Frequently Asked Questions

Your band saw is made for years of trouble-free service. For further assistance, please call our office at (216) 459-9001, or fill out a technical product question at the bottom of the page.

The saw develops camber

THE SAW DEVELOPS CAMBER

Possible Causes

Solution

The feed pressure is too heavy

Reduce feed rate

The saw guides are too far apart

Adjust closer to work

The blade is riding against the flange

on the wheel

Tilt the wheel for proper

tracking

The roller guides are not properly

adjusted

Readjust

The saw band pitch is too fine

Use a more coarse pitch

The band saw is cutting crooked

THE BAND SAW IS CUTTING CROOKED

Possible Causes

Solution

The guides are out of adjustment

Readjust

The guides are worn

Repair or replace them

The feed is too heavy

Reduce feed

The blade is badly worn

Replace blade

The guide arms are too far apart from

the work-piece

Adjust guide arms

The saw blade breaks prematurely

THE SAW BLADE BREAKS PREMATURELY

Possible Causes

Solution

The speed is too low

Increase speed

There is too much feed

Decrease feed

The blade is too thick for the

diameter of the wheels

Use a lighter gauge

There is cracking at the weld

Try longer anneal

The pitch is too coarse

Use a finer pitch

There is excessive blade tension

Reduce tension

The guides are too tight or out

of adjustment

Readjust

The saw dulls prematurely

THE SAW DULLS PREMATURELY

Possible Causes

Solution

The band velocity is too high

Reduce band velocity

The feed rate is too light

Increase feed rate

The saw guides are improper for

the band width

Replace the guides with

the correct ones

The saw idles through the cut

Keep teeth engaged and

keep feed pressure

The pitch is too coarse

Use a finer pitch

The coolant is improperly

directed

Apply coolant at point of

cut

There is improper break-in on

a new blade

Reduce feed rate by half

on the first few cuts

THE SAW BLADE GULLETS ARE LOADING UP

Possible Causes

Solution

The pitch is too fine

Use a more coarse pitch

Your band speed is too great

Reduce band speed

You are cutting dry

Use coolant

The saw blade gullets are loading up

The blade stalls in the work-piece

THE BLADE SQUEALS WHILE SAWING

Possible Causes

Solution

Feed pressure too light

Increase feed rate

Guides are worn

Lubricate guide rollers;

if problem persists,

replace guide rollers

Chips are welding to the blade teeth

THE CHIPS ARE WELDING TO THE BAND SAW BLADE TEETH

Possible Causes

Solution

The feed force is too heavy

Use a more coarse pitch

The chip brush is out of

alignment

Adjust chip brush

The coolant is the wrong type,

improperly mixed, or improperly

applied

Change the coolant

The saw vibrates in the cut

THE SAW VIBRATES IN THE CUT

Possible Causes

Solution

The wrong speed is being used for

the material and its thickness

See the section on

recommended speed

and feed in your

owner's manual

There is insufficient blade tension

Increase the tension

The pitch is too coarse

Select a finer pitch

There is incorrect feed pressure

Adjust the feed pressure

The work-piece is not held securely

Tighten the clamp

The bandsaw becomes scored

THE BAND SAW BECOMES SCORED

Possible Causes

Solution

The saw guides are worn

Replace them

The guides are out of alignment

Adjust the guides

The guides are too tight

Adjust the guides

The blade develops twist

THE BLADE DEVELOPS TWIST

Possible Causes

Solution

The saw is binding in the cut

Reduce feed rate

There is too much blade tension

Reduce blade tension

The saw guide inserts are too

close to the saw

Tilt the wheel for proper

tracking

The width of blade is wrong for

the radius being cut

Use narrower band saw

blade

The cutting rate is too slow

THE CUTTING RATE IS TOO SLOW

Possible Causes

Solution

The feed rate is too slow

Increase feed rate

The saw speed is too slow

Increase saw speed

The saw pitch is too fine

Use a more coarse pitch

You are not using coolant

Use coolant

The saw loses set prematurely

THE SAW LOSES SET PREMATURELY

Possible Causes

Solution

The saw is too wide for the radius

being cut

Replace the blade with a

more narrow blade

The saw speed is too fast

Decrease saw speed

The saw is rubbing against the vise

or running deep in the guides

Check the travel and

adjust if necessary

You are not using coolant

Use coolant

The saw teeth rip out

THE SAW TEETH RIP OUT

Possible Causes

Solution

The speed is too low

Increase band velocity

There is excessive feed pressure

Decrease feed rate

The gullets are loading

Use a coarser pitch or

higher viscosity lubricant;

or, attach brush to

remove chips

You are sawing dry

Use coolant where

possible

The pitch is too coarse

Use a finer pitch on thin

sections

The work is not tightly clamped

Tighten work-piece to

prevent vibration

THE BLADE STALLS IN THE WORK-PIECE

Possible Causes

Solution

The feed rate is too great

Decrease feed rate

The blade is badly worn or

missing teeth

Replace blade

The blade squeals while sawing

Other/Fill In

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