-MIKE- wrote:
On 7/12/11 11:14 AM, dadiOH wrote:
Puckdropper wrote:
wrote in

*snip*

7. Reduce tension until you next need to saw

Note that wood is going to drift when ripping/resawing; i.e., the
wood will want to go through the blade at an angle. That is normal.


Is reducing tension, say two or three twists on the tensioning knob
sufficient, or should I release it as much as I can?

I make it good and floppy...about 2 1/2 full turns. Just do the same each
time so you can retension it by reversing the number of turns.


Just for the sake of discussion...
There's a camp that says practicing this procedure actually decreases
the life of the blade, because it accelerates the work hardening of the
metal. Tension, release, tension, release, tension, release, over and
over again acts like the old bending a paper clip until it breaks
illustration.

Since this is just for the sake of discussion: The effects from adding
and releasing the tension of the blame seem (to me) utterly trivial
compared to the work hardening that is done when the blade moves, like a
pulley, around the BS wheels when the saw is running. You could pull
(and release) both ends of a straight piece of wire all year and I don't
think it would any the worse for wear. This may be related to steel
having a high tensile-strength, but I don't think this accounts for the
wear concerned with here.

The spot on the blade where it is welded may more likely give in a
repeated tension-release cycle. I do not know enough to know.

Bill