I recently purchased a Mastercraft 2.4 Amp 9" bandsaw. It is supposed
to be suited for the hobbyist, but this thing can't cut butter. I have
adjusted all my guides so they are spaced perfectly, the blade, which I
replaced with a new one, is perfectly aligned but I cannot seem to get
any power out of it.

I cannot even cut some 3/4" pine scraps I have without having the blade
slow down (almost stop) with minimal pressure.

What is wrong with this thing? Surely it cannot be that bad it can't
cut 1 inch into pine without overpowering it?

Jay

wrote:
I recently purchased a Mastercraft 2.4 Amp 9" bandsaw. It is supposed
to be suited for the hobbyist, but this thing can't cut butter. I have
adjusted all my guides so they are spaced perfectly, the blade, which I
replaced with a new one, is perfectly aligned but I cannot seem to get
any power out of it.

I cannot even cut some 3/4" pine scraps I have without having the blade
slow down (almost stop) with minimal pressure.

What is wrong with this thing? Surely it cannot be that bad it can't
cut 1 inch into pine without overpowering it?

Jay Need more info, but without looking at it, I might say it's one or a combination of two things. Power transmission and/or blade type/condition. When the sawblade slows down, does the motor slow down also? Tires or drive belt slipping? What size, tooth profile and number of teeth per inch blade are you running? Tom

wrote in message

I cannot even cut some 3/4" pine scraps I have without having the blade
slow down (almost stop) with minimal pressure.

What is wrong with this thing? Surely it cannot be that bad it can't
cut 1 inch into pine without overpowering it?

It is a toy. IMO, write it off, take it back, donate it to some
unsuspecting group and then buy a real saw.

It is for the hobbyist that cuts 1/8" balsa wood.

wrote in message
ps.com...
I recently purchased a Mastercraft 2.4 Amp 9" bandsaw. It is supposed
to be suited for the hobbyist, but this thing can't cut butter. I have
adjusted all my guides so they are spaced perfectly, the blade, which I
replaced with a new one, is perfectly aligned but I cannot seem to get
any power out of it.

I cannot even cut some 3/4" pine scraps I have without having the blade
slow down (almost stop) with minimal pressure.

What is wrong with this thing? Surely it cannot be that bad it can't
cut 1 inch into pine without overpowering it?

Jay


The teeth are pointing down, right?

That's actually a good question. I was working in a school wood shop one day
and couldn't figure out why the teak I was cutting was cutting so weird
(smelling, cutting slow), until I noticed that someone had installed the
bandsaw blade upside down. They had a rule that no one but an instructor
could change blades on the machines - guess what :-)

Tom Dacon

"Leon" wrote in message
et...

wrote in message
ps.com...
I recently purchased a Mastercraft 2.4 Amp 9" bandsaw. It is supposed
to be suited for the hobbyist, but this thing can't cut butter. I have
adjusted all my guides so they are spaced perfectly, the blade, which I
replaced with a new one, is perfectly aligned but I cannot seem to get
any power out of it.

I cannot even cut some 3/4" pine scraps I have without having the blade
slow down (almost stop) with minimal pressure.

What is wrong with this thing? Surely it cannot be that bad it can't
cut 1 inch into pine without overpowering it?

Jay


The teeth are pointing down, right?

The Grizzly 9" bandsaw might be the only useful one in that size range.

Tom Dacon

wrote in message
ps.com...
I recently purchased a Mastercraft 2.4 Amp 9" bandsaw. It is supposed
to be suited for the hobbyist, but this thing can't cut butter. I have
adjusted all my guides so they are spaced perfectly, the blade, which I
replaced with a new one, is perfectly aligned but I cannot seem to get
any power out of it.

I cannot even cut some 3/4" pine scraps I have without having the blade
slow down (almost stop) with minimal pressure.

What is wrong with this thing? Surely it cannot be that bad it can't
cut 1 inch into pine without overpowering it?

Jay

On 15 Jan 2007 18:15:43 -0800, wrote:

I recently purchased a Mastercraft 2.4 Amp 9" bandsaw. It is supposed
to be suited for the hobbyist, but this thing can't cut butter. I have
adjusted all my guides so they are spaced perfectly, the blade, which I
replaced with a new one, is perfectly aligned but I cannot seem to get
any power out of it.

I cannot even cut some 3/4" pine scraps I have without having the blade
slow down (almost stop) with minimal pressure.

What is wrong with this thing? Surely it cannot be that bad it can't
cut 1 inch into pine without overpowering it?

Well my 9" ryobi will still cut through 3/4" hardwood with a dull as
hell blade and frozen thrust bearing and guides way too far apart
without difficulty. Nice burning smell, but not difficulty. So
something is up. In addition to what others have said, are you maybe
trying to cut with a fence without adjusting for blade drift? Could
bind up the blade that way.


-Leuf

In article om,
wrote:
I recently purchased a Mastercraft 2.4 Amp 9" bandsaw. It is supposed
to be suited for the hobbyist, but this thing can't cut butter. I have
adjusted all my guides so they are spaced perfectly, the blade, which I
replaced with a new one, is perfectly aligned but I cannot seem to get
any power out of it.

I cannot even cut some 3/4" pine scraps I have without having the blade
slow down (almost stop) with minimal pressure.

What is wrong with this thing? Surely it cannot be that bad it can't
cut 1 inch into pine without overpowering it?

Jay


Geez, I think my scroll saw draws more than 2.4 amps. A nine inch
bandsaw (At least the "modern" models I have seen) is really only food
for model making and maybe that's debatable. What kind of blade do you
have on the saw? perhaps try one with fewer teeth per inch if it is
bogging down.


--
For every complicated, difficult problem, there is a simple, easy
solution that does not work.

Larry Wasserman - Baltimore Maryland -

Tom Dacon wrote:
The Grizzly 9" bandsaw might be the only useful one in that size range.

Tom Dacon

wrote in message
ps.com...
I recently purchased a Mastercraft 2.4 Amp 9" bandsaw. It is supposed
to be suited for the hobbyist, but this thing can't cut butter. I have
adjusted all my guides so they are spaced perfectly, the blade, which I
replaced with a new one, is perfectly aligned but I cannot seem to get
any power out of it.

I cannot even cut some 3/4" pine scraps I have without having the blade
slow down (almost stop) with minimal pressure.

What is wrong with this thing? Surely it cannot be that bad it can't
cut 1 inch into pine without overpowering it?

Jay




I used a Ryobi 9" bandsaw for about 3 years before I replaced it with
the 14" Ridgid that I have now. I used it to cut bodies and neck for
solid-body guitars to shape. It did very well with woods such as maple,
walnut, alder, and ash up to 2 inches thick. The Ryobi is powered by a
1/3-HP motor (3 or 4 amps, I think). It served me well, and I was sorry
to see it go, but I didn't have the room for two bandsaws.

--Steve

On Jan 15, 9:34 pm, "tom" wrote:
wrote:
I recently purchased a Mastercraft 2.4 Amp 9" bandsaw. It is supposed
to be suited for the hobbyist, but this thing can't cut butter. I have
adjusted all my guides so they are spaced perfectly, the blade, which I
replaced with a new one, is perfectly aligned but I cannot seem to get
any power out of it.

I cannot even cut some 3/4" pine scraps I have without having the blade
slow down (almost stop) with minimal pressure.

What is wrong with this thing? Surely it cannot be that bad it can't
cut 1 inch into pine without overpowering it?

Jay Need more info, but without looking at it, I might say it's one or a combination of two things. Power transmission and/or blade type/condition. When the sawblade slows down, does the motor slow down also? Tires or drive belt slipping? What size, tooth profile and number of teeth per inch blade are you running? Tom- Hide quoted text -- Show quoted text -






The size is a 59 1/2" blade, 1/4" thick and about 6 tpi. The teeth are
pointing down.

At first I thought it was a crappy factory blade that was the issue,
but then I bought the 31147 list on;
http://www.vermontamerican.com/Produ...190889&I=70460



I just can't see this saw being that bad everything I have seen on it
compared it to the Ryobi 9" which Leuf and Steve talk about. The only
thing I am curious about is on the back of the blade there is a bearing
that is actually running perpendicular not inline with the blade and I
can see that potentially being the problem where the blade could be
trying to score the ball bearing and it not actually turning but I do
not see any adjustment for it to have it roll inline.

Top View:

| |
========= | |
| |

Blade Bearing



I would think it should be more like


========= [ ]
Blade Bearing


But there is no way to adjust it. Thoughts?


Jay

On 16 Jan 2007 15:19:24 -0800, wrote:

The only
thing I am curious about is on the back of the blade there is a bearing
that is actually running perpendicular not inline with the blade and I
can see that potentially being the problem where the blade could be
trying to score the ball bearing and it not actually turning but I do
not see any adjustment for it to have it roll inline.

That's how it's supposed to be, and that was one of the first things
to go on my ryobi. On my "real" saw, delta 14", it's the same setup
however the blade hits the bearing right at the edge, whereas on my
ryobi it's further towards the center and therefore contacts less
surface area. I think it stopped spinning within a month, but that
was probably 4 years ago and it's still cutting away. I moved that
bearing back so that in normal use the blade doesn't even contact it.
There isn't as much distance between the wheels as on a "real" saw so
the blade doesn't seem to deflect back much even without it.


-Leuf.

Leuf wrote:
On 16 Jan 2007 15:19:24 -0800, wrote:

The only
thing I am curious about is on the back of the blade there is a bearing
that is actually running perpendicular not inline with the blade and I
can see that potentially being the problem where the blade could be
trying to score the ball bearing and it not actually turning but I do
not see any adjustment for it to have it roll inline.

That's how it's supposed to be, and that was one of the first things
to go on my ryobi. On my "real" saw, delta 14", it's the same setup
however the blade hits the bearing right at the edge, whereas on my
ryobi it's further towards the center and therefore contacts less
surface area. I think it stopped spinning within a month, but that
was probably 4 years ago and it's still cutting away. I moved that
bearing back so that in normal use the blade doesn't even contact it.
There isn't as much distance between the wheels as on a "real" saw so
the blade doesn't seem to deflect back much even without it.


-Leuf.



I think I just figured it out (but can't test too much as everybody is
sleeping ) I adjusted the motor belt to the next setting and it made
a huge difference, apparently the factory setting is the low speed. It
just peeled through a peice of 1/2" oak like butter.

I will clarify more tmw but I am sure all is good. Thanks everybody
for your clarification and thanks to Leuf and Steve for letting me know
that a 9" bandsaw should work!

Jay

wrote:
I just can't see this saw being that bad everything I have seen on
it
compared it to the Ryobi 9" which Leuf and Steve talk about. The only
thing I am curious about is on the back of the blade there is a bearing
that is actually running perpendicular not inline with the blade and I
can see that potentially being the problem where the blade could be
trying to score the ball bearing and it not actually turning but I do
not see any adjustment for it to have it roll inline.

Top View:

| |
========= | |
| |

Blade Bearing



I would think it should be more like


========= [ ]
Blade Bearing


But there is no way to adjust it. Thoughts?


Jay On some other saws, the thrust bearing is eccentrically mounted, so the bearing can be removed and rotated on the stud to align more of the outer surface with the blade back. Not sure if this is the case with yours, but hey, I took a shot. Tom