On Sun, 16 Apr 2006 08:52:03 -0400, eclipsme wrote:

Thank you all for the replies. I will try it with a resaw blade - I
purchased a 3/4" blade along with the saw for just that purpose. If that
works out, I guess I will leave well enough alone.

Harvey

I got obsessed with adjustments when I got my RAS... spent WAY too much time
tuning and tweaking...

I realized that when I cut something on my brother's RAS, an old craftsman that
I'd envied for years... it was so "untuned" and "untweaked" that it shouldn't of
cut paper.. but it still cuts things square and works... it just LOOKS weird..
(I think that his table is way off, but his fence and blade seem square to the
table so it works)

With my BS, I took it out of the box, followed the instructions for assembly and
setup, and started sawing... if cuts straight and seems to work, so I don't mess
with it...

Mac

https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm

On Sun, 16 Apr 2006 09:48:19 -0700, Enoch Root wrote:

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
"eclipsme" wrote in message
. ..

Thank you all for the replies. I will try it with a resaw blade - I
purchased a 3/4" blade along with the saw for just that purpose. If that
works out, I guess I will leave well enough alone.



3/4" is pretty wide for a 14" saw and needs a lot of tension. I use a 1/2"
on my Jet.

I want to agree with this. I have a 3/4" for my saw and the saw
tensions it just fine, but it is a new saw with a new spring and I
imagine I'll have to replace the tension spring sooner than I would if
I'd gotten a 1/2" blade for resawing if I hope to keep using the big
blade without problems.

er

In my fumbling education on BS blades, I tried 3/4"... I tried a size at a time
and ended up with a 3/8" blade... and I can make straighter cuts with it than
the 3/4" blade and it drags a LOT less on my lil' 3/4 hp motor..
That's a major consideration when you're using an under powered saw with 8 or 10
inch thick wood..
Mac

https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm

On Mon, 17 Apr 2006 15:30:03 -0400, Sailaway wrote:

George wrote:

SNIP

3/4" is pretty wide for a 14" saw and needs a lot of tension. I
use a 1/2" on my Jet.

I want to agree with this. I have a 3/4" for my saw and the saw
tensions it just fine, but it is a new saw with a new spring and I
imagine I'll have to replace the tension spring sooner than I would if
I'd gotten a 1/2" blade for resawing if I hope to keep using the big
blade without problems.
SNIP

I haven't looked into this at all (I use 1/2" or smaller), but I was
curious... I've seen lots of discussions about 1/2" vs. 3/4" blades, but
for us 14" owners shouldn't there be a blade that splits the difference,
like maybe a 5/8" resaw blade? That would let the weaker springs tension
it better than a 3/4, but perhaps get better cuts than 1/2"?

Sure, my local saw shop carries 5/8" blades... I thought that was a common size?
Mac

https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm

mac davis wrote:
On Sun, 16 Apr 2006 09:48:19 -0700, Enoch Root wrote:


Edwin Pawlowski wrote:

"eclipsme" wrote in message
et...


Thank you all for the replies. I will try it with a resaw blade - I
purchased a 3/4" blade along with the saw for just that purpose. If that
works out, I guess I will leave well enough alone.



3/4" is pretty wide for a 14" saw and needs a lot of tension. I use a 1/2"
on my Jet.

I want to agree with this. I have a 3/4" for my saw and the saw
tensions it just fine, but it is a new saw with a new spring and I
imagine I'll have to replace the tension spring sooner than I would if
I'd gotten a 1/2" blade for resawing if I hope to keep using the big
blade without problems.

er


In my fumbling education on BS blades, I tried 3/4"... I tried a size at a time
and ended up with a 3/8" blade... and I can make straighter cuts with it than
the 3/4" blade and it drags a LOT less on my lil' 3/4 hp motor..
That's a major consideration when you're using an under powered saw with 8 or 10
inch thick wood..

So far my biggest problem with the 3/4" blade is starting the cut in
hard wood: the first bite into the stock must be made very tentative,
or those big 3tpi teeth will grab hard and jerk--deeper and it'll stop
the motor! Then it's modest feed rate (for the 1hp motor) and smooth
sailing.

er
--
email not valid

George wrote:
"eclipsme" wrote in message
...
I am just wondering if this is an issue brought about by the wheels not
being coplaner. If yours is square, then I will probably look at other
possibilities.

Anybody else have ideas on this?

And again, let me thank all who have provided help on this issue.
Harvey


Coplanar works in conjunction with the tracking knob. The objective with
crowned tires is to let the blade ride the crown about mid-width. If your
crowns are not coplanar at mid-adjustment, you may not have enough authority
in the tracking mechanism to achieve consistent tracking. The blades will
have a tendency to "surge" forward and than aft



Thanks for the thought, but no, this is not what is going on. The blade
tracks very well, though a bit behind middle on the upper wheel and a
bit in front of middle on the bottom. The issue that has me continuing
this is that the blade is not perpendicular to the table in the
direction of the cut, which seems to me to be a fairly serious issue.

Harvey

"eclipsme" wrote in message
...

Coplanar works in conjunction with the tracking knob. The objective with
crowned tires is to let the blade ride the crown about mid-width. If
your crowns are not coplanar at mid-adjustment, you may not have enough
authority in the tracking mechanism to achieve consistent tracking. The
blades will have a tendency to "surge" forward and than aft

Thanks for the thought, but no, this is not what is going on. The blade
tracks very well, though a bit behind middle on the upper wheel and a bit
in front of middle on the bottom. The issue that has me continuing this is
that the blade is not perpendicular to the table in the direction of the
cut, which seems to me to be a fairly serious issue.

It is exactly the same issue. Move the bottom wheel to get the things
square and upright.

Harvey

George wrote:
"eclipsme" wrote in message
...
Coplanar works in conjunction with the tracking knob. The objective with
crowned tires is to let the blade ride the crown about mid-width. If
your crowns are not coplanar at mid-adjustment, you may not have enough
authority in the tracking mechanism to achieve consistent tracking. The
blades will have a tendency to "surge" forward and than aft
Thanks for the thought, but no, this is not what is going on. The blade
tracks very well, though a bit behind middle on the upper wheel and a bit
in front of middle on the bottom. The issue that has me continuing this is
that the blade is not perpendicular to the table in the direction of the
cut, which seems to me to be a fairly serious issue.

It is exactly the same issue. Move the bottom wheel to get the things
square and upright.
Harvey



I will look at this.

Harvey

Harvey,
I don't see how the wheels can be adjusted either.
Have you called the service department at JET ?
For technical service concerning JET, POWERMATIC, PERFORMAX, and WILTON
retail products call 800-274-6846 - 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (CST, Monday -
Friday).
You never know what to expect from a service department but they might be
knowledgable and helpful.

Charlie


"eclipsme" wrote in message
...
Hello Charlie,

Mine is the JWBS-14CS. Seems to be the same saw with a different base. As
you don't see how it could be off 1/4", I don't see how this could
possibly be adjusted. Most of the saw was preassembled. I had to mount it
to the base, but the wheels, frame, etc were factory assembled, just like
yours.

I don't know if this is really a problem either, but certainly appreciate
hearing that yours is coplaner. I bought mine at Woodcraft, by mail order.
I suppose I will give them a call.

Thanks,
Harvey

Charlie H. wrote:
I have the Jet JWBS-14OS which is the bottom 14" saw in the line up. I
had never thought about checking for this alignment. I eyeballed the
blade tracking to run in the middle of the top wheel when I assembled the
saw and called it good. I just went to the shop and threw a straight
edge on the wheels and they are aligned very well, I could not see any
gaps with the straight edge touching the top of the top wheel and the
bottom of the bottom wheel.
I realize that my saw is not exactly like yours, but based off of what I
just looked at if your wheels really are 1/4" off coplanar I would think
there is a problem with the saw. I know that others have expressed
differing opinions and I am not an "expert". But I just don't see how it
could be off 1/4" if it is assembled correctly. If you bought the saw
locally go and measure the floor model and see if it is like the one you
have. Did you have to fully assemble your saw ?? Mine came with the
cast iron frame / wheels / blade assembled as a unit so there was no
opportunity for me to miss something that could cause a coplanar
alignment issue.

Charlie


"eclipsme" wrote in message
...
I just got a new Jet 14" closed base band saw. As I was putting it
together, I was impressed with the fit and finish of the pieces, esp.
after reading some of the comments others have made concerning their new
saws, particularly the Delta band saws.

Once I got it all together, I put a straightedge on the 2 wheels that
the blade goes around, and found that they were approximately 1/4" out
of coplaner. This results in the blade being a bit beyond centered on
the upper wheel and a bit before centered on the lower wheel.

The saw seems to cut ok, without excessive noise or vibration - at least
I think so. I have never owned a band saw before. Is this a problem? Do
I need to call the dealer on Monday?

Thanks,
Harvey

Yes, Charlie. I have called - twice, in fact. The first time I was told
to loosen the bolt holding the lower and upper units together, and that
this would give me enough movement for adjustment.

It didn't.

I then called first thing yesterday. I was asked to take pictures and
send them. I created a web page showing how the blade is not square to
the table, and sent the technician the link. I have not heard back.

Here is the link:
http://www.eclipsme.com/bandsaw.htm

Harvey

Charlie H. wrote:
Harvey,
I don't see how the wheels can be adjusted either.
Have you called the service department at JET ?
For technical service concerning JET, POWERMATIC, PERFORMAX, and WILTON
retail products call 800-274-6846 - 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (CST, Monday -
Friday).
You never know what to expect from a service department but they might be
knowledgable and helpful.

Charlie


"eclipsme" wrote in message
...
Hello Charlie,

Mine is the JWBS-14CS. Seems to be the same saw with a different base. As
you don't see how it could be off 1/4", I don't see how this could
possibly be adjusted. Most of the saw was preassembled. I had to mount it
to the base, but the wheels, frame, etc were factory assembled, just like
yours.

I don't know if this is really a problem either, but certainly appreciate
hearing that yours is coplaner. I bought mine at Woodcraft, by mail order.
I suppose I will give them a call.

Thanks,
Harvey

Charlie H. wrote:
I have the Jet JWBS-14OS which is the bottom 14" saw in the line up. I
had never thought about checking for this alignment. I eyeballed the
blade tracking to run in the middle of the top wheel when I assembled the
saw and called it good. I just went to the shop and threw a straight
edge on the wheels and they are aligned very well, I could not see any
gaps with the straight edge touching the top of the top wheel and the
bottom of the bottom wheel.
I realize that my saw is not exactly like yours, but based off of what I
just looked at if your wheels really are 1/4" off coplanar I would think
there is a problem with the saw. I know that others have expressed
differing opinions and I am not an "expert". But I just don't see how it
could be off 1/4" if it is assembled correctly. If you bought the saw
locally go and measure the floor model and see if it is like the one you
have. Did you have to fully assemble your saw ?? Mine came with the
cast iron frame / wheels / blade assembled as a unit so there was no
opportunity for me to miss something that could cause a coplanar
alignment issue.

Charlie


"eclipsme" wrote in message
...
I just got a new Jet 14" closed base band saw. As I was putting it
together, I was impressed with the fit and finish of the pieces, esp.
after reading some of the comments others have made concerning their new
saws, particularly the Delta band saws.

Once I got it all together, I put a straightedge on the 2 wheels that
the blade goes around, and found that they were approximately 1/4" out
of coplaner. This results in the blade being a bit beyond centered on
the upper wheel and a bit before centered on the lower wheel.

The saw seems to cut ok, without excessive noise or vibration - at least
I think so. I have never owned a band saw before. Is this a problem? Do
I need to call the dealer on Monday?

Thanks,
Harvey

"eclipsme" wrote in message
. ..
Yes, Charlie. I have called - twice, in fact. The first time I was told to
loosen the bolt holding the lower and upper units together, and that this
would give me enough movement for adjustment.

It didn't.

I then called first thing yesterday. I was asked to take pictures and send
them. I created a web page showing how the blade is not square to the
table, and sent the technician the link. I have not heard back.

Here is the link:
http://www.eclipsme.com/bandsaw.htm


Doesn't look like they gave you any shim room on that bottom wheel, if I
interpret the picture correctly. It could use to go forward half the
straightedge gap distance, which would give you about twice the correction
to run that blade back to the crown.

Glad I have "old iron" in my shop.Without the blade, when you raise the
upper guard, does the deviation from vertical on a point on it display the
same displacement? If it does, could be that he's right, and it's a riser
block problem.

eclipsme wrote:
Yes, Charlie. I have called - twice, in fact. The first time I was told
to loosen the bolt holding the lower and upper units together, and that
this would give me enough movement for adjustment.

It didn't.

I then called first thing yesterday. I was asked to take pictures and
send them. I created a web page showing how the blade is not square to
the table, and sent the technician the link. I have not heard back.

Here is the link:
http://www.eclipsme.com/bandsaw.htm

I haven't tried this on my own, but I have read (I think it was in the
amazon reviews) that for a while delta(?) risers weren't fitting
properly to their bandsaws and the "solution" was to remove the
alignment pins on the riser to allow it to be fitted.

You might consider doing something similar to change the relationship of
the lower and upper frame. You should probably contact Jet first to see
what they think of it.

er
--
email not valid

Enoch Root wrote:
eclipsme wrote:
Yes, Charlie. I have called - twice, in fact. The first time I was told
to loosen the bolt holding the lower and upper units together, and that
this would give me enough movement for adjustment.

It didn't.

I then called first thing yesterday. I was asked to take pictures and
send them. I created a web page showing how the blade is not square to
the table, and sent the technician the link. I have not heard back.

Here is the link:
http://www.eclipsme.com/bandsaw.htm

I haven't tried this on my own, but I have read (I think it was in the
amazon reviews) that for a while delta(?) risers weren't fitting
properly to their bandsaws and the "solution" was to remove the
alignment pins on the riser to allow it to be fitted.

You might consider doing something similar to change the relationship of
the lower and upper frame. You should probably contact Jet first to see
what they think of it.

er

Thanks for the suggestion. I spoke with Jet yesterday. The tech was
going to contact his supervisor, etc, and get back to me on Monday. I
can only see 2 ways of resolving this - shim the lower wheel out, if
possible, or your suggestion. I hadn't actually thought of removing the
alignment pins, but I don't see how that could hurt. Then it would just
be a matter of sliding the upper unit out until everything lined up.

Harvey

Since the Jet tech told you to try to adjust the riser block that would
suggest that the wheels are supposed to be coplanar. If they try to reverse
direction and tell you that they are currently correct be very suspicious.
Someone mentioned possibly removing the alignment pin so the riser could be
aligned, I don't know about removing the alignment pin, that would make a
single bolt have to hold everything together on every axis. Stuff happens
when you are using power tools and without that pin there is nothing to keep
the two pieces from twisting if something heavy knocks into it. In my
opinion this would be an unacceptable solution to a manufacturing problem.
I know all manufacturers have a hiccup once in a while, so hopefully they
will step up to the plate and get this resolved.
In the event that you cannot get satisfaction dealing directly with Jet,
since you ordered the saw through Woodcraft, what is their opinion on this ?
Can you return the saw for a full refund ? If this is an option I might go
for it instead of continuing to mess with what you have.
In the 14" saws I found very little difference between Jet, Delta, and
Rigid. The only reason I ended up buying a Jet instead of a Rigid was a
combination offer from Rockler of sale price, rebate, and free table vise,
otherwise I would have bought the Rigid saw from Home Depot because it was
$150 cheaper at regular price.

Hang in there,
Charlie

Charlie H. wrote:
Since the Jet tech told you to try to adjust the riser block that would
suggest that the wheels are supposed to be coplanar. If they try to reverse
direction and tell you that they are currently correct be very suspicious.
Someone mentioned possibly removing the alignment pin so the riser could be
aligned, I don't know about removing the alignment pin, that would make a
single bolt have to hold everything together on every axis. Stuff happens
when you are using power tools and without that pin there is nothing to keep
the two pieces from twisting if something heavy knocks into it. In my
opinion this would be an unacceptable solution to a manufacturing problem.
I know all manufacturers have a hiccup once in a while, so hopefully they
will step up to the plate and get this resolved.

Yes, it will be interesting to hear what Jet says, hopefully tomorrow. I
appreciate your comments regarding removing the locater pins. Perhaps I
will need to drill new holes in the riser block. You are certainly
right, stuff happens.

Harvey

Did this issue ever get resolved ?
If so what was the solution ?

Regards,
Charlie

"eclipsme" wrote in message
.. .
Enoch Root wrote:
eclipsme wrote:
Yes, Charlie. I have called - twice, in fact. The first time I was told
to loosen the bolt holding the lower and upper units together, and that
this would give me enough movement for adjustment.

It didn't.

I then called first thing yesterday. I was asked to take pictures and
send them. I created a web page showing how the blade is not square to
the table, and sent the technician the link. I have not heard back.

Here is the link:
http://www.eclipsme.com/bandsaw.htm

I haven't tried this on my own, but I have read (I think it was in the
amazon reviews) that for a while delta(?) risers weren't fitting
properly to their bandsaws and the "solution" was to remove the
alignment pins on the riser to allow it to be fitted.

You might consider doing something similar to change the relationship of
the lower and upper frame. You should probably contact Jet first to see
what they think of it.

er

Thanks for the suggestion. I spoke with Jet yesterday. The tech was going
to contact his supervisor, etc, and get back to me on Monday. I can only
see 2 ways of resolving this - shim the lower wheel out, if possible, or
your suggestion. I hadn't actually thought of removing the alignment pins,
but I don't see how that could hurt. Then it would just be a matter of
sliding the upper unit out until everything lined up.

Harvey

Charlie H. wrote:
Did this issue ever get resolved ?
If so what was the solution ?

Regards,
Charlie

Yes, Charlie, it has. I posted a report yesterday under a different
heading, but include it below for you:
=================================================
As I wrote earlier, my new 14" JET bandsaw arrived with the wheels about
1/4" out of plane, though the saw cut well. However, the blade was not
square to the table in the direction of cut. I created a web page to
show the JET tech what was going on.

See:

http://www.eclipsme.com/bandsaw.htm

The tech thought that the riser block may have been machined badly,
which I didn't believe as the saw had the problem before I put the riser
block in. However, he offered to send me a new one, which I accepted.

Sure enough, there was no improvement, but I took the opportunity of
having 2 riser blocks to experiment on one.

As mentioned here, I though of cutting off the pins to allow me to
adjust the upper part of the saw, but somebody on this group (sorry, I
don't remember who) pointed out that it could be dangerous if the bolt
loosened for any reason as there would be nothing to stop the upper part
of the saw from twisting around the bolt.

So instead, I drilled new locater holes in the riser block 1/4" offset.
after installing it so the upper part is now 1/4" further back than
originally, the wheels are ever so close to being coplaner, the blade is
square, and I just re-sawed some 5" southern yellow pine into 1/8"
veneers, plus or minus 1/16" (thicknesses from 1/16 - 3/16") which I
considered very good indeed. The surface is also much cleaner than I had
before, though that could be due to better guide setup.

I don't have any idea why the saw was designed this way, but I am very
happy with the solution. I can recommend this saw to others, but with
the caveat that you may want to either perform the same modification, or
perhaps shim the bottom wheel out. BTW - tech okeyed shimming, and
promised it wouldn't affect the warranty. I was concerned about the
wheel riding 1/4" further out on the shaft, with added wear. Anyway, I
am now happy with what I have.

Thank you for everyone's suggestions.

Harvey


"eclipsme" wrote in message
.. .
Enoch Root wrote:
eclipsme wrote:
Yes, Charlie. I have called - twice, in fact. The first time I was told
to loosen the bolt holding the lower and upper units together, and that
this would give me enough movement for adjustment.

It didn't.

I then called first thing yesterday. I was asked to take pictures and
send them. I created a web page showing how the blade is not square to
the table, and sent the technician the link. I have not heard back.

Here is the link:
http://www.eclipsme.com/bandsaw.htm
I haven't tried this on my own, but I have read (I think it was in the
amazon reviews) that for a while delta(?) risers weren't fitting
properly to their bandsaws and the "solution" was to remove the
alignment pins on the riser to allow it to be fitted.

You might consider doing something similar to change the relationship of
the lower and upper frame. You should probably contact Jet first to see
what they think of it.

er
Thanks for the suggestion. I spoke with Jet yesterday. The tech was going
to contact his supervisor, etc, and get back to me on Monday. I can only
see 2 ways of resolving this - shim the lower wheel out, if possible, or
your suggestion. I hadn't actually thought of removing the alignment pins,
but I don't see how that could hurt. Then it would just be a matter of
sliding the upper unit out until everything lined up.

Harvey