# Sparks??? New Band Saw Blade



## Jerry Bowen (Jun 25, 2011)

The new Tri Master BS blade arrived today and after installing it I began to re-sawing isome QS White Oak that just short of being six inches high and I am getting small sparks right at the cut. When I first started cutting there a few sparksa right at the cut, I immediately stopped and double checked all of the bearings and carefully re-set one of them, but sparks continued. Not a lot of sparks and they quit when I slowed the cut down. This is the carbide tipped Lenox blade. I have had quite a large number of blades on this saw since I purchased it over two years ago and have never seen sparks when cutting with it before.

So, the obvious question is this, has anybody else ever experienced this and of course if not then something is wrong and I need to do some re checking. I probably need to phone Lenox Tech support and ask them.

By the way, just a few days ago I took delivery of an inexpensive half inch 3tpi blade that Dick Willis suggested. I can see no difference between the twenty dollar blade and the $160 blade except that the expensive blade does not throw off any sparks and the less expensive blade cuts a little smoother. I hope that the real advantage is in the life of the Lenox blade. I just had to buy both of them to see if there really is any difference. The Lenox blade has to do straight cuts only while the lesser blade can cut curves. Live and hopefully learn as they say.



Jerry


----------



## curiousgeorge (Nov 6, 2006)

Have you tried cutting the same piece of wood with each blade? If so, did you have sparks with both blades? If you did, it is the wood. Maybe some grit in the wood.


----------



## Jerry Bowen (Jun 25, 2011)

curiousgeorge said:


> Have you tried cutting the same piece of wood with each blade? If so, did you have sparks with both blades? If you did, it is the wood. Maybe some grit in the wood.


I have re-sawed a lot of this wood with other blades and had no sparks. I call Lenox and they assured me that this is not normal so I am going to put the other twenty dollar blade on the saw and try it again. If there are no sparks, well I just spent my money for nothing maybe. Will have to do some investigation but I'm thinking that I have gotten a defective blade but it's to early to say that for sure, will go do some more checking.

Jerry


----------



## Jerry Bowen (Jun 25, 2011)

O.K., I think I found the problem. I had put the inexpensive blade back on, it worked just fine, no sparks, no adjustments on the bearings. Put the carbide blade back on, still had sparks with it. 

So I did a complete new re-set on the top thrust bearing, that fixed it. I think that the bearing was set just a tad to far back from the back edge of the blade and the blade was just touching it but not hard enoght to turn it and was skidding on the bearing. Anyway, all is O.K. now. 

The fact that the twently dollar blade cuts every bit as good as the expensive blade is the lesson of the day, I really have to wonder now how long that low cost blade will last, but I won't find out in that I'll not be using is so much. I wll use if when cutting curves.

Jerry


----------



## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

Jerry, Whenever I change blades I always re-set everything. I back out all the guides and bearings, then center the blade tracking, then close the gaps on the side guides above and below the table, then check for square with table, then bring the thrust bearings to a distance very close to the blade, then when I am sure everything is right I turn it on and look for blade flutter... if there is fluttering I add more tension. the thrust bearings should not touch the back of the blade when it is just freewheeling, only when there is a heavy thrust like when re-sawing. Another thing to be aware of is that when you are thrusting the blade into the thrust bearings that the side guides do not contact the blade set (the outward bend of each tooth).


----------



## RÖENTGEEP (Feb 18, 2014)

Jerry Bowen said:


> O.K., I think I found the problem. I had put the inexpensive blade back on, it worked just fine, no sparks, no adjustments on the bearings. Put the carbide blade back on, still had sparks with it.
> 
> So I did a complete new re-set on the top thrust bearing, that fixed it. I think that the bearing was set just a tad to far back from the back edge of the blade and the blade was just touching it but not hard enoght to turn it and was skidding on the bearing. Anyway, all is O.K. now.
> 
> ...


What blade is that?. Any link?


----------



## Jerry Bowen (Jun 25, 2011)

gmercer_48083 said:


> Jerry, Whenever I change blades I always re-set everything. I back out all the guides and bearings, then center the blade tracking, then close the gaps on the side guides above and below the table, then check for square with table, then bring the thrust bearings to a distance very close to the blade, then when I am sure everything is right I turn it on and look for blade flutter... if there is fluttering I add more tension. the thrust bearings should not touch the back of the blade when it is just freewheeling, only when there is a heavy thrust like when re-sawing. Another thing to be aware of is that when you are thrusting the blade into the thrust bearings that the side guides do not contact the blade set (the outward bend of each tooth).


Gary,

The set up process that you described is what I try to accomplish, however, my vision is a bit of a problem. I can't really tell when the blade is fluttering and when it isn't. So, I set the blade a bit loose and try to re-saw. I then begin to tighten the tension a little at a time until the blade cuts straight and when it does, I stop tightenin. As to the set in the blade I set the guides to allow the the teeth to extend beyond the front edge of the guides so that they do not make contact with the guides.

As to the thrust bearing, I try to set them as close to the back edge of the blade as I can without it turning when the saw is running free.

I admit that I did not go through all of that hassel yesterday when switching from one blade to the other and consequently ran into the problem that caused me to start this thread.

Jerry


----------



## Jerry Bowen (Jun 25, 2011)

RÖENTGEEP said:


> What blade is that?. Any link?


Here's a link to where I bought it, but there are other sites that will tell you more about it

Lenox Tri-Master Carbide-Tipped 3/4 inch Bandsaw Blade. 



Jerry


----------



## RÖENTGEEP (Feb 18, 2014)

Jerry Bowen said:


> Here's a link to where I bought it, but there are other sites that will tell you more about it
> 
> Lenox Tri-Master Carbide-Tipped 3/4 inch Bandsaw Blade.
> 
> ...


Thank you Jerry.


----------



## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

Jerry, when I check for flutter on my bandsaw I do it with the guard off and look for the flutter opposite the cutting side of the wheels. I do this for only a few seconds at a time to look for flutter. You might try it with contrasting tape stuck to the fixed side of the guard to see it better. I only do this with upmost caution and I stand back out of range in case the blade rolls off the wheels. Once the flutter is gone I button up the guard.


----------



## Jerry Bowen (Jun 25, 2011)

gmercer_48083 said:


> Jerry, when I check for flutter on my bandsaw I do it with the guard off and look for the flutter opposite the cutting side of the wheels. I do this for only a few seconds at a time to look for flutter. You might try it with contrasting tape stuck to the fixed side of the guard to see it better. I only do this with upmost caution and I stand back out of range in case the blade rolls off the wheels. Once the flutter is gone I button up the guard.[/QUOTE
> 
> 
> Gary,
> ...


----------



## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

Jerry, My bandsaw is a 10" Rockwell, purchased back in the 70s. Its so old it doesn't have a miter slot. It still works good though! The guard is a one piece fiberglass cover held by 4 nuts. My cover slides straight off horizontally, exposing all of the inside of the bandsaw except where the table is and where the upper guides slide up and down.


----------



## Jerry Bowen (Jun 25, 2011)

gmercer_48083 said:


> Jerry, My bandsaw is a 10" Rockwell, purchased back in the 70s. Its so old it doesn't have a miter slot. It still works good though! The guard is a one piece fiberglass cover held by 4 nuts. My cover slides straight off horizontally, exposing all of the inside of the bandsaw except where the table is and where the upper guides slide up and down.


Gary,
Sometime along way since you acquired your saw the issue of the size of a BS changed I think. I am of the impression, and I sure could be wrong, but I think that when you say your saw is a ten inch saw that it means that the distance between the blade and the yoke is ten inches. But these days a ten inch saw refers to the diameter of the wheels and not necessarily the distance between the blade and the yoke. Causes me to wonder when that change in designation changed. My saw is described as a 17" saw but the distance between the blade and the yoke is only 16.5", the wheels are 17" in diameter. What do you know about when all of this changed?

Jerry


----------



## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Jerry all saws have to have a guard on the blade at the rear of the saw and this is going to eat up some of the width of cut available.


----------



## Jerry Bowen (Jun 25, 2011)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> Jerry all saws have to have a guard on the blade at the rear of the saw and this is going to eat up some of the width of cut available.



Charles,
The light just went on, of course the guard what I was calling the yoke has to occupy space. I had not thought of it until now, thanks. At first I thought that you were referring to the shroud on the blade above the cutting area on the right, but then when I saw what you were referring to, which is the guard on the far left where the blade is going back up toward the top wheel.

The reason that I brought this up is that my neighor has two 14" saws that he says have 14" wheels and will cut 14". I'm going to check his saws out now that I see what you are saying Charles.

Jerry


----------



## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

Jerry, This is my bandsaw manual. When I check for flutter (see page 3 figure 2) I look for flutter on the left side between the wheels (where the blade is going up). I just find it easier to see the flutter there.


----------



## Jerry Bowen (Jun 25, 2011)

gmercer_48083 said:


> Jerry, This is my bandsaw manual. When I check for flutter (see page 3 figure 2) I look for flutter on the left side between the wheels (where the blade is going up). I just find it easier to see the flutter there.



Thanks Gary,

I sure would have never thought of looking there. Probably the reason that I had not been able to do the drill before as I was looking at the blade where it cuts. I'll sure give it a try. Sure do appreciate your willingness to help me, I suspect that I'm not only one that will benefit from this information.

Jerry


----------



## bosox (Jun 12, 2012)

I've been using band saw for years with a good cheap blade, but it never threw sparks.


----------

