bandsaw blade tension

[Beanmetalworks]

hi just wanted to quickly ask what sort of tension should you have on a metal cuttting bandsaw mines giving me bit of gip!! if you need more infomation let me know as dont know what info you may need??

 

[Spark plug]

What type / size of saw is it, and exactly what problems are you having, it may not be the blade tension that's causing your problems.

 

[madkayaker]

Occasionally have to tweek the tension up on bandsaw at work when cut start to wonder blade gave up today though it was three years old

 

[Welderpaul]

Our machines have a hydraulic-type guage on them with a red and green zone so its easy to make sure they are under the correct tension. The big one has limit switches on so it cuts the machine power if the tension isnt right.

Without a guide i would tighten it until it nips/not slack then add a bit more tension - half/full turn or whatever.

If the saw is set right and the blade is new and the cut wanders the blade is slack.

 

[cumbriasteve]

On my Clarke I nip it up fairly tight, start the saw cutting then back it off half a turn at a time until it starts to slip, then tighten it one turn

Because there can be long periods of no use I always back it off 2 full turns when finished, just my personal idea of removing pressure on things sitting...may not actually make any difference at all in reality.

It must be a decent way of doing it because my blades last for ages.

 

[Welderpaul]

Yeah, ours stretch quite a bit in use, even though they are fairly big - 30mm x 1.2 ish. Usually give them a nip up after the blade's been in for a few days.

 

[nickk]

when i set my m/c from new the book gave a spring balance setting in kilos ,which i couldn't obtain by hand,i asked the staff @ acs & they said to get the correct tension i'd need to cause a bow in the frame! so i just tighten as much as poss' by hand ,after 24 years i still get long blade life & the saw is in a semi production shop.

 

[Hitch]

Both of ours have a gauge and limit switches, the motor won't run unless there is enough tension. Makes life easy. Just adjust it slacker or tighter if doing a lot of light work or heavy solid.
On others that don't have a gauge, i tighten until you can see the blade is pulled dead straight between the wheels, thats about it.

 

[Beanmetalworks]

ill be honest hardly use my bandsaw and when i do use it the blades seem to brake so i have decided i want to use it more and im just trying todo everything right step by step to see if its me or the saw or blades!! or maybe just be all lol!! thanks for adviice so far!! its a imposted saw but i have seen it with dif names on it bailey have a very simular one!! its got a 2085x20x0.9 blade!

 

[ukracer]

On my Clarke I nip it up fairly tight, start the saw cutting then back it off half a turn at a time until it starts to slip, then tighten it one turn

Because there can be long periods of no use I always back it off 2 full turns when finished, just my personal idea of removing pressure on things sitting...may not actually make any difference at all in reality.

It must be a decent way of doing it because my blades last for ages.

what type of blades do you use??

 

[cumbriasteve]

I used Machine Marts blades with a drop of cutting oil on the steel, I once bought a 'good' bi metal blade for 3x the price and it lasted no longer, in fact I was fairly sure it only lasted half the cuts.

 

[ukracer]

I used Machine Marts blades with a drop of cutting oil on the steel, I once bought a 'good' bi metal blade for 3x the price and it lasted no longer, in fact I was fairly sure it only lasted half the cuts.

Oh no that was not what I wanted to hear......