Bandsaw Fence

[ihocky2]

I just bought the Grizzly G0555 14 bandsaw with the riser block. I looked at the replacement fences Grizzly sells, but I question the squareness and the rigidity of the interchangable fence heigths. Does anyone have any experience with these? Can anyone recomend what is a good add on or replacement fence for resawing?

[DC Ross]

I have the G0457 with the resaw fence & I love it. At first I was skeptical because there's no way to square the fence to the table, but there's no need to adjust it - it's dead on.

[Woodenspoke]

I just bought the Grizzly G0555 14 bandsaw with the riser block. I looked at the replacement fences Grizzly sells, but I question the squareness and the rigidity of the interchangable fence heigths. Does anyone have any experience with these? Can anyone recomend what is a good add on or replacement fence for resawing?

I have used the Kreig Bandsaw fence and it worked well. On a bandsaw you don't want a square fence, Any good fence will be able to swing so you can set a straight cut in the material. This is important for re sawing as you want the blade following a straight line not square to the blade.

[avengers63]

...you want the blade following a straight line not square to the blade.

A year ago I'd have thought you were off your rocker with that statement.

[MiKro]

I have the GO 555 and the fence that it cones with is fine. Just add a riser board to it. I will post a pic if you need? I resaw down to 1/32nd" with no problems but don't use anything bigger than a 1/4" blade usually 3 or 4 tpi sometimes 10tpi

Mike

Edited April 25, 2009 by MiKro

[ihocky2]

I'd appreciate any pictures if you could. So far I only have the 3/8" blade that came with it, but I plan on picking up a 1/4 once this one starts to wear out, or sooner if needed and probably a 1/2" carbide for resawing.

Woodenspoke, I understand the part about about wanting the saw to work in a straight line, but you lost me after that. I am still reading through a book about the bandsaws, so I am not up to full speed yet. I have it set well enough to cut bodies for me, but am still a bit away from attempting practice resaws, less yet touching any of my maple or wenge to the blade yet.

[MiKro]

I'd appreciate any pictures if you could. So far I only have the 3/8" blade that came with it, but I plan on picking up a 1/4 once this one starts to wear out, or sooner if needed and probably a 1/2" carbide for resawing.

Woodenspoke, I understand the part about about wanting the saw to work in a straight line, but you lost me after that. I am still reading through a book about the bandsaws, so I am not up to full speed yet. I have it set well enough to cut bodies for me, but am still a bit away from attempting practice resaws, less yet touching any of my maple or wenge to the blade yet.

The blade that came with it is crap. By A timberwolf 1/4" or maybe? 3/8", 3 to 4 tpi for resaw. The 1/2" is very questionable on this saw in my opinion. The spring just can't get it tight enough and there is not enough travel in the adjustment. Don't even try thinking that a 3/4" will work. I know they say it will handle it? I'll see about some pics on the fence.

Mike

[avengers63]

Woodenspoke, I understand the part about about wanting the saw to work in a straight line, but you lost me after that. I am still reading through a book about the bandsaws, so I am not up to full speed yet. I have it set well enough to cut bodies for me, but am still a bit away from attempting practice resaws, less yet touching any of my maple or wenge to the blade yet.

Unlike a table saw, the band saw blade is thin and will drift. For reasons I don't understand, the blade drifts in, towards the back of the saw. The longer the space between the two sets of rollers, the more drift you can have. For pretty obvious reasons, this isn't an issue until you begin re-sawing lumber. You want a fence that will allow the wood to feed at an angle, following the drift.

FWIW: The best way I've found to help counteract this so far is 1) use a new blade if you're going to do some tall re-sawing or on dense woods, 2) lube up the blade liberally before each cut, and 3) feed it in as slow as you possibly can. Doing this, I managed to re-saw 4" bloodwood on a low-powered Ryobi band saw with almost no drift.

[MiKro]

Woodenspoke, I understand the part about about wanting the saw to work in a straight line, but you lost me after that. I am still reading through a book about the bandsaws, so I am not up to full speed yet. I have it set well enough to cut bodies for me, but am still a bit away from attempting practice resaws, less yet touching any of my maple or wenge to the blade yet.

Unlike a table saw, the band saw blade is thin and will drift. For reasons I don't understand, the blade drifts in, towards the back of the saw. The longer the space between the two sets of rollers, the more drift you can have. For pretty obvious reasons, this isn't an issue until you begin re-sawing lumber. You want a fence that will allow the wood to feed at an angle, following the drift.

FWIW: The best way I've found to help counteract this so far is 1) use a new blade if you're going to do some tall re-sawing or on dense woods, 2) lube up the blade liberally before each cut, and 3) feed it in as slow as you possibly can. Doing this, I managed to re-saw 4" bloodwood on a low-powered Ryobi band saw with almost no drift.

More importantly, take the time to setup the saw. then drift is almost negligible. also buy a good blade. I get 1/32" resaws in 10" resaws on mine without drift. Again I cannot tell you the importance of setup. whether it's your bandsaw, tablesaw, or router table and the miter slots and fence systems in relation to the cutting surfaces.

Intonation makes for better music. It applies at the tool as well, Guitar or saw.

mk

[ihocky2]

The idea makes some sense, I guess it is something I will understand better as I work with the saw more.

Good to know about the blade that comes with it. I was kicking around a Timberwolf but wanted to see what other quality blades are out there and get an idea of comparisons first. I would never think of wasting the money on a 3/4" blade on a 14" saw. Just from my readings, it seems extremely difficult to get enough tension, and because the wheels are small, you stress the blade a lot. No sense is buying an expensive blade, just to break it prematurely.

Right now I went with the steps the factory says for setup, just to get some practice on it and get a feel for the saw, but I know my book gets much more into detail with it, and once I am ready to get serious with it (pretty much once I get this current build finished up and the shop cleaned up again) I'll take the time to give it a real good setup.

[MiKro]

The idea makes some sense, I guess it is something I will understand better as I work with the saw more.

Good to know about the blade that comes with it. I was kicking around a Timberwolf but wanted to see what other quality blades are out there and get an idea of comparisons first. I would never think of wasting the money on a 3/4" blade on a 14" saw. Just from my readings, it seems extremely difficult to get enough tension, and because the wheels are small, you stress the blade a lot. No sense is buying an expensive blade, just to break it prematurely.

Right now I went with the steps the factory says for setup, just to get some practice on it and get a feel for the saw, but I know my book gets much more into detail with it, and once I am ready to get serious with it (pretty much once I get this current build finished up and the shop cleaned up again) I'll take the time to give it a real good setup.

You may also try Olson blades they are less expensive. I still like the TW blades and others swear by Woodslicer. They are good blades as well.

Like I said though, tuning/setup is very important. even though I can get a 1/32" resaw thickness. It is not a useable piece in the fact that it will need to be sanded because of the saw marks and becomes to thin for practical use. The reality is that having that ability allows for better cuts with less waste. It allows the ability to get 2 sets of 1/4" bookmatched pieces from a 5/4 board.

MK

[DC Ross]

I would never think of wasting the money on a 3/4" blade on a 14" saw. Just from my readings, it seems extremely difficult to get enough tension, and because the wheels are small, you stress the blade a lot. No sense is buying an expensive blade, just to break it prematurely.

I have a 3/4" on mine, and it's performed flawlessly.

[MiKro]

I would never think of wasting the money on a 3/4" blade on a 14" saw. Just from my readings, it seems extremely difficult to get enough tension, and because the wheels are small, you stress the blade a lot. No sense is buying an expensive blade, just to break it prematurely.

I have a 3/4" on mine, and it's performed flawlessly.

You are a blessed man. Most 14" saws will support some 1/2" and work, many will not. Maybe I need to order the tension spring from the model you have as even the Carter spring will not tension a Grizzly GO555 to allow a 3/4" blade to work. Could be the travel in the tensioner is not as great? Maybe the wheels on yours are not as crowned? That would be a good question for the support group at Grizzly?

Whatever the case, enjoy the fact you have that ability.

MK

[DC Ross]

I have the G0457 -- it's geared more towards resawing than the G0555.

[dugg]

I bought my G055 about 5 years ago now and it's the most useful power tool in my shop. I can use a "3/4 blade for resawing easily and it tracks absolutely straight. I usually use a "1/2 only because that one get's left on and used most for other things too. If that Grizz is adjusted right, you don't need much tension at all, the blade will track straight. The wheels do need to be planar, mine weren't when the saw arrived. Also, as someone above pointed out, squareness of the fence to the blade don't matter (check out 'point' or corner fences). You can waste time on that a while, but you'll soon find out that it's no more important than a flat sole on a handplane. I built my own fence riser out of birch ply, it just press fits down over the fence and works a charm. Tuning a bandsaw takes some practice, but it's the key to using one.

[fryovanni]

Also, as someone above pointed out, squareness of the fence to the blade don't matter (check out 'point' or corner fences).

Depends on what you are doing Dugg. If you are repeating your cuts it is VERY important. Also if you are using extreamly tight tolerance. Point fence simply cannot perform with the level of accuracy I need. Sometimes an extra couple thousandths of an inch per slice, when taking 9 slices out of a billet will be the difference between 4 or 5 acoustic sets(and if those sets are expensive Rosewood or exotic that can be several hundred dollars worth of set lost).

I have never found a great fence out of the box, not to say a Kreg or even some factory fences can't be tweaked to do a good reliable job. If you are doing some serious resawing, and you are not absolutely confident in your adjustable fence. Take it off or to the side, and clamp down a square block of wood. Be sure the block is aligned to the blade. This can be done by clipping a light and straight guide tool(I have a light weight 18" straight edge that I clip to the blade, Note; you have to avoid the teeth).

Keep your blade clean! that is the source of many of the problems people think relate to dull blades, or odd random issues that are hard to figure out.

This is a topic I posted a while back that shows a fence and slider table I use.

http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=31523

These are the blades I use. The Woodmaster(1.2 TPI) has the most resistance to clogging(big gullets). The Trimaster(2/3 TPI) is good for some woods and is reliable. The Woodslicer(4 TPI) offers extreamly low loss cuts, but is touchy and VERY prone to clogging. Ability to clear wood is a big part of stability(big gullets are a plus for this).

[pariah223]

wow i didnt realize you could get rise blocks for certain 14" bandsaws.. I thought to resaw, you had to drop a grand into a band saw. I know this doesnt contribute to the topic, but thanks for pointing this out to me!

[ihocky2]

I think almost all 14" saws can have riser blocks added anymore. There are a few that have solid cast frames, but most can have a riser block added.

I got further through my book, and the illistrations and more in depth explanation helped me figure out what you guys were talking about. I understand the use or a point or rounded or corner fence, but I just don't think that is for me. It seems there is more room for error and wasted wood when I have to keep the blade feeding into a layout line. But with the fence adjust to the lead I can keep the wood on the fence and in theory should have less waste.

One question that did arise for me though. Do you guys set the lead on your fence and leave it at that, or do you adjust it everytime you use a different type of wood? Also do you adjust the lead on a piece at the height the you will resaw, or just a 1" or 2" thick piece. I am not going to be cutting billets down to acoustic sets for resale like Fryovanni, just book matching for tops or similar tasks, so I don't NEED dead nuts accuracy, but I do get finicky about these type of things and would like the best I can get out of it.

[Woodenspoke]

I missed this question back on the first page.

The simple reason you don't use a straight 90 deg fence is no band saw that I have ever used, and I am currently using a $4000 Laguna bandsaw, (setup to perfection) cuts in a straight line. Each blade takes its own line, no two blades are the same. Mark a 3/4" board with a straight line and cut along it on your bandsaw, then note the angle which allowed you to cut along that straight line this is called blade drift. This is the angle where you set your fence up to cut straight lines. When you change your bade you have to set it again.

This is the reason some people mark the wood and use a resaw block rather than a fence. I have not seen a bandsaw fence which isn't adjustable for blade drift at least in the last few years. Blade drift is a fact of life not a setup issue. Any good bandsaw book will discuss blade drift. Hope this makes more sense.

here is a web page which discusses setup http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/wk_tools/art...2278285,00.html

This is a quote form another site

Start by cutting on a piece of scrap. Stop the about half the length of the board and trace the angle of the board onto the bandsaw table with a pencil line. Clamp the board to the table and set up the fence along the joined edge of the board. Now the fence is parallel to the cut, and the blade will have no drift.

[ihocky2]

Thanks for the add on info. That quote is the same from the book that I have, so it is good to know that the technique works for others.

[fryovanni]

This is the reason some people mark the wood and use a resaw block rather than a fence. I have not seen a bandsaw fence which isn't adjustable for blade drift at least in the last few years. Blade drift is a fact of life not a setup issue. Any good bandsaw book will discuss blade drift. Hope this makes more sense.

Yes, you have to adjust for the blade angle, and every time you swap blades this needs to be reset. It is not a flaw in your setup because the shape of tires and the style of the blade will simply change the way it rides on the tires. This angle should be predictable and can be adjusted for with your fence angle. Keep in mind this is not the same as possible tracking error from uneven blade wear, dirty blade, beam distortion or any other number of issues.

Keeping in mind this drift angle is important. One thing I have found to be problematic on many fences is simply the fence does not stay put. Some fences have a great locking mechanism on the infeed side, but lousy on the outfeed and or possible flex, you may also find some pretty flimsy plastic components or shims on infeed sides. This can lead to the fence being shifted as you cut then springs back, or possibly slips out of position. It is a problem made more noticable when you are cutting larger bits of wood. Longer boards tend to be more challenging to keep against the fence(which makes feeding straight challenging) and sometimes this means you naturally apply more pressure against the fence. Even shifting positions as you feed makes this tricky. Good technique in feeding material is tuff enough and making sure the fence is not going to move makes your job easier(so you don't have to worry about that factor). If you question the locking mechanism at all, I would add a solid clamping device to ensure it does not move. If the fence just does not seem solid after you additional clamps, grab a good reliable square block of wood and clamp it right to the table(not super fancy, but it does the job very well). A sliding table is another way to make feeding consistency more reliable(it is extra handy when you have to true up an oddly shaped block of wood).

[ihocky2]

Thanks a lot for all of the help guys. Between my book and the tid bits added here, I really have an understanding of what I should be doing now. Now I just have to take the time and patience and practice for a little while before I get serious about any kind of resawing.

If nothing else this thread should add a lot of info for future searches.