[Willie LeBoeuf]

I recently acquired a jet band saw and am a loss as to how to reset blade and tensioning. it was completely apart. Any Help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[hawkeye10]

Hi Willie and welcome. On this forum this video is the go to video for blade adjustment.

 

[Stick486]

you looking for something like this???

.

 

[DesertRatTom]

Completely apart is kind of open ended. Are the wheels installed and turning freely? Are whatever guides there are still installed? Is the tensioning spring in place? Or has the table been removed? A picture would give us more information. It is really rare for anyone to break down a band saw of any size or type.

If the wheels have been tinkered with, it gets really tricky to get it going again. If all that's installed, and there are tires on the wheels, try unplugging it, installing a blade and hand rotating the wheels per Snodgrass instructions. If the blade tracks OK, it might be pretty much OK. A 10 inch band saw is kind of light weight for some tasks, but really handy for quick and minor jobs. I keep a 14 inch Laguna for sizing lumber, but in the shop is a very similar small band saw that is really handy for small tasks.

Tensioning is something of an art. On my Laguna I pretty much go by the built-in gauge. But my little saw doesn't have one, so I tighten it until when I press with moderate pressure on the side of the blade, it deflects about a quarter inch. Sorry, that's about all there is to tensioning for me. The proof is in using the saw. Too much tension and the small blades fail, not enough and they don't cut vertically with accuracy. Big machines have tension relief levers, small ones require you release the tension manually. Don't let the saw sit for long under tension. Do make sure the blade is 90 to the table with a good triangle. The table rests on trunions, and to the inside of the blade, the table usually rests on a bolt so you can adjust using that until the blad is trued up. The final test for that is cut into a piece of wood, then flip it over and see if the blade goes right into the cut. If not, it's not 90 and will give you fits.

My small saw is a Rikon, but it looks like a very standard model with a 72.5 inch long blade. I suspect all of these come from the same factory.

Hopefully, the previous owner didn't mess with the co-planer adjustment of the bottom wheel in particular. That requires a high precision jig to set. It may take a mess of adjusting to fix this if the owner messed with it. If it's out the blade will drift forward and back or come off the wheel.

Hope this is useful.

 

[DesertRatTom]

BTW, this looks identical to my Rikon and to the WEN as well. I do like the machine far better than the little 9 inch toy saws at the big box stores. Retail for the Jet is $375, the WEN is $275 with stand at HD or WalMart, both online with free store delivery. I think the Rikon was about $275 at WoodCraft, but I didn't get a stand. My tensioning knob was cracked, but Rikon replaced it PDQ when I called.

 

[Cherryville Chuck]

Hi Willie and welcome. One of the tests you want to do right away is check the wheels to make sure they are co-planar or in other words in the same plane. Lay a long straight edge, like a 4' level across the wheels and make sure there are no gaps under the level. Actually that should be your first adjustment. The drive wheel is fixed so the adjustment is on the other wheel.

 

[thomas1389]

Willie, take a look at the video Hawkeye10 posted on this thread. At 6 minutes and 15 seconds in, he talks about co-planar. Don't adjust anything until you at least look at that part of the video. Then decide.

 

[DesertRatTom]

There is a bottom wheel adjustment, but it is pretty funky, loosen a large bolt that holds the shaft in place, the fiddle with four small bolts. I doubt it has been changed. You'll know when the top is coplaner because the blade will track nicely. If the bottom wheel is out, you will find it almost impossible to get the blade to track.

I popped for a couple of good quality 72.5 inch blades, 3/16, 3/8 and a couple of half inchers with different tooth counts. for it. You can get a 1/8th blade, but it is really narrow and looks fragile to me. I keep the 1/2 on it most of the time and you can do a little light resawing with it. Just cut slow and don't force the blade through. And no more than 4 tpi.

The Snodgrass video stuff on coplaner is why I doubt it's been messed with. I do really like the saw, very handy. One other minor thing, I use an abrasive block on a stick to round over the back edges of the blade. Seems that every blade I round over cuts a little smoother, especially tight, curved cuts. I haven't run anything more than 2 inches thick so far. Goes through pine and redwood like butter, Birch is a little slower, but good blades make nice cuts.

 

[woodknots]

I've seen the Snodgrass video in the past. I've got a King 14" band saw that was manufactured in 1991, which I bought years ago for $100 from an older gentleman that was clearing out his shop. I set up the saw per Snodgrass's recommendations and I've never had a problem with it. The blade tacks properly. Other than having to replace the upper guide holder, which cracked, the saw has worked perfectly for what I use it for. Surprisingly, I was still able to get the needed parts from King, through my local King dealer.

Believe what Alex Snodgrass says regarding co-planar, he knows what he's talking about.

 

[Mycrossover]

Completely apart is kind of open ended. Are the wheels installed and turning freely? Are whatever guides there are still installed? Is the tensioning spring in place? Or has the table been removed? A picture would give us more information. It is really rare for anyone to break down a band saw of any size or type.

If the wheels have been tinkered with, it gets really tricky to get it going again. If all that's installed, and there are tires on the wheels, try unplugging it, installing a blade and hand rotating the wheels per Snodgrass instructions. If the blade tracks OK, it might be pretty much OK. A 10 inch band saw is kind of light weight for some tasks, but really handy for quick and minor jobs. I keep a 14 inch Laguna for sizing lumber, but in the shop is a very similar small band saw that is really handy for small tasks.

Tensioning is something of an art. On my Laguna I pretty much go by the built-in gauge. But my little saw doesn't have one, so I tighten it until when I press with moderate pressure on the side of the blade, it deflects about a quarter inch. Sorry, that's about all there is to tensioning for me. The proof is in using the saw. Too much tension and the small blades fail, not enough and they don't cut vertically with accuracy. Big machines have tension relief levers, small ones require you release the tension manually. Don't let the saw sit for long under tension. Do make sure the blade is 90 to the table with a good triangle. The table rests on trunions, and to the inside of the blade, the table usually rests on a bolt so you can adjust using that until the blad is trued up. The final test for that is cut into a piece of wood, then flip it over and see if the blade goes right into the cut. If not, it's not 90 and will give you fits.

My small saw is a Rikon, but it looks like a very standard model with a 72.5 inch long blade. I suspect all of these come from the same factory.

Hopefully, the previous owner didn't mess with the co-planer adjustment of the bottom wheel in particular. That requires a high precision jig to set. It may take a mess of adjusting to fix this if the owner messed with it. If it's out the blade will drift forward and back or come off the wheel.

Hope this is useful.

I put an old Delta14" together from scratch, years ago. Coplanar was a straight edge and shims. The blade tracks in the middle of the tires and I often forget to lower tension.

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