The Suffolk Timberwolf blade is designed as a low tension blade, I use it
resaw with, not a good blade for your test. Pick and Olson or something
else, this blade is to easy to set up and easy on your saw, (low tension)
you're going to collapse a wheel at such high tension on a old saw. My
$.02
Ken


"Nova" wrote in message
news:eQPIj.3728$yd2.2613@trndny04...
eganders wrote:
I saw a video and article about the inexpensive tension gauge for the
bandsaw from John White in Fine Woodworking. I thought it was a great
idea, but since I have a number of dial and digital calipers, I
thought I would use a 6 inch caliper set with the jaws 5 inches
apart. I clamped the jaws to the blade just as he did his jig. I put
some tension on the 1/2 inch Suffolk Timberwolf blade just as he did
and set the dial to 0. I then started to crank tension on the blade.

I have no doubt that the standard spring is weak, but I don't see
really ANY MOVEMENT AT ALL from the caliper. I can't believe the
tension that I will need to get the recommended 15,000 psi. I will
collapse the spring and THEN some. I can't bring myself to put the
tension on the blade that would bring the 2.5 mils of displacement on
the caliper to get the 15,000 psi. Without some more confidence that
I am going the right way, I am afraid I will break the saw (and I will
be WAY past collapse of the spring). Can anyone tell me what I am
doing wrong? Has anyone done this and can tell me what did your
standard Delta gauge read (with the standard Delta spring) when you
put 15,000 (or whatever PSI you used)?

By the way, I know about all the different methods, such as the
flutter test, etc. I am doing this to get a feeling what a standard
tension is and then I will go my own way, but I would like to at least
experience what 15,000 psi is.

If 15,000 PSI is the recommended tension (I can find no such listing on
Suffolk's site) it "Pounds Per Square Inch". You're dealing with a blade
that has a cross section of .5" x .025" or .0125 sq. in..

--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA