Bandsaw Question

[Carl762]

This isn't exactly related to guitar tools, but I have this metal cutting bandsaw that I purchased from Harbor Freight a couple years ago. Used it fine, didn't notice any problems, but perhaps its a bit slow. My friend's Jet (essentially same model) cuts railroad tie no sweat.

One day he's over and says "dude, your blade teeth are pointing the wrong way. Hmm, I get a new blade, they point the same way. Seems the damned saw is running the wrong way.

Is there a way to rewire this easily to essentially "reverse polarity", for lack of a better phrase?

Thanks guys.

[Mattia]

Uh...you're kidding, right?

I'm going to assume the saw's running so the blade is moving down into the table when it's on, but you've got your teeth pointing 'up'. Just flip the blade around (rotate along its axis, basically turn it inside out, then flip 180 degrees) so the teeth face down. It's a friggin' loop of blade, it's not directional, you can mount it however you want to.

Edited May 23, 2007 by Mattia

[Setch]

What Mattia said...

Also, at the risk of being cruel, when using a chisel, hold the lumpy plastic or wooden end, not the pointy bit

[Carl762]

Ya, I know about the chisel thing. Guess I'm just an idiot right now re the saw. Need to re-fire my brain.

The blade is moving up into the table, not down. I'll try turning the blade inside out after work, get it right, before I ask another stupid question on this forum.

[fryovanni]

Ya, I know about the chisel thing. Guess I'm just an idiot right now re the saw. Need to re-fire my brain.

The blade is moving up into the table, not down. I'll try turning the blade inside out after work, get it right, before I ask another stupid question on this forum.

Carl, Your teeth have to cut down tward the table or the material you are cutting would want to lift away from the table and swat you in the face. If your motor is running backwards you should change that(and I would imagine anything you had tried to cut in the past would have been next to impossible to keep on the table).

Peace,Rich

[Desopolis]

im amazed the saw ever worked to cut metal. If what your describing is the teeth are upside down against the piece your trying to cut.

or are you saying the blade moves upward?

[drawknife]

If the blade moves upward, your motor is wired wrong.

[Carl762]

Just got home and I'm going to go look at it right now.

Ever since I had it I've used the saw in the horizontal position, and it always seemed slower than my friend's saw.

As far as I'm concerned right now, it IS wired wrong. Just haven't done that much work to really notice, until I installed the little table and wanted to use it in the upright position. Then I/we noticed the problem. My buddy swears that the blade can be installed just one way, no other options.

I'm going to eyeball it right now.

[Rick500]

I'm still not sure which way you're saying the blade is moving. If you were to imagine a fixed spot on the blade level with the top of the table, where would that spot be a fraction of a second after you turned the saw on? Above the table or below the table? If below, then the motor's running the right way.

[Carl762]

This is the newer, updated version of the same saw, just to make it clear, as I wasn't in my first posts.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/disp...temnumber=93762

Now, here I correct myself; i.e., which way the blade is moving. When in the upright position, it does indeed go down. There's a table you can attach for using in upright position. Just now, looked at it, started it, and as I said the teeth are pointing up. Like I said previously, I've used it for cutting in the position you see on the link (horizontal), while not noticing, using the back side of the teeth to cut.

I'll be able to pull the blade in a few, after culinary duties are essentially finished, and I go into simmer mode.

[Desopolis]

so you have been using it with the teeth pointed the wrong direction?!?! and it cut? im surprised it didn't get SUPER hot and snap...

[Carl762]

No it didn't get hot or snap. Last night I attempted to turn it over, around, inside out. No go. Teeth are pointing the right way and the motor is wired wrong. I see no way to reverse the teeth, the darned band is tight, almost impossible to manipulate, turn inside out. I put the band back on, tightened it, and proceeded to cut a 3 in steel bar and called it a night. Thanks for your a-help. It makes absolutely no sense that I would buy a new blade and have to manipulate it in any way to use it on the saw. I'm disgusted, maybe just dumb. I don't get it.

[Rick500]

If the blade moves down through the table, the motor is moving the right way.

How long is the blade on that saw? It shouldn't be much problem to turn it inside out unless it's really short.

[Woodenspoke]

wow

First I have one of these saws. In the horizontal position the blade runs from left to right if you are standing on the cutting side of the saw. This would also be the same direction with the blade moving down into the table if it were attached. Or with the machine open in the vertical posistion the motor drives the blade clockwise.

If all this is true than you have to flip the blade. Just like if you put your belt on inside out, or like flipping a rubber band inside out, same principle.

These saws come pre wired so I find it hard to believe its the motor, but you never know.

Fliping a band saw blade requires you to twist the blade so the inside face of the blade is now the outside face if this helps. Its also a little harder than flipping a rubber band. Not all blades come in the correct posistion from the factory and some have to be flipped. One other thing of you have been running this blade that way for awhile it may already be toast.

Woodenspoke

[Carl762]

wow, is right. I win the dummy award of the month.

Owned the saw two years, light use. Changed blade once. Didn't think about the orientation. Then, it's pointed out to me. I look look look and nothing. I don't figure it out and look like an idiot on an internet forum. But I'm man enough to admit it.

That's OK. I want this thread to be testiment to the fact. My buddy telling me, Oooh, look it's wrong. Tells me no other way to mount and he never had to do this either.

If what Mattias said couple days ago would have clicked couple days ago and worked last night. Then it bothers me enough to be thinking about it in the shower this morning. Last night, I twisted here and there, etc., hmm, just felt like it didn't want to turn inside.

Today, I hold blace out horizontally, do a figure of 8 twist and bam. I LEARNED A HARD LESSON.

Never thought I would have to do that to a blade, but hmmm, I admit it.

I do know all my other tools so much better. I won't make this mistake again.

I thank the big guys on this board for visiting my thread, making me think about how dumb I am, forcing me to finally figure it out.

How frustrating and embarassing. Lesson learned. I called the guy first pointed this out to me, and he says, hmm, never knew that. He's a Ferrari mechanic. Doh!!!

Thanks guys. I've built two houses, a barn, many cabinets, many repairs to wood and metal over the years. Doh!!!!

[Carl762]

You're probably thinking "Can't wait to see the guitar he finally posts on the board, lmao."

[Rick500]

Don't be so hard on yourself. At least you didn't hurt yourself or anything. (I got a pretty decent bandsaw bite a few months ago when, powered off, I accidentally popped the tensioned blade off the upper wheel.) Power tool lessons learned without band-aids or worse, are easy lessons. Let's hope we all learn only the easy way.

[Jon]

Try and keep your hands off to the side when tensioning the blade. That pop can be enough to seriously injure yourself. I'm even afraid to have the packaged bandsaws blades pop in my hand, I just toss them into my yard and let them pop themselves!

[Woodenspoke]

Well at least you figured it out, took longer than most folks but a lesson learned is a lesson learned? Or some crap like that. Dont feel so bad everyone at some point puts on a blade backwards. You also assume the guy on the other end didn't twist it when he folded it up or didn't welded it with the teeth pointing in the wrong direction. Doesn't effect the weld just the orientation of the teeth.

I admit I have put blades on backwards too Shhhh dont tell anyone.

Woodenspoke.

[fryovanni]

No worries man, it is right now and that is what counts. I have put my blades on backwards and had to turn them(it happens). Great tip on unpacking blades(toss them son of a guns, carefully, in your yard). I had a brand new 3/4" Timberwolf grab ahold of me once when I was unpacking it(man that hurts and it is a chore to get that sprung blade to let go with one hand in a bind ). I can tell you though, I truly know for sure Timberwolfs are good sharp blades .

Peace,Rich

[Doc]

Maybe I'm out of line here but what you have there is a horizontal metal cutting bandsaw. It really isn't designed to do anything much more than do a really good job of cutting through metal. It is essentially a motorized hacksaw. The guide systems, table and darn near everything else will be a pain in the butt to get to cut curves in wood.

Remember that one of the most common functions of bandsaws is to very efficiently cut meat for butchers. Like sides of beef, carcasses of turkeys and fingers of woodworkers. All of the horizontals I've worked with are made to not have your fingers anywhere near the business parts when it's doing it's cutting thing.

[erikbojerik]

I admit I have put blades on backwards too Shhhh dont tell anyone.

Me too....almost. I actually got it on the pulleys and was turning them by hand to align the blade when I finally noticed it. Came from the factory that way.

[Carl762]

Thanks for the kind replies. Learning the hard, and long, way is best sometimes. Funny, two or three friends had no clue about this, including the friend who owns the same saw. Ya, I use gloves when dealing with anything metal. I love this saw, for cutting metal, aluminum, sometimes wood.

I had toyed with the idea of using the platform and trying to use it for cutting wood, but NAH, I want/need a real woodworking bandsaw.

I think my brain is re-fired and running correctly now.

Of course, that's subject to debate.

Carl

[orgmorg]

I have put the blade on backwards on my sawmill before. I was amazed it cut at all, but it did. Got about 8" into the log and started diving downward. When I get the blades back from the sharpening guy, they are inside out because the teeth have to be set (bent to the side) one side at a time- set every other tooth, flip it, and set the rest. Well, I had taken a blade off, and put it with some freshly sharpened ones by mistake. Later on, when I went to put a blade on, I grabbed that one, and flipped it inside out, like I usually do with a sharpened one.

If you think this is scary with a shop bandsaw, try it with one of these

[Carl762]

That is a scarey blade. I use gloves when handling the blades. They are kinda mean, like a rattlesnake.

I've saving my dough for a good woodworking bandsaw. I bought the horizontal saw strictly for metal work. Only changed the blade once. I'm very happy that this silly problem is solved.

Well, out to the shop. I have a headstock repair to do. Some people are either accident prone or have no respect for instruments. Once repaired and installed, it'll be my second guitar rebuild. I'm yanking the pots and pups out of a BC Rich Warlock and replacing them with Seymour Duncans.