Bandsaws are extremely useful tools that can be used on wood and metal. Two of the main uses are cutting irregular shapes or curves in wood and resawing lumber into smaller or thinner slabs. Although bandsaw is an effective tool. To get the best results at some point, you must change the blade. Changing the bandsaw blade can be such a daunting task that many people use the wrong blade for a project. But this can have terrible downsides. Keep reading to find out why you have to change your bandsaw blade and how to do it most easily. Saving you time and stress so you can focus on your projects.
When And Why Do You Need To Change Your Bandsaw Blade?
If changing the bandsaw blade is a daunting task, and people use the wrong blade to get projects done. Then why should you even bother learning how to change a blade? The truth is the only way to get the absolute best results out of any project is by using the right blade. In fact, most bandsaw problems are due to improper blade use. One major example of this is blade drift, which is an issue faced by many users.
A huge cause of blade drift is the blade that is being used. Not only knowing how to change your blade to reduce or eliminate blade drift. But there are also many other benefits. Using the best blade for any project will produce straighter cuts, smoother curves, and the best results. The size of your blade, the number of teeth per inch, and the blade tooth pattern are all components important to specific projects.
Knowing which blade will get you the greatest results is useless. If you don’t know how to change your blade. Your blade shouldn’t only be changed on a project-specific basis either. Although it’s important to change your blade to the best one for any project. Throughout the time, it’s also important to check your blade for dullness. Even if you’re using the best blade for a project. If the blade has become dull, then you won’t get the results you want.
No matter how well you take care of your blade, wear and tear will make it dull. So even if you only work on one type of project or cut all the time. Eventually, you will need to know how to change a blade.
How To Change A Bandsaw Blade: A Step By Step Guide
Now that you know why it’s so important to change your blade; we will go over how to do it, step by step. By the end of this article, you’ll know how to change a blade like a pro. And you’ll be surprised to see how much of a difference changing your blade can make.
Here’s A Video on “How To Safely Change a Band Saw Blade”
Step 1: Getting Prepared
Changing a blade is completely doable, but it can be slightly dangerous, so it’s important to prepare accordingly. Blades are sharp, and new ones come tightly wound and can be hard to open. To avoid any injury from your new or old blade, put on some protective goggles and gloves. It’s also useful to wear long sleeves and pants. Once you’re safely dressed, take your new blade and carefully cut the ties binding it.
After you’ve untied the new blade, place it somewhere outside. Keep your new blade out of reach for you or anyone who may be around. And let it uncoil on its own as you follow the next steps.
Step 2: Setting Up For Blade Removal
Now that you’ve got your new blade uncoiling, it’s time to prepare the saw so you can remove the old blade. The first step in this process is unplugging your saw. Disconnect from any power source. If you try to change your blade while still connected to power, your saw can turn on and lead to injury.
After unplugging, open the top and bottom cabinets so you can see the wheels that are used to hold the blade. When the cabinet is open, take a moment to clean up any material on the wheels, this will make changing the blade as easy as can be.
Step 3: Loosen Blade Guides And Tension
Once you’ve cleared up any material that can get in the way. It’s time to loosen the band saw guide blocks that keep the blade in traction. There are usually two guide blocks, one above the saw table, and one located under the saw table. To loosen the guides, unwind the screws that hold the blocks on each side of the blade.
This step is like the process you use when you adjust your blade guard for different sizes of wood. To remove the blade, raise the guard to its highest position. To do this, you must turn the knob at the top of the guard. Once you have the guard at its highest position, tighten it, so it stays in place. After you’ve adjusted the blade guard, it’s time to loosen the tension.
Find the tension knob which is located at the top above the first wheel. And turn the knob counterclockwise until it’s loose. You will know when the tension knob is completely loosened. Because the knob won’t turn any further and the blade will have become flexible.
Step 4: Remove The Old Blade
Now that the guide blocks and tension have been released you can remove the old blade. Grab the blade from its section on the top wheel and pull it off of both tracking tires. Once the blade is removed from the tire, turn it 90 degrees so that the blade points to the right. This step is essential for successfully removing the blade. Once the blade is turned 90 degrees to the right pass it through the slot in the saw table.
After you’ve removed the blade, it’s time to prepare it for storage. This is another time when your gloves and goggles really come in handy. Fold the old blade into thirds. Once you’ve got the blade folded use tie strings to keep it together. Take extra care in this step while you’re folding the blade it’s possible for it to spring out at you.
Step 5: Clean The Tires
After removing the old blade, inspect the rubber tires. Over time, pitch and sawdust can build up on the tires, and this is a good time to take care of any build up. Build up can impede how well your blade works, so it’s important to keep your tires clean. If there isn’t much build up, then a bristle or brass wire brush will be all you need to clean up the tires.
Excessive build-up using a scraper will be useful in removing all the sawdust or pitch. If you have the time and want to go the extra step to make sure your tires are as clean as possible, you can use a vacuum to suck up any loose sawdust.
Step 6: Replace The Blade
Now that your wheels are clean and ready for a new blade, you can get started on the last step. Installing the new blade can be done by following the steps you took to remove the old blade in reverse. In the same way, you removed the old blade through the slot in the saw table, slide the new blade through the slot. When the blade has slid through the saw slot table, rotate it and fit it over the center of the top and bottom tires.
When the new blade is properly centered, tighten the tension knob to keep the blade in place. Only tighten the tension to a medium tension level, so it has a little wiggle room. After the tension has been reset, re-adjust the blade guards to meet your needs. After you’ve finished all these steps, take your new saw blade for a test drive. If your blade is vibrating during the test, then you must increase the tension. Otherwise, you’re all set to start on your project.
Getting The Best Results With Your New Bandsaw Blade
The bandsaw can be a great asset to many projects, but not knowing how to use one properly can lead to frustration, problems, and wasted efforts. Most problems with bandsaws are associated with the blade. Therefore knowing how to take care of the blade is especially important. Different projects require different blades and overtime every blade gets worn out.
Using the wrong blade or a dull blade will negatively impact any project, so knowing how to change your blade is essential to getting the best results. Changing your blade when it’s necessary will provide you with straighter cuts and smoother curves and ensure that your saw is working efficiently. Whether you’re changing your blade to fit a certain project or because time has worn it out, you now have all the steps you need to change your blade like a pro and get the greatest results every single time.
