Hello all,

I bought a 14" Powermatic band saw a little over a week ago. I'm not that
familiar with it yet. Today I picked up a 3/4" blade on sale at a local
lumber supplier. I tried to install it a little while ago but ran into a
few issues. It went on fine, or so it seemed. The lower bearing that
rides at the back edge of the blade does not seem to have enough travel to
allow the blade all the way in. It goes most of the way, but it does not
seem possible to set it according to the owner's manual. In other words,
it will always be touching the back of the blade and it touches it pretty
hard if you know what I mean. To complicate matters, that bearing doesn't
spin freely anyway. It's too stiff to spin like the rest of the bearings.
I will tinker with it and replace it if necessary, but the travel issue is
still a problem. The combination of the two problems resulted in a
slightly hot bearing with a slight groove beginning to wear in the bearing.
This was after a short test run.

Questions: Should I pull the blade off and just accept that a 3/4" blade
simply won¢t fit even though it is supposed to fit? I seem to remember a
recent discussion saying that fitting a 3/4" blade on a 14" saw is a common
problem. I sure did like the result of the test run I made. Are there any
adjustments that I am missing that would remedy the problem? Anyone
familiar with this saw enough to tell me what I need to know to run a 3/4"
blade in it?

Thanks,
Brian

At the risk of sounding like a wiseguy, how about posing your question
to Powermatic? Especially if you may have a bad bearing.

mailto

"Brian Mahaney" wrote in message
news
Hello all,

I bought a 14" Powermatic band saw a little over a week ago. I'm not that
familiar with it yet. Today I picked up a 3/4" blade on sale at a local
lumber supplier. I tried to install it a little while ago but ran into a
few issues. It went on fine, or so it seemed. The lower bearing that
rides at the back edge of the blade does not seem to have enough travel to
allow the blade all the way in. It goes most of the way, but it does not
seem possible to set it according to the owner's manual. In other words,
it will always be touching the back of the blade and it touches it pretty
hard if you know what I mean. To complicate matters, that bearing doesn't
spin freely anyway. It's too stiff to spin like the rest of the bearings.
I will tinker with it and replace it if necessary, but the travel issue is
still a problem. The combination of the two problems resulted in a
slightly hot bearing with a slight groove beginning to wear in the
bearing.
This was after a short test run.

Well, you might have been able to move the blade forward with tracking, but
if you're doing all right with other blades, do without. I've a Delta, and
it does fine with the 3/4 blade, especially the thin one from Suffolk.

Never have been able to figure out why, if the upper thrust bearing was on
an eccentric, the lower wasn't. Can lead to those kind of problems you
mentioned if the blade was too far inside the rim, even if the bearing spins
like a sweetheart otherwise. Remove and reverse the bearing, though you
still might want to bitch and get another from Powermatic.

If the blade is riding where it's supposed to be, remove the table and
adjust the lower guide mounting unit. It is attached to the frame with
bolts--loosen the bolts and move the assy back. be sure to keep it
aligned with the blade so that the side bearings are still perfectly
parallel with the blade. I had to make this adjustment when my BS was
new...

Dave

Brian Mahaney wrote:
Hello all,

I bought a 14" Powermatic band saw a little over a week ago. I'm not that
familiar with it yet. Today I picked up a 3/4" blade on sale at a local
lumber supplier. I tried to install it a little while ago but ran into a
few issues. It went on fine, or so it seemed. The lower bearing that
rides at the back edge of the blade does not seem to have enough travel to
allow the blade all the way in. It goes most of the way, but it does not
seem possible to set it according to the owner's manual. In other words,
it will always be touching the back of the blade and it touches it pretty
hard if you know what I mean. To complicate matters, that bearing doesn't
spin freely anyway. It's too stiff to spin like the rest of the bearings.
I will tinker with it and replace it if necessary, but the travel issue is
still a problem. The combination of the two problems resulted in a
slightly hot bearing with a slight groove beginning to wear in the bearing.
This was after a short test run.

Questions: Should I pull the blade off and just accept that a 3/4" blade
simply won¢t fit even though it is supposed to fit? I seem to remember a
recent discussion saying that fitting a 3/4" blade on a 14" saw is a common
problem. I sure did like the result of the test run I made. Are there any
adjustments that I am missing that would remedy the problem? Anyone
familiar with this saw enough to tell me what I need to know to run a 3/4"
blade in it?

Thanks,
Brian

Brian Mahaney says...

Hello all,

I bought a 14" Powermatic band saw a little over a week ago. I'm not that
familiar with it yet. Today I picked up a 3/4" blade on sale at a local
lumber supplier. I tried to install it a little while ago but ran into a
few issues. It went on fine, or so it seemed. The lower bearing that
rides at the back edge of the blade does not seem to have enough travel to
allow the blade all the way in. It goes most of the way, but it does not
seem possible to set it according to the owner's manual. In other words,
it will always be touching the back of the blade and it touches it pretty
hard if you know what I mean. To complicate matters, that bearing doesn't
spin freely anyway. It's too stiff to spin like the rest of the bearings.
I will tinker with it and replace it if necessary, but the travel issue is
still a problem. The combination of the two problems resulted in a
slightly hot bearing with a slight groove beginning to wear in the bearing.
This was after a short test run.

Questions: Should I pull the blade off and just accept that a 3/4" blade
simply won¢t fit even though it is supposed to fit? I seem to remember a
recent discussion saying that fitting a 3/4" blade on a 14" saw is a common
problem. I sure did like the result of the test run I made. Are there any
adjustments that I am missing that would remedy the problem? Anyone
familiar with this saw enough to tell me what I need to know to run a 3/4"
blade in it?

Thanks,
Brian

There are some simple adjustments to setting the thrust bearings. Like
David said, there is another adjustment where the guide and thrust
bearing assembly bolts to the frame. Running your saw in a bind the way
you did was extremely unwise and dangerous, not to mention murder on
your nice new saw (Wanna trade?). The damaged bearing should be flipped
or changed. Don't use the damaged face anymore. Your saw won't perform
well or safely if it isn't adjusted with care. The thrust bearings
should be adjusted to where they just barely don't move when the machine
is on, but will as soon as you start cutting a piece of wood and the
blade moves a fraction of an inch (1/64 is the rule of thumb) and braces
against them. Guide blocks should be adjusted similarly close, as close
as possible without touching when the blade is moving, and behind the
kerf of the blade. When I change blades, I move everything way out of
the way, install the blade, tension it and then turn the saw on for a
few seconds so that the blade finds its equilibrium. Then you can do
the adjustments, turn on the saw and check to see if your adjustments
need any tweaking. If you are lucky, your adjustments will keep, but
you should keep checking them as long as you are using the saw, because
if your saw is anything like mine, the blade will drift for a variety of
reasons, including sawdust building up on the wheels. These should be
thoroughly cleaned before using the saw. It may all sound like too much
trouble, but that's the price of using a band saw. Your saw should run
a 3/4" blade with ease, but most people stop at 1/2" or 5/8" for 14"
saws. A 1/2" Timberwolf blade resaws perfectly adequately for my
purposes. You should get the Duginske book. It will tell you more than
you ever wanted to know about band saws.

On 6 Jun 2005 11:54:12 -0700, wrote:

At the risk of sounding like a wiseguy, how about posing your question
to Powermatic? Especially if you may have a bad bearing.

mailto

I did think of that. How do you know I didn't email them as well as this
newsgroup? I can be a wiseguy also But seriously, when I think of a
place to look for a broad range of real-world experience with woodworking
machinery, I think of this newsgroup, not the customer service rep at a
large corporation. I'm sure their help is great, but sometimes I like to
mine many sources to arrive at a solution that works for me.

Thanks for the input,
Brian

On Mon, 6 Jun 2005 16:08:45 -0400, George wrote:

"Brian Mahaney" wrote in message
news
Hello all,

I bought a 14" Powermatic band saw a little over a week ago. I'm not that
familiar with it yet. Today I picked up a 3/4" blade on sale at a local
lumber supplier. I tried to install it a little while ago but ran into a
few issues. It went on fine, or so it seemed. The lower bearing that
rides at the back edge of the blade does not seem to have enough travel to
allow the blade all the way in. It goes most of the way, but it does not
seem possible to set it according to the owner's manual. In other words,
it will always be touching the back of the blade and it touches it pretty
hard if you know what I mean. To complicate matters, that bearing doesn't
spin freely anyway. It's too stiff to spin like the rest of the bearings.
I will tinker with it and replace it if necessary, but the travel issue is
still a problem. The combination of the two problems resulted in a
slightly hot bearing with a slight groove beginning to wear in the
bearing.
This was after a short test run.

Well, you might have been able to move the blade forward with tracking, but
if you're doing all right with other blades, do without. I've a Delta, and
it does fine with the 3/4 blade, especially the thin one from Suffolk.

Never have been able to figure out why, if the upper thrust bearing was on
an eccentric, the lower wasn't. Can lead to those kind of problems you
mentioned if the blade was too far inside the rim, even if the bearing spins
like a sweetheart otherwise. Remove and reverse the bearing, though you
still might want to bitch and get another from Powermatic.

I did try to move the blade forward with the tracking, but it was too far
forward to be safe or practical by the time it wasn't touching any more.
It was already pushing the limit of being "centered" when it was rubbing
against the bearing. I'm still tinkering with it. I may have found a
solution. I'll post it if I do.

Thanks,
Brian

On Mon, 06 Jun 2005 15:02:59 -0700, David wrote:

If the blade is riding where it's supposed to be, remove the table and
adjust the lower guide mounting unit. It is attached to the frame with
bolts--loosen the bolts and move the assy back. be sure to keep it
aligned with the blade so that the side bearings are still perfectly
parallel with the blade. I had to make this adjustment when my BS was
new...

Dave


Dave,

I had to leave right after I wrote my post yesterday, but when I got home
last night I was able to get a closer look at the problem. Taking your
advice, I pulled the table and examined the lower guide. Sure enough it
had quite a bit of adjustability. However, it was already adjusted back as
far from the blade as possible. I loosened the two bolts that hold the
assembly in place and pushed back on it just to make sure. It wouldn't go
back any farther. I was able to see why the bearing wasn't spinning
freely. When it is adjusted back as far as it will go, it rubbed against
the body of the unit. It was touching just enough to cause a little
friction. The bearing still turned, but not enough to let it spin at the
same speed as the blade was traveling. So a small mark (I'll call it a
scratch) was formed all the way around the circumference of the bearing.
In order to buy a little space (not much was needed) I filed a couple of
thousandths of metal from the area where the bearing was rubbing.
Additionally I filed a couple of thousandths from the area where the
mounting bolts go to allow the whole assembly to move back just a hair
more. This did the trick. I bought just enough room to allow the bearing
to spin freely. However, I would like the blade to be a tracking a little
closer to the center of the wheel. It is close, but not where I would put
it if I had the ability to move it farther back. Also, when I move the
blade by spinning the upper wheel, the blade touches the bearing more often
than not. It's just too close to be how it's supposed to be. I've
actually considered tapping new holes to mount the assembly. I could
easily mount it closer to the center of the adjustment range. Don't know
why they didn't do that in the first place.

Thanks for the advice. I'll post the ultimate solution when I arrive at
something,
Brian

On Mon, 6 Jun 2005 19:13:57 -0500, Hax Planx wrote:

Brian Mahaney says...

Hello all,

I bought a 14" Powermatic band saw a little over a week ago. I'm not that
familiar with it yet. Today I picked up a 3/4" blade on sale at a local
lumber supplier. I tried to install it a little while ago but ran into a
few issues. It went on fine, or so it seemed. The lower bearing that
rides at the back edge of the blade does not seem to have enough travel to
allow the blade all the way in. It goes most of the way, but it does not
seem possible to set it according to the owner's manual. In other words,
it will always be touching the back of the blade and it touches it pretty
hard if you know what I mean. To complicate matters, that bearing doesn't
spin freely anyway. It's too stiff to spin like the rest of the bearings.
I will tinker with it and replace it if necessary, but the travel issue is
still a problem. The combination of the two problems resulted in a
slightly hot bearing with a slight groove beginning to wear in the bearing.
This was after a short test run.

Questions: Should I pull the blade off and just accept that a 3/4" blade
simply won¢t fit even though it is supposed to fit? I seem to remember a
recent discussion saying that fitting a 3/4" blade on a 14" saw is a common
problem. I sure did like the result of the test run I made. Are there any
adjustments that I am missing that would remedy the problem? Anyone
familiar with this saw enough to tell me what I need to know to run a 3/4"
blade in it?

Thanks,
Brian

There are some simple adjustments to setting the thrust bearings. Like
David said, there is another adjustment where the guide and thrust
bearing assembly bolts to the frame. Running your saw in a bind the way
you did was extremely unwise and dangerous, not to mention murder on
your nice new saw (Wanna trade?).

No it wasn't unwise or dangerous. It was not in a bind. The blade moved
easily and was close to the center of the wheel. There was pressure on the
thrust bearing, but it was no more than what would be encountered while
pushing a board through. The slight damage to the surface of the bearing
extended all the way around the bearing indicating that the bearing was
turning. However, it was turning slower than the blade causing the blade
to scratch the shiny surface. As it turns out, the bearing was rubbing
against the assembly housing slightly. Apparently, the design does not
include a stop other than the bearing hitting the housing.

The damaged bearing should be flipped
or changed.

I will flip the bearing.

Don't use the damaged face anymore. Your saw won't perform
well or safely if it isn't adjusted with care. The thrust bearings
should be adjusted to where they just barely don't move when the machine
is on, but will as soon as you start cutting a piece of wood and the
blade moves a fraction of an inch (1/64 is the rule of thumb) and braces
against them. Guide blocks should be adjusted similarly close, as close
as possible without touching when the blade is moving, and behind the
kerf of the blade. When I change blades, I move everything way out of
the way, install the blade, tension it and then turn the saw on for a
few seconds so that the blade finds its equilibrium. Then you can do
the adjustments, turn on the saw and check to see if your adjustments
need any tweaking. If you are lucky, your adjustments will keep, but
you should keep checking them as long as you are using the saw, because
if your saw is anything like mine, the blade will drift for a variety of
reasons, including sawdust building up on the wheels. These should be
thoroughly cleaned before using the saw. It may all sound like too much
trouble, but that's the price of using a band saw. Your saw should run
a 3/4" blade with ease, but most people stop at 1/2" or 5/8" for 14"
saws. A 1/2" Timberwolf blade resaws perfectly adequately for my
purposes. You should get the Duginske book. It will tell you more than
you ever wanted to know about band saws.

Duginske's book is on my list. I don't have a problem with tweaking a band
saw. As you said, it's the nature of the beast. At this price point, I
would have liked to see a little bit better quality control or design,
whatever the problem was. Honestly, I like the saw, but other than the
extra gadgets (light, chip blower), I don't see the price justification.
The saw had no better fit or finish than my Grizzly table saw, or my
Geetech jointer. There were chips in the paint right out of the box (this
didn't bother me in the least); there was some overspray and some under
spray of certain areas (no big deal to me). Although I can say it is
slightly better than other equipment I have seen, it's just not enough from
the quality perspective. Again, I guess the light and chip blower are what
makes it cost more. I received a free mobile base with it. That was an
incentive to me also.

Thanks for the advice,
Brian

Brian, I'm glad to hear you were able to run with my suggestion on the
lower guide assy. Sounds like on mine PM didn't secure the guide assy
in the exact spot they should have, and in your case they may have
drilled the holes off their mark. As I remember, I had to move the assy
all the way back, so any slight error on another unit's bolt holes
might require some machining.

Once you get over this problem, I bet you'll really enjoy the saw.
Using my BS yesterday a lot, I congratulated myself for buying it, after
a disastrous 1 week of owning a Delta. I esp love the blower and light.

Oh, I find that the 1/2" (or is it 5/8" - I'm not sure) blade I use is
sufficient for the big cuts. Many books suggest NOT installing a 3/4
blade onto the 14" "Taiwanese" BS, due to the heavy tension needed.

Dave


Brian Mahaney wrote:
On Mon, 06 Jun 2005 15:02:59 -0700, David wrote:


If the blade is riding where it's supposed to be, remove the table and
adjust the lower guide mounting unit. It is attached to the frame with
bolts--loosen the bolts and move the assy back. be sure to keep it
aligned with the blade so that the side bearings are still perfectly
parallel with the blade. I had to make this adjustment when my BS was
new...

Dave



Dave,

I had to leave right after I wrote my post yesterday, but when I got home
last night I was able to get a closer look at the problem. Taking your
advice, I pulled the table and examined the lower guide. Sure enough it
had quite a bit of adjustability. However, it was already adjusted back as
far from the blade as possible. I loosened the two bolts that hold the
assembly in place and pushed back on it just to make sure. It wouldn't go
back any farther. I was able to see why the bearing wasn't spinning
freely. When it is adjusted back as far as it will go, it rubbed against
the body of the unit. It was touching just enough to cause a little
friction. The bearing still turned, but not enough to let it spin at the
same speed as the blade was traveling. So a small mark (I'll call it a
scratch) was formed all the way around the circumference of the bearing.
In order to buy a little space (not much was needed) I filed a couple of
thousandths of metal from the area where the bearing was rubbing.
Additionally I filed a couple of thousandths from the area where the
mounting bolts go to allow the whole assembly to move back just a hair
more. This did the trick. I bought just enough room to allow the bearing
to spin freely. However, I would like the blade to be a tracking a little
closer to the center of the wheel. It is close, but not where I would put
it if I had the ability to move it farther back. Also, when I move the
blade by spinning the upper wheel, the blade touches the bearing more often
than not. It's just too close to be how it's supposed to be. I've
actually considered tapping new holes to mount the assembly. I could
easily mount it closer to the center of the adjustment range. Don't know
why they didn't do that in the first place.

Thanks for the advice. I'll post the ultimate solution when I arrive at
something,
Brian

On Tue, 07 Jun 2005 07:47:05 -0700, David wrote:

Brian, I'm glad to hear you were able to run with my suggestion on the
lower guide assy. Sounds like on mine PM didn't secure the guide assy
in the exact spot they should have, and in your case they may have
drilled the holes off their mark. As I remember, I had to move the assy
all the way back, so any slight error on another unit's bolt holes
might require some machining.

Once you get over this problem, I bet you'll really enjoy the saw.
Using my BS yesterday a lot, I congratulated myself for buying it, after
a disastrous 1 week of owning a Delta. I esp love the blower and light.

Oh, I find that the 1/2" (or is it 5/8" - I'm not sure) blade I use is
sufficient for the big cuts. Many books suggest NOT installing a 3/4
blade onto the 14" "Taiwanese" BS, due to the heavy tension needed.

Dave

I decided to try the 3/4" on a whim because I found it on sale. I already
had a 1/2" on order. If it cuts as good as this 3/4" is cutting, I'll just
leave it on for most cuts. I do like the saw. Even with the cheap blade
that came with it, I like it. I'm even enjoying the light and mobile base
that I got with it. I'm normally a no frills kind of guy, but went above
and beyond for this one.

That reminds me. My wife made me promise to gloat about her because of her
tool policy. She said I could only purchase this band saw if I extol her
virtues to the world so here goes: my wife's policy for tools is that I
should always get the best I can afford. She makes me buy the more
expensive one most of the time because she says, "I don't want to hear you
bitching that it isn't good enough." So, little by little as I can afford
more, I go for the best I can find that will fit in my tiny shop. There it
is. I see a new tool on the horizon for this.

Thanks again,
Brian

Your wife attitude sounds identical to mine! She's prodded me into
buying a bit more than I'd planned on. She's ordered a number of gifts
from LV for me. The only tool I'm having trouble convincing her I
should get is a drum sander. Father's Day is coming up, and for that I
suspect there will be some more LV goodies! Xmas always nets me a few
LV goodies too. Gotta love her!

What size is your shop, Brian? I see you say it's "tiny". Mine is in a
2 car garage and I wish it were at least 3 times that size so I'd have
more room for stock, another workbench, and dedicated tall and short
assembly tables. But hey, I'm still having fun with what I've got.

Dave

Brian Mahaney wrote:

On Tue, 07 Jun 2005 07:47:05 -0700, David wrote:


Brian, I'm glad to hear you were able to run with my suggestion on the
lower guide assy. Sounds like on mine PM didn't secure the guide assy
in the exact spot they should have, and in your case they may have
drilled the holes off their mark. As I remember, I had to move the assy
all the way back, so any slight error on another unit's bolt holes
might require some machining.

Once you get over this problem, I bet you'll really enjoy the saw.
Using my BS yesterday a lot, I congratulated myself for buying it, after
a disastrous 1 week of owning a Delta. I esp love the blower and light.

Oh, I find that the 1/2" (or is it 5/8" - I'm not sure) blade I use is
sufficient for the big cuts. Many books suggest NOT installing a 3/4
blade onto the 14" "Taiwanese" BS, due to the heavy tension needed.

Dave


I decided to try the 3/4" on a whim because I found it on sale. I already
had a 1/2" on order. If it cuts as good as this 3/4" is cutting, I'll just
leave it on for most cuts. I do like the saw. Even with the cheap blade
that came with it, I like it. I'm even enjoying the light and mobile base
that I got with it. I'm normally a no frills kind of guy, but went above
and beyond for this one.

That reminds me. My wife made me promise to gloat about her because of her
tool policy. She said I could only purchase this band saw if I extol her
virtues to the world so here goes: my wife's policy for tools is that I
should always get the best I can afford. She makes me buy the more
expensive one most of the time because she says, "I don't want to hear you
bitching that it isn't good enough." So, little by little as I can afford
more, I go for the best I can find that will fit in my tiny shop. There it
is. I see a new tool on the horizon for this.

Thanks again,
Brian

"Brian Mahaney" wrote in message
...
However, I would like the blade to be a tracking a little
closer to the center of the wheel. It is close, but not where I would put
it if I had the ability to move it farther back. Also, when I move the
blade by spinning the upper wheel, the blade touches the bearing more
often
than not. It's just too close to be how it's supposed to be. I've
actually considered tapping new holes to mount the assembly. I could
easily mount it closer to the center of the adjustment range. Don't know
why they didn't do that in the first place.

Time to move the wheels forward the thickness of one washer....

On Tue, 7 Jun 2005 12:01:24 -0400, George wrote:

"Brian Mahaney" wrote in message
...
However, I would like the blade to be a tracking a little
closer to the center of the wheel. It is close, but not where I would put
it if I had the ability to move it farther back. Also, when I move the
blade by spinning the upper wheel, the blade touches the bearing more
often
than not. It's just too close to be how it's supposed to be. I've
actually considered tapping new holes to mount the assembly. I could
easily mount it closer to the center of the adjustment range. Don't know
why they didn't do that in the first place.

Time to move the wheels forward the thickness of one washer....

Now there's an idea. Elegant. Simple. Reversible. I like it. Might try
it. I'd use machine bushings. They are more likely to be the same
thickness. This sounds easier than drilling and tapping.

Thanks,
Brian

Don't do it on a powermatic! I tried that after reading about coplanar
theory. The unit is designed correctly and tracks all blades perfectly
without being coplanar. I put washers in, thinking I was smarter than
the mfgr, and fired it up with a wide blade. No good. Removed the
washer and all my blades track well.

Dave

George wrote:

"Brian Mahaney" wrote in message
...
However, I would like the blade to be a tracking a little

closer to the center of the wheel. It is close, but not where I would put
it if I had the ability to move it farther back. Also, when I move the
blade by spinning the upper wheel, the blade touches the bearing more

often

than not. It's just too close to be how it's supposed to be. I've
actually considered tapping new holes to mount the assembly. I could
easily mount it closer to the center of the adjustment range. Don't know
why they didn't do that in the first place.


Time to move the wheels forward the thickness of one washer....

Brian, granted PM may have drilled the holes incorrectly for the lower
guide, but they have the geometry correct for the wheels. I already
tried making the wheels coplanar; it won't track correctly.

Dave

Brian Mahaney wrote:

On Tue, 7 Jun 2005 12:01:24 -0400, George wrote:


"Brian Mahaney" wrote in message
. ..
However, I would like the blade to be a tracking a little

closer to the center of the wheel. It is close, but not where I would put
it if I had the ability to move it farther back. Also, when I move the
blade by spinning the upper wheel, the blade touches the bearing more

often

than not. It's just too close to be how it's supposed to be. I've
actually considered tapping new holes to mount the assembly. I could
easily mount it closer to the center of the adjustment range. Don't know
why they didn't do that in the first place.


Time to move the wheels forward the thickness of one washer....


Now there's an idea. Elegant. Simple. Reversible. I like it. Might try
it. I'd use machine bushings. They are more likely to be the same
thickness. This sounds easier than drilling and tapping.

Thanks,
Brian

On Tue, 07 Jun 2005 09:06:58 -0700, David wrote:

Don't do it on a powermatic! I tried that after reading about coplanar
theory. The unit is designed correctly and tracks all blades perfectly
without being coplanar. I put washers in, thinking I was smarter than
the mfgr, and fired it up with a wide blade. No good. Removed the
washer and all my blades track well.

Dave

George wrote:

"Brian Mahaney" wrote in message
...
However, I would like the blade to be a tracking a little

closer to the center of the wheel. It is close, but not where I would put
it if I had the ability to move it farther back. Also, when I move the
blade by spinning the upper wheel, the blade touches the bearing more

often

than not. It's just too close to be how it's supposed to be. I've
actually considered tapping new holes to mount the assembly. I could
easily mount it closer to the center of the adjustment range. Don't know
why they didn't do that in the first place.


Time to move the wheels forward the thickness of one washer....



Hmm, were the washers the same thickness? Those things are stamped out of
what ever thickness they have on hand. They vary greatly even when they
come from the same box. That's why I would try machine bushings. Any
other experiences with this sort of thing out there?

Brian

I can't remember exactly how much I shimmed it, but I think it was about
a 1/16. It put the 2 wheels into the same plane, but it didn't track
with a damn. Because of the tracking adjustment, it's not as simple as
just aligned the two wheels with a straight edge.

Bottom line, if your blade tracks well, you shouldn't need to "improve"
the design with shims.

Dave

Brian Mahaney wrote:

On Tue, 07 Jun 2005 09:06:58 -0700, David wrote:


Don't do it on a powermatic! I tried that after reading about coplanar
theory. The unit is designed correctly and tracks all blades perfectly
without being coplanar. I put washers in, thinking I was smarter than
the mfgr, and fired it up with a wide blade. No good. Removed the
washer and all my blades track well.

Dave

George wrote:


"Brian Mahaney" wrote in message
...
However, I would like the blade to be a tracking a little


closer to the center of the wheel. It is close, but not where I would put
it if I had the ability to move it farther back. Also, when I move the
blade by spinning the upper wheel, the blade touches the bearing more

often


than not. It's just too close to be how it's supposed to be. I've
actually considered tapping new holes to mount the assembly. I could
easily mount it closer to the center of the adjustment range. Don't know
why they didn't do that in the first place.


Time to move the wheels forward the thickness of one washer....




Hmm, were the washers the same thickness? Those things are stamped out of
what ever thickness they have on hand. They vary greatly even when they
come from the same box. That's why I would try machine bushings. Any
other experiences with this sort of thing out there?

Brian

David wrote:

George wrote:


Time to move the wheels forward the thickness of one washer....

Don't do it on a powermatic! I tried that after reading about coplanar
theory. The unit is designed correctly and tracks all blades perfectly
without being coplanar. I put washers in, thinking I was smarter than
the mfgr, and fired it up with a wide blade. No good. Removed the
washer and all my blades track well.

But if he puts the same number of washers on the top and bottom wheel,
isn't he maintaining the original geometry, while moving the whole
thing relative to the guides?


--
Alex -- Replace "nospam" with "mail" to reply by email. Checked infrequently.

On Tue, 07 Jun 2005 12:36:52 -0400, alexy wrote:

David wrote:

George wrote:


Time to move the wheels forward the thickness of one washer....

Don't do it on a powermatic! I tried that after reading about coplanar
theory. The unit is designed correctly and tracks all blades perfectly
without being coplanar. I put washers in, thinking I was smarter than
the mfgr, and fired it up with a wide blade. No good. Removed the
washer and all my blades track well.

But if he puts the same number of washers on the top and bottom wheel,
isn't he maintaining the original geometry, while moving the whole
thing relative to the guides?

That's what I thought. After all, I wouldn't be attempting to change
anthing except how far out the wheels are. Using the same thickness of
machine bushing would maintain that geometry. I haven't even had a chance
to look at it, but I may do so tonight when I come home from work. Maybe
he's right. Maybe there is something else there, but it sure seems like a
great idea.

Brian

yeah, but, he's already moved the problem part (lower guide)

dave

alexy wrote:

David wrote:


George wrote:


Time to move the wheels forward the thickness of one washer....


Don't do it on a powermatic! I tried that after reading about coplanar
theory. The unit is designed correctly and tracks all blades perfectly
without being coplanar. I put washers in, thinking I was smarter than
the mfgr, and fired it up with a wide blade. No good. Removed the
washer and all my blades track well.


But if he puts the same number of washers on the top and bottom wheel,
isn't he maintaining the original geometry, while moving the whole
thing relative to the guides?

You MIGHT have a problem with the vertical blade guard if you move the
wheels too far. I'd leave the wheels alone if it were me...

Dave

Brian Mahaney wrote:

On Tue, 07 Jun 2005 12:36:52 -0400, alexy wrote:


David wrote:


George wrote:


Time to move the wheels forward the thickness of one washer....

Don't do it on a powermatic! I tried that after reading about coplanar
theory. The unit is designed correctly and tracks all blades perfectly
without being coplanar. I put washers in, thinking I was smarter than
the mfgr, and fired it up with a wide blade. No good. Removed the
washer and all my blades track well.

But if he puts the same number of washers on the top and bottom wheel,
isn't he maintaining the original geometry, while moving the whole
thing relative to the guides?


That's what I thought. After all, I wouldn't be attempting to change
anthing except how far out the wheels are. Using the same thickness of
machine bushing would maintain that geometry. I haven't even had a chance
to look at it, but I may do so tonight when I come home from work. Maybe
he's right. Maybe there is something else there, but it sure seems like a
great idea.

Brian

"David" wrote in message
...
I can't remember exactly how much I shimmed it, but I think it was about
a 1/16. It put the 2 wheels into the same plane, but it didn't track
with a damn. Because of the tracking adjustment, it's not as simple as
just aligned the two wheels with a straight edge.

Bottom line, if your blade tracks well, you shouldn't need to "improve"
the design with shims.


Uh, Dave, if both are moved the same distance, wouldn't the tracking remain
the same?

yes. but there's more to it than that. see my other posts.

George wrote:

"David" wrote in message
...

I can't remember exactly how much I shimmed it, but I think it was about
a 1/16. It put the 2 wheels into the same plane, but it didn't track
with a damn. Because of the tracking adjustment, it's not as simple as
just aligned the two wheels with a straight edge.

Bottom line, if your blade tracks well, you shouldn't need to "improve"
the design with shims.



Uh, Dave, if both are moved the same distance, wouldn't the tracking remain
the same?

Brian Mahaney says...

No it wasn't unwise or dangerous. It was not in a bind. The blade moved
easily and was close to the center of the wheel. There was pressure on the
thrust bearing, but it was no more than what would be encountered while
pushing a board through. The slight damage to the surface of the bearing
extended all the way around the bearing indicating that the bearing was
turning. However, it was turning slower than the blade causing the blade
to scratch the shiny surface. As it turns out, the bearing was rubbing
against the assembly housing slightly. Apparently, the design does not
include a stop other than the bearing hitting the housing.

I guess it sounded worse than it was. I suppose if it was way out of
line and binding against the thrust bearing, the blade would have walked
off the wheels in a few revolutions.

Duginske's book is on my list. I don't have a problem with tweaking a band
saw. As you said, it's the nature of the beast. At this price point, I
would have liked to see a little bit better quality control or design,
whatever the problem was. Honestly, I like the saw, but other than the
extra gadgets (light, chip blower), I don't see the price justification.
The saw had no better fit or finish than my Grizzly table saw, or my
Geetech jointer. There were chips in the paint right out of the box (this
didn't bother me in the least); there was some overspray and some under
spray of certain areas (no big deal to me). Although I can say it is
slightly better than other equipment I have seen, it's just not enough from
the quality perspective. Again, I guess the light and chip blower are what
makes it cost more. I received a free mobile base with it. That was an
incentive to me also.

Thanks for the advice,
Brian

Glad to hear you're not the impatient type. I'm still thinking there
should be a solution to your problem. Another thing to look at is where
the blade is riding on the wheels. Duginske devotes a lot of time to
this, and you can manipulate it. One thing I do is check that the
wheels are coplanar when I change blades. I just use a 48" tool
guide/ruler/straight edge and adjust the tilt accordingly with the blade
tensioned (of course). But if you need extra room for your 3/4" blade,
you may be able to use the tilt to force the blade toward the outside of
the wheels. As far as price justification, I didn't see the price
justification of the Taiwanese Deltas and Jets over my HF either at
first, but I do now. These all seem to come from the same factory and
many parts are interchangeable. Riser blocks are the most common
example. But there are other differences like the how many spokes are
on the wheels, what they are made of, tire quality, hinges on the wheel
covers just to name a few. Your Powermatic is nicely hotrodded out of
the box. Compared to the Grizzly, you can expect vastly superior wheels
and tires, a bigger and better motor, probably a better motor mounting
design with easier adjustment, probably better guides, bearings, belts
and pulleys. The light and blower are luxuries and add significantly to
the cost. Is it worth twice as much as the Grizzly 14" Ultimate? I
dunno. My HF saw does the job for me. I put on Cool Blocks and a link
belt and I resaw and cut curves without problems so far. If anything
goes kaput, I can just order replacements/upgrades from Grizzly, but
eventually I may up spending as much or more than I saved.