a cloth, power off, rotating blade in reverse. Walnut is
corrosive, like cherry and oaks, so you want to clean up after each session
and the lube it retains doesn't hurt in sliding through the wood. That
corrosion is a likely cause of blade dulling, along with cutting bark, which
is usually loaded with grit. Commercial operations debark for that reason.

If you've neglected the blade to the point where cloth and solvent won't
work, you can try the brass BBQ brush for caked. Soaking in TSP, washing
soda or any of the other "green" surfactants will probably work, too, but it
involves a lot of extra time and effort.