I am cutting some walnut lumber. Using the advice I got here, and a new
Timberwolf 3tpi blade, things have been going reasonably well. The first 40
cuts (4' long, averaging 5" thick) were perfectly straight, but the last few
have developed a significant drift angle; the ends have become too thin to
be used and the wood is getting curved. I readjusted everything, but it
doesn't help. All I can think is that the blade is getting dull, but I
would expect a blade to last much longer than this.
Frankly though, I am a complete beginner with a band saw (14" Delta 1hp) and
really don't know. It was actually getting easier as I picked up a little
skill in feeding the wood, but I can't continue like this.

Could the blade be getting dull after 160' of 5" thick fresh walnut, or is
there another possibility I am over looking. Thanks.

I would think you may have a few contributing factors. Blade tension
may be to low. As the blade is being used it will stretch, you may need
to adjust. Double check you guides, upper and lower. Some drift is
normal, and if using a fence, adjust the fence for the drift.

Changing grain in the material will also contribute to drift.

Have you cleaned the rubber on the wheels? This problem shows itself by
the blade not tracking true. Working green wood would leave residue on
the blade and be deposited on the wheels.

Do you have another blade? Try it. Could you have cut through a nail
that might have contributed to premature failure? I've not done much
re-sawing, but this has happened to me. This was not noticed when
cutting on the bandsaw, but did show itself on my jointer with chipped
cutters

-nick

In article , "Toller" wrote:

Could the blade be getting dull after 160' of 5" thick fresh walnut, or is
there another possibility I am over looking. Thanks.

Perhaps you hit a foreign object (nail, stone, etc) embedded in the wood. Have
you checked the teeth to make sure they're equally sharp on both sides?

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

"Nicky" wrote in message
oups.com...
I would think you may have a few contributing factors. Blade tension
may be to low. As the blade is being used it will stretch, you may need
to adjust. Double check you guides, upper and lower. Some drift is
normal, and if using a fence, adjust the fence for the drift.

I think it was probably the guides. When I pulled them out, I found the
faces weren't square anymore. Resurfaced them, and it is much better now.

Changing grain in the material will also contribute to drift.

Have you cleaned the rubber on the wheels? This problem shows itself by
the blade not tracking true. Working green wood would leave residue on
the blade and be deposited on the wheels.

Cleaning the wheels was easy enough, but yes, there is residue on the blade.
That can't be helping matters.

How do I clean the blade? Plastic wool did nothing at all. Thanks.

On Sat, 29 Apr 2006 12:04:43 GMT, "Toller" wrote:

I am cutting some walnut lumber. Using the advice I got here, and a new
Timberwolf 3tpi blade, things have been going reasonably well. The first 40
cuts (4' long, averaging 5" thick) were perfectly straight, but the last few
have developed a significant drift angle; the ends have become too thin to
be used and the wood is getting curved. I readjusted everything, but it
doesn't help. All I can think is that the blade is getting dull, but I
would expect a blade to last much longer than this.
Frankly though, I am a complete beginner with a band saw (14" Delta 1hp) and
really don't know. It was actually getting easier as I picked up a little
skill in feeding the wood, but I can't continue like this.

Could the blade be getting dull after 160' of 5" thick fresh walnut, or is
there another possibility I am over looking. Thanks.

IMHO, from 5 minutes to several weeks.. *g*

I buy pretty good quality blades, made up at a local saw shop.. If I'm cutting
dry wood for pen blanks or kiln dried and FLAT wood for bowl blanks, they seem
to last forever...

OTOH, cutting green wood usually beats them up pretty fast... my guess is
because not only does the green wood drag more, which heats the blade, but you
get more twists and binds because the surface resting on the table is not going
to be real flat and square..

I think that if I cut 160 feet of 5" stock with the same blade, I'd feel pretty
good about it... YMWV

Usually the first sign that my blade is not sharp anymore is wander... much like
a drill bit that is clogged or dull will wander on a deep hole...
I think that instead of cutting what you put in front of it, it tends to follow
grain or stress patterns or something, what ever the "point of least resistance"
is.. (just a WAG)





Mac

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

In article ,
"Toller" wrote:

How do I clean the blade? Plastic wool did nothing at all. Thanks.

I think your wander may be running into dullness of the blade - 160' is
a fair amount for a carbon steel edge. I touch up my bands with a dremel
and chainsaw stone - just a quick touch on the underside of each
tooth/gullet.

The way I clean off the sappy compacted sawdust residue from green wood
cutting is to run the saw and carefully, using a scrap piece of dry wood
in a sharp wedge shape, scrape the sides of the blade. If it's really
bad, I'll occasionally stop the saw and rotating the top wheel backwards
by hand will use the same scraping action. Call me foolhardy, but I even
use the scraper wedge on the tires as it's running - just make sure you
have a good grip so it's not pulled out of your hand and between the
blade and tire.

Having roller guides on my saw really packs the wet saw dust on the
blade - I have a metal scraper that I keep magnet-ed to the saw and very
carefully and gingerly (though I prefer Mary Ann) scrape the blade body
but keep back of the gullets. This is more risky of dulling the teeth
real quick if you slip onto the tooth area...
--
Owen Lowe
The Fly-by-Night Copper Company
__________

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
Corporate States of America and to the
Republicans for which it stands, one nation,
under debt, easily divisible, with liberty
and justice for oil."
- Wiley Miller, Non Sequitur, 1/24/05

You can try tension, guides, etc. but I bet the blade is dull.
Everybody raves about Timberwolf blades, but I am totally unimpressed.
I switched to a Lenox bimetal blade (1/2", 4 tpi) and it lasts MUCH
longer (10x?) . You can buy it from Iturra Designs or carbide.com.

Another consideration is that heat totally destroys the carbon steel
blades. (As I understand it, "silicon steel" is essentially the same
as carbon steel.) If you pushed too fast and got burning, etc. that
can wipe out the blade instantly. Also, if the tracking was off and
the blade ever came off and hit the guards, that can destroy it.

Mark

In article , "Toller" wrote:

How do I clean the blade? Plastic wool did nothing at all. Thanks.

Washing soda. 1/4 cup in a quart of warm water. Soak blade for 5-10 minutes.
Rinse gunk off.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

"Doug Miller" wrote in message
. com...
In article , "Toller"
wrote:

How do I clean the blade? Plastic wool did nothing at all. Thanks.

Washing soda. 1/4 cup in a quart of warm water. Soak blade for 5-10
minutes.
Rinse gunk off.

Would a Walmart carry it?
I haven't heard of anyone using washing soda for many years, but will give
it a try if I can find it.

In article , "Toller" wrote:

"Doug Miller" wrote in message
.com...
In article , "Toller"
wrote:

How do I clean the blade? Plastic wool did nothing at all. Thanks.

Washing soda. 1/4 cup in a quart of warm water. Soak blade for 5-10
minutes.
Rinse gunk off.

Would a Walmart carry it?

No. Not the WalMart stores here, anyway (Indianapolis).

I haven't heard of anyone using washing soda for many years, but will give
it a try if I can find it.

Your best bet is a grocery store, on the same aisle as laundry detergent. If
you find the borax, the washing soda is probably close by. Arm & Hammer brand.
Big yellow box -- looks like their baking soda box, only bigger. Here in Indy,
Kroger and Safeway grocery stores have it, and I believe Ace Hardware, too.

If you can't find any, email me for my PayPal address, and I'll send you a box
at cost (approx. $2.50 plus shipping).

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

Fly-by-Night CC wrote:
In article ,
"Toller" wrote:


How do I clean the blade? Plastic wool did nothing at all. Thanks.


I think your wander may be running into dullness of the blade - 160' is
a fair amount for a carbon steel edge.

Toller's using bimetal blades, iirc.

er
--
email not valid

In article ,
(Doug Miller) wrote:

Your best bet is a grocery store, on the same aisle as laundry detergent. If
you find the borax, the washing soda is probably close by. Arm & Hammer
brand.
Big yellow box -- looks like their baking soda box, only bigger.

You gotta be careful, though. The big yellow box of Arm & Hammer Detergent
looks very much like the big yellow box of Arm & Hammer Cat Litter.
DAMHIKT.

In article , Toller wrote:

.....

Could the blade be getting dull after 160' of 5" thick fresh walnut, or is
there another possibility I am over looking. Thanks.


120V or 240V? Is the switch adequately rated for the HP? giggle




Seriously, I'd guess that the blade got a bit hot. and maybe stretched a
_little_. And not uniformly front-to-back.

Toller,

You should be able to find washing soda at any decent size grocery store. Probably won't find it at
Walmart, but your local Kroger et.al. should have it. It also doubles as an electrolyte if you want
to remove rust by electrolysis.

Regards,
Roy


On Sat, 29 Apr 2006 20:57:13 GMT, "Toller" wrote:


"Doug Miller" wrote in message
.com...
In article , "Toller"
wrote:

How do I clean the blade? Plastic wool did nothing at all. Thanks.

Washing soda. 1/4 cup in a quart of warm water. Soak blade for 5-10
minutes.
Rinse gunk off.

Would a Walmart carry it?
I haven't heard of anyone using washing soda for many years, but will give
it a try if I can find it.

In article ,
Roy Smith wrote:
In article ,
(Doug Miller) wrote:

Your best bet is a grocery store, on the same aisle as laundry detergent. If
you find the borax, the washing soda is probably close by. Arm & Hammer
brand.
Big yellow box -- looks like their baking soda box, only bigger.

You gotta be careful, though. The big yellow box of Arm & Hammer Detergent
looks very much like the big yellow box of Arm & Hammer Cat Litter.
DAMHIKT.

Hah! there are *worse* mistakes you can make.

Like making gravy, deciding it needs a little thickening, reaching in the
cupboard for the _yellow_ box of Argo Corn Starch, and getting the A&H box
instead.

All things considered, it was amazing that that particular disaster had never
happened before. those boxes had lived side-b-side for *years*. However,
from that day on, I took the raven's advice. "Nevermore".

In article , Roy Smith wrote:
In article ,
(Doug Miller) wrote:

Your best bet is a grocery store, on the same aisle as laundry detergent. If
you find the borax, the washing soda is probably close by. Arm & Hammer
brand.
Big yellow box -- looks like their baking soda box, only bigger.

You gotta be careful, though. The big yellow box of Arm & Hammer Detergent
looks very much like the big yellow box of Arm & Hammer Cat Litter.
DAMHIKT.

So didja put detergent in the cat box, or dump kitty litter into the washer?

Not much of an issue in the grocery store, I wouldn't think: not on the same
aisle.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

In article ,
"Toller" wrote:


How long does a bandsaw blade last?


'Bout the same length of time as a lollipop.

And that is because a canary is yellow and the Eiffel Tower is also made
out of steel.
Which brings me to:
What is the price of a car?

Major yukkage

In article
,
Fly-by-Night CC wrote:

Call me foolhardy, but I even
use the scraper wedge on the tires as it's running - just make sure you
have a good grip so it's not pulled out of your hand and between the
blade and tire.

You are foolhardy!

*shuddering at the thought*

And you are right...Mary Ann.... hands down...down her shirt, pants, I
digress....*slaps self*

Toller wrote:
I am cutting some walnut lumber. Using the advice I got here, and a new
Timberwolf 3tpi blade, things have been going reasonably well. The first 40
cuts (4' long, averaging 5" thick) were perfectly straight, but the last few
have developed a significant drift angle; the ends have become too thin to
be used and the wood is getting curved. I readjusted everything, but it
doesn't help. All I can think is that the blade is getting dull, but I
would expect a blade to last much longer than this.
Frankly though, I am a complete beginner with a band saw (14" Delta 1hp) and
really don't know. It was actually getting easier as I picked up a little
skill in feeding the wood, but I can't continue like this.

Could the blade be getting dull after 160' of 5" thick fresh walnut, or is
there another possibility I am over looking. Thanks.



Make sure you're minimizing cutting through bark; better yet, remove the
bark entirely. Watch out about tensioning with the TimberWolf blade, it
is a low tension blade, read their instructions carefully.

On Sat, 29 Apr 2006 22:14:10 -0400, Robatoy
wrote:

In article ,
"Toller" wrote:


How long does a bandsaw blade last?


'Bout the same length of time as a lollipop.

And that is because a canary is yellow and the Eiffel Tower is also made
out of steel.

Actually, it's made of iron, not steel.

"Toller" wrote in message
...

I think it was probably the guides. When I pulled them out, I found the
faces weren't square anymore. Resurfaced them, and it is much better now.


Symptom, not cause. Ceramics.

Changing grain in the material will also contribute to drift.


One of the worst ways to get drift is to saw close to the actual grain
direction, but not quite. Least resistance.

Have you cleaned the rubber on the wheels? This problem shows itself by
the blade not tracking true. Working green wood would leave residue on
the blade and be deposited on the wheels.


Might cause sticking or slipping, but hardly drift.

Cleaning the wheels was easy enough, but yes, there is residue on the
blade. That can't be helping matters.

How do I clean the blade? Plastic wool did nothing at all. Thanks.


WD40 here. On a cloth, power off, rotating blade in reverse. Walnut is
corrosive, like cherry and oaks, so you want to clean up after each session
and the lube it retains doesn't hurt in sliding through the wood. That
corrosion is a likely cause of blade dulling, along with cutting bark, which
is usually loaded with grit. Commercial operations debark for that reason.

If you've neglected the blade to the point where cloth and solvent won't
work, you can try the brass BBQ brush for caked. Soaking in TSP, washing
soda or any of the other "green" surfactants will probably work, too, but it
involves a lot of extra time and effort.

On Sat, 29 Apr 2006 22:23:53 -0000, (Robert Bonomi)
wrote:

In article ,
Roy Smith wrote:
In article ,
(Doug Miller) wrote:

Your best bet is a grocery store, on the same aisle as laundry detergent. If
you find the borax, the washing soda is probably close by. Arm & Hammer
brand.
Big yellow box -- looks like their baking soda box, only bigger.

You gotta be careful, though. The big yellow box of Arm & Hammer Detergent
looks very much like the big yellow box of Arm & Hammer Cat Litter.
DAMHIKT.

Hah! there are *worse* mistakes you can make.

Like making gravy, deciding it needs a little thickening, reaching in the
cupboard for the _yellow_ box of Argo Corn Starch, and getting the A&H box
instead.

Or, filling the cat box with detergent..
Mac

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

I haven't heard of anyone using washing soda for many years, but will give
it a try if I can find it.

Your best bet is a grocery store, on the same aisle as laundry detergent.
If
you find the borax, the washing soda is probably close by. Arm & Hammer
brand.
Big yellow box -- looks like their baking soda box, only bigger. Here in
Indy,
Kroger and Safeway grocery stores have it, and I believe Ace Hardware,
too.

Tried WD40, did nothing.
Tried mineral spirits, did nothing.
Found washing soda at the grocery. It took off 95% of the crude Saw cut
much better afterwards also; thanks.

In article , "Toller" wrote:
I haven't heard of anyone using washing soda for many years, but will give
it a try if I can find it.

Your best bet is a grocery store, on the same aisle as laundry detergent.
If
you find the borax, the washing soda is probably close by. Arm & Hammer
brand.
Big yellow box -- looks like their baking soda box, only bigger. Here in
Indy,
Kroger and Safeway grocery stores have it, and I believe Ace Hardware,
too.

Tried WD40, did nothing.
Tried mineral spirits, did nothing.
Found washing soda at the grocery. It took off 95% of the crude Saw cut
much better afterwards also; thanks.

You're welcome. I use it on table saw blades, too --works great.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

(Doug Miller) writes:

In article , Roy Smith wrote:
In article ,

You gotta be careful, though. The big yellow box of Arm & Hammer Detergent
looks very much like the big yellow box of Arm & Hammer Cat Litter.
DAMHIKT.

So didja put detergent in the cat box, or dump kitty litter into the washer?

He told you not to ask that.
[
Don't
Ask
Me
How
I
Know
That
]

In article ,
Wes Stewart wrote:

On Sat, 29 Apr 2006 22:14:10 -0400, Robatoy
wrote:

In article ,
"Toller" wrote:


How long does a bandsaw blade last?


'Bout the same length of time as a lollipop.

And that is because a canary is yellow and the Eiffel Tower is also made
out of steel.

Actually, it's made of iron, not steel.

Darn... I've been messin' with peoples' heads all these years?


From now on...iron it is.

Doug Miller wrote:
In article , "Toller" wrote:


How do I clean the blade? Plastic wool did nothing at all. Thanks.


Washing soda. 1/4 cup in a quart of warm water. Soak blade for 5-10 minutes.
Rinse gunk off.


I agree with Doug on cleaning the blade.

If you're cutting "green" walnut, after cleaning the blade, try spraying
the it with "Pam" (or other brand substitute) cooking spray. It helps
in keeping the build-up off the blade.

--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA

(Remove -SPAM- to send email)

originally was cast iron, but I think they've replaced most of it with
structural steel by now....

On Sun, 30 Apr 2006 16:39:10 GMT, "Toller" wrote:

I haven't heard of anyone using washing soda for many years, but will give
it a try if I can find it.

Your best bet is a grocery store, on the same aisle as laundry detergent.
If
you find the borax, the washing soda is probably close by. Arm & Hammer
brand.
Big yellow box -- looks like their baking soda box, only bigger. Here in
Indy,
Kroger and Safeway grocery stores have it, and I believe Ace Hardware,
too.

Tried WD40, did nothing.
Tried mineral spirits, did nothing.
Found washing soda at the grocery. It took off 95% of the crude Saw cut
much better afterwards also; thanks.

I pay $12 to $16 a blade and use them up to a month.. (I cut tons of pen and
bowl blanks)

I've never cleaned one as it would not be worth my time or money..


Mac

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

Hey,
I can usually tell by just feeling the teeth and looking at the blade.

I think the belt could be dull especially if the wood was not that
clean.
Are you using a straight fence, doing free hand or using a resaw type
curved fence.
I found that when I used delta blades or even olson, 160' would have
used at least one or maybe more blades.

"mac davis" wrote in message
...
I pay $12 to $16 a blade and use them up to a month.. (I cut tons of pen
and
bowl blanks)

I've never cleaned one as it would not be worth my time or money..


Don't know what you're cutting, but green, corrosive woods will eat the
sharpness off a blade real fast. Not to mention that a bit of lube helps
turn the corners, too.

"Toller" wrote in message
...
I am cutting some walnut lumber. Using the advice I got here, and a new
Timberwolf 3tpi blade, things have been going reasonably well. The first
40 cuts (4' long, averaging 5" thick) were perfectly straight, but the last
few have developed a significant drift angle; the ends have become too thin
to be used and the wood is getting curved. I readjusted everything, but it
doesn't help. All I can think is that the blade is getting dull, but I
would expect a blade to last much longer than this.
Frankly though, I am a complete beginner with a band saw (14" Delta 1hp)
and really don't know. It was actually getting easier as I picked up a
little skill in feeding the wood, but I can't continue like this.

Could the blade be getting dull after 160' of 5" thick fresh walnut, or is
there another possibility I am over looking. Thanks.

Toller,

It's possible that there is something amiss with your setup (blade tension,
drift angle, technique, etc.) that was being masked by the sharp blade. But,
once the newness of the edge wore off and the blade became only semi-sharp,
these problems became apparent. Just a guess on my part here.

I just wanted to add that,according to Mark Duginske, while carbide-toothed
blades are 10 times more expensive, they last 50 times longer. Most people
think carbide bandsaw blades are more expensive, but they're actually much
cheaper in the long run. For the price of a new timberwolf blade, I can get
my carbide blade re-sharpened and then it lasts a long time...again.

I have a Laguna wood slicer (think that's what it's called) and it's fine.
Lenox makes a good blade too if your interested. Both are in the $200 range
though.

Good luck,

Mike

On Tue, 2 May 2006 06:53:22 -0400, "George" George@least wrote:


"mac davis" wrote in message
.. .
I pay $12 to $16 a blade and use them up to a month.. (I cut tons of pen
and
bowl blanks)

I've never cleaned one as it would not be worth my time or money..


Don't know what you're cutting, but green, corrosive woods will eat the
sharpness off a blade real fast. Not to mention that a bit of lube helps
turn the corners, too.

never had anything that looked like corrosion.. not sure what kind of wood would
do that...
I spend about $10 a month on blades, which I can live with..
Mac

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

In article , wrote:

never had anything that looked like corrosion.. not sure what kind of wood
would do that...

Pretty much anything green (i.e. wet), but particularly woods with high acid
content such as cherry or oak.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

"Doug Miller" wrote in message
. com...
In article ,
wrote:

never had anything that looked like corrosion.. not sure what kind of wood
would do that...

Pretty much anything green (i.e. wet), but particularly woods with high
acid
content such as cherry or oak.


It's the kind you _don't_ see. The fine edges that make the blade sharp are
the ones being pitted and eroded. If it gets so bad you see it on the sides
of the blade, you're sadly neglecting your cleaning. You can control some
of the corrosion by cleaning the teeth with WD40 between uses. Even if you
don't get all the acid-concealing cake off the teeth and gullets, you get a
bit of benefit in the WD -water displacement - category. Plus a smidgen of
lube for the next time you fire up.

On Thu, 04 May 2006 10:58:07 GMT, (Doug Miller) wrote:

In article , wrote:

never had anything that looked like corrosion.. not sure what kind of wood
would do that...

Pretty much anything green (i.e. wet), but particularly woods with high acid
content such as cherry or oak.

Not much worry about those on the left coast... we're pretty much hardwood
challenged here.. *g*

Mac

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