What is the purpose of the ball bearing guides on the saw?

What is the purpose of the ball bearing guides on the saw?

The Micro-Precision guides provide full blade contact via Tefloy rub blocks for maximum accuracy. They are well suited for general purpose work. Available for saws from 14″ to 42″.

Should bandsaw blade touch bearings?

Depends on usage. If you are only going to cut straight long cuts, then side bearings touching the blades is no bad thing. If you are going to cut curves though, the blade needs to have some lateral movement other wise it will snap with the side pressures between bearing and wood.

What are bandsaw blade guides made of?

Making Band Saw Blade Guides Homemade Machines & Jigs I made the blade guides from pieces of UHMW plastic, since I found that works great for the wide blades I would be using.

What are bandsaw cool blocks made of?

Graphite
They lubricate the band saw blade but do not make it oily. Cool Blocks are made of a non-metallic composite material– Graphite Impregnated Phenolic Laminate with three synthetic dry lubricants. Metal guide blocks create metal to metal contact, causing heat, friction, premature blade wear and breakage.

What does a thrust bearing do on a bandsaw?

On a bandsaw, the thrust bearing is to stop the blade from “going any farther” when it’s being pushed on too hard. This means there is already a little twisting to the blade before it contacts the bearing.

What bandsaw blades should I have?

Use coarse tooth blades (2 or 3 TPI) for re-sawing and cutting thicker materials. For general wood cutting duties in typical 3/4″ material, use a 4 TPI blade for coarse, fast cutting and a 14 TPI blade for slower, smoother cutting. A blade in the 6 to 8 TPI range provides good general-purpose performance.

What is a raker tooth bandsaw blade?

A raker tooth set has one tooth going to the left, one to the right, followed by a straight, or unset, tooth, which is called a raker. An alternate tooth set has one tooth going left, one going right, then left, right, etc. There is no raker tooth.

What is the width of a bandsaw blade?

For general ripping and crosscutting, use a 1⁄ 2 ” 3-tpi standard- or hook-tooth blade. For resawing, use the widest 3-tpi skip- or variable-tooth blade your saw accepts. Typically, the wider the blade, the straighter it cuts. Cutting green (undried) wood requires the widest 2–3-tpi skip-tooth blade your saw accepts.

How many teeth does a bandsaw blade have?

The general rule of thumb is: For wood and soft materials aim for 3 – 6 teeth in the workpiece. For metals and harder materials aim for 6 – 24 teeth in the workpiece.

How far behind the bandsaw blade should the thrust wheel be set?

When adjusting the thrust guides on a bandsaw, the aim is to set them just a few thousandths of an inch behind the blade. The principle is that the back of the blade should touch the guides only when the blade is cutting–not when it’s freewheeling.

Which is better roller bearings or band saw blocks?

The blocks more so than bearings, but the blocks are cheaper than a good set of bearings. The blocks tend to work better on narrower blades. I have Cool Blocks on my small band saw that is running a 1/8″ – 1/4″ blade most of the time, and the Carter bearings on my larger band saw that typically has a 1/2″ – 3/4″ blade.

What do guide blocks on a bandsaw look like?

Some bandsaws, mine included, have guide blocks to help prevent the blade from deflecting. Guide blocks look like this: Other bandsaws use roller bearings instead. They look like this: It seems to me the roller bearings are the superior choice and would have several advantages:

Can a blade guide rotate on a bandsaw?

The guides were kind of annoying to adjust to be really close. The pads on the guides can rotate, but if they bind with the blade, they can push the blade forward as they turn. Once set up, they worked as well as the other three blade guides.

What’s the best way to cut with a bandsaw?

For the best results on your bandsaw, the blade must cut perpendicular to the table; but blades can twist or wander from the mark. Worn or ineffective blade guides and thrust bearings take the blame here, especially in older saws. These replacement guides, deliver increased accuracy.