PC Gameplayer wrote:

I just got the Ridgid 14" bandsaw and set it up a couple weeks ago.
It all went together nice, and then I wanted to test it out. I took a
couple scraps of wood (no thicker than 3/4"), put a spare miter gauge
into the slot, and tried running the wood through. I expected that
the cut would be more or less perpendicular to the back side of the
wood (where it rides on the miter gauge), but no dice. The cut "veers
off" or "drifts". If I drew a straight line across the wood in the
direction where I was making the cut, I could start out on the line at
the beginning of the cut, then I'd end up about 1/2" or more (on a 3"
wide piece of wood) above the line. Sorry if I'm over-explaining, but
does this make sense?

Every bandsaw blade has drift based on the unique physical
characteristics of the blade. You need to adjust your rip fence
to the drift angle of the blade. Take a 2' x 6" piece of wood
and draw a line down the middle lengthwise so that it is
parallel to both edges of the board. Start the bandsaw and
*slowly* freehand the cut down the center line. Stay *exactly*
on the line adjusting as necessary. Once you're cutting straight
on the line withing needing to adjust the angle of the board,
you've found the drift angle of the blade.

Stop the saw and hold the piece of wood in the exact position
where you stopped. Using a pencil or marker, trace one of the
edges of the board on your bandsaw table. Then take your rip
fence, align it to this line, and you're done.

I'd recommend picking up a good bandsaw book that explains this
and other aspects of using bandsaws.

Tim Henrion