# Achieving zero drift on a bandsaw



## Bob N (Oct 12, 2004)

I spent years trying to figure out why I could not achieve zero drift with an exact 90 degree fence. I always had to adjust my fence to compensate for drift and it was making me nuts as a select few claimed it could be done with proper band saw tune up. Well, after locating the youtube video below, today I was able to do. :yes2::dance3::dance3::dance3: 

Alex knows his stuff! :big_boss:

Band Saw Clinic with Alex Snodgrass - YouTube


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Thanks Bob

Great video

==


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Very interesting video. Maybe now I can get mine to do that.


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

He did a reindeer for my littlest daughter at one of the woodworking shows a handful of years ago, it was awesome to watch. If I moved my hands around the blade as fast as he does, I would probably have shorter fingers....


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## vzbingo (Mar 1, 2012)

Thanks Bob. That video answered many of my questions about band saw adjustments.


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## rwl7532 (Sep 8, 2011)

Absolutely PRICELESS!!
Band saw is my favorite tool and this just made it even better.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Bob, Alex is truly amazing as a teacher. Perhaps now I'll become more proficient with my band-saw.


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## Bob N (Oct 12, 2004)

Thanks guys! After tuning my saw to perfection as instructed by Alex, I was so excited I just had to share my finding.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Wow. I didn't watch the whole video yet, but judging from what I learned in the first 30 seconds or so, this is going to be really great. 
Really great find. Thanks.


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## rwl7532 (Sep 8, 2011)

The biggest take away for me is the blade's gullets are to be on the center of the wheel - not the middle of the blade. No more re-adjusting the side guides to find a new position. The side guides are adjusted to the center of the wheel. Wow.

I just got a new timberwolf resaw blade. This is very timely.

We have to tell Jerry Bowen.
I sent Jerry a PM.


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## russ franken (Nov 29, 2009)

Thanks for sharing. Will have to do this to mine. Excellent video.

Russ


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## The Warthog (Nov 29, 2010)

I've listened to the first half of it. I was so glad to hear him say the wheels don't have to be co-planar. I was afraid I was going to have to go to a mechanic to get the lower wheel off and shim it. :stop:


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## rwl7532 (Sep 8, 2011)

If you make it to 18:48, you have the meat of the clinic.

The rest pretty much covers the Carter Stabilizer. Now when I had my Craftsman 12" BS, I found a Stabilizer on Ebay for pretty cheap. It does what it demonstrated to do. For > $65 it should. Ebay: $48. 

But the first 18 minutes or so will help any band saw.


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## curiousgeorge (Nov 6, 2006)

Thanks, Bob. I downloaded the video to my computer and can now watch at my leisure. This is one of the best on band saws I have ever seen.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Thanks Bob.

i have subscribed to this thread and will check it out when i get home....


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## greenacres2 (Dec 23, 2011)

curiousgeorge said:


> Thanks, Bob. I downloaded the video to my computer and can now watch at my leisure. This is one of the best on band saws I have ever seen.


How do you do that? I couldn't find any way to save the video. My connection lets me watch at 240 resolution, 360 is a start-stop-start-stop view, but if i could download i could do it at 720p and watch the hi-def version. Thanks!!

earl


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## cagenuts (May 8, 2010)

greenacres2 said:


> How do you do that? I couldn't find any way to save the video.


Either YouTube Downloader HD or if you are running Firefox instead of Internet Exploder, install the add-on called Flashgot.


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## The Warthog (Nov 29, 2010)

Well, I reinstalled my 3/8" blade, and am only a tiny bit off, so next time I'll do it in daylight and see if I can get it perfect. I'm pretty sure it will not drift if I use my fence. Took me over an hour to get everything right, though. I'm happy.


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## greenacres2 (Dec 23, 2011)

cagenuts said:


> Either YouTube Downloader HD or if you are running Firefox instead of Internet Exploder, install the add-on called Flashgot.


Thanks Cagenuts--video is downloading now. That's very slick!!

earl


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## curiousgeorge (Nov 6, 2006)

greenacres2 said:


> How do you do that? I couldn't find any way to save the video. My connection lets me watch at 240 resolution, 360 is a start-stop-start-stop view, but if i could download i could do it at 720p and watch the hi-def version. Thanks!!
> 
> earl


Earl, I have a program that I downloaded called VideoGet. It can be found on nuclear-coffee.com. It won't get all videos but will get quite a few.


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## steamfab (Jun 22, 2012)

Thank you for this link. I’m learning a lot! I should be able to correctly open and fold my blade after watching this!


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## Jerry Bowen (Jun 25, 2011)

I did the drill several days ago with my new saw. Since then I have done half a dozen test re-saw cuts, one as thin as .075" and all on oak boards that were seven inches wide. I have cut off the tops of several jewelry boxes and so far, the cuts have not only been perfect, or as perfect as I want and the quality of the cuts is extremely smooth. I am using a Timber Wolve fine toothed half inch blade. I do have to cut slow about a half inch per second to let the gullets clean up. Keep in mind that I am using the re-saw fence that came with the saw. The fence is set square with the table, there is not any tendency for the blade to drift and this defys everything that I had been told about band saws until I watched Snodgrasse's video. If you haven't done the set up, you are sure missing a good bet.

Jerry
Colorado City, TX


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## cagenuts (May 8, 2010)

Thanks for the feedback Jerry, appreciated. I now need to do the same with my bandsaw.


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## rpludwig (Nov 22, 2011)

excellent, thx for sharing this!

off to the bsaw now to tweak per the video, it has become the most used/versatile machine in my shop (other than the router of course)!


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## greenacres2 (Dec 23, 2011)

I finally did the "Snodgrass" on Saturday morning after watching the video again (without hesitation--hard wired to the router instead of wireless solved my speed problem, but that's a different issue). Needed to shave some 1 x 4 (3/4 sctual) to a 5/8 thickenss. Only needed about 6", but once i did that i grabbed a 36" piece for kicks--consistent all the way down!! 

earl


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