wrote in message
oups.com...
All of the blurbs I've read which tell how to deal with bandsaw drift
tell you to just saw a straight line down a straight piece of wood,
stop half-way, and mark the angle on your saw table, and then clamp a
fence on the table to that angle, and you're done.Don't forget to tip
your waitress and drive safe on your way home everybody!

They make it sound as though you've divined the magic angle for your
bandsaw once and for all. I'm surprised they don't tell you to just
paint the drift angle right onto the table. In fact, the only time I've
heard anyone say that drift angle depends on anything, they said that
it depended on the particular blade... and that *all*!

I'm not buying it. So, I gotta ask... in everyone's experience, what of
the following factors will, if changed, change the drift angle of your
bandsaw:

- Blade width
- Blade tension
- Feed rate
- Hardness of the wood
- Thickness of the wood
- Grain of the wood
- Height of the upper guide above the wood.
- Slack in the thrust bearing

I would think that the wood would make a difference, but nobody ever
seems to suggest using a similar wood of similar thickness and grain
when initially finding the drift angle.

So, what about it? Once I find my drift angle, what can I change
without having to go find the angle again. And are there any other
factors I've missed?

I've got an 18" Jet band saw and haven't experienced this problem. I don't
know it it's inherent to this saw or if I simply have a knack for installing
blades... I don't do anything special while installing blades, it's all done
by eye and feel. I don't have a problem with the Jet brand blades nor with
Timberwolf blades. I haven't tried other brands so I cannot rule out blades
as the problem for others.

John