On Sat, 19 Dec 2009 17:13:14 -0800, "Zootal"
wrote:


"Phisherman" wrote in message
.. .
On Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:13:48 -0800, "Zootal"
wrote:

This is a question for those knowledgable about bandsaws. I have a Ryobi
9"
bandsaw, BS903 (I think...). I comes with a 1/4" blade. I'm trying to do a
straight cut through a piece of weed that is 2" high, and 1.5 inches thick
and about 2 feet long. I need to make the cut 3 inches deep. When I do it,
I
can't get the cut straight, and it appears that the blade wanders a bit
back
and forth. It's not much, maybe up to 1/8 of an inch, but it's enough to
make it very clear that it isn't a straight line. I have the blade guides
adjusted fairly tight, about 1/64" on both sides of the blade, and don't
think I could adjust them any closer. I'm thinking of getting a wider
blade,
say a 3/8 6t blade. Any band saw experts care to comment on what I can do
to
get a straight cut, and if a wider blade will help?

The manual is a bit fuzzy about adjusting blade tension, and I really have
no clue how to tension the blade. The manual just says to tighten it until
it makes a sound like a guiter string when you pluck it. wtf? Are they
serious?


A wider blade and a bandsaw tuneup will certainly help. It is typical
there is a "drift" angle when cutting a straight line with a band saw
and you correct for that by adjusting the piece. Take your time
cutting.

I put a wide blade on it, and played with it a bit. Going to the wider blade
made all the difference in the world. I think I pretty much have it tuned
the way I want it. It's not the highest quality saw out there (it is a
Ryobi, after all), but I can get it to do the job. Bandsaws are a bit
touchy, aren't they? :-)

What I wasn't sure about was how to tension - how tight is too tight, or too
loose. There is a very wide range of tension that results in a nice
guitar-like twang. It would help if the manual suggested actual pitches to
shoot for, instead of just saying it sounds like a guiter. Just going from
the low E string to the high E string is two octaves, let alone working your
way up the neck on the high E string, which is another octave and a half or
so.



Just tighten it enough such that the blade makes a tune when plucked.
If there is no sound, it is too loose.