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mac davis

On 18 Aug 2006 02:47:48 -0700, wrote:

Others will be more scientific, I'm sure, but in my experience, blade sharpness
or lack of is the #1 cause of drift, assuming that the saw is set up correctly..

My cheapy Ridgid cuts the same angle with 3/8" or 3/4" blade and only drifts if
the blade is dull or not tensioned properly...

OTOH, I might have accidently bought the one BS that Ridgid made right.. *lol*

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?

- Joe

Mac

https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm