Kurt,
Brillant Idea. I wish you would have posted it before I spent the $150 for one of Iturra's gauges. When I get a chance I'll compare the two.
I agree with Lars, send the idea off to FWW or another of the mags before somebody else does.
Kurt,
Brillant Idea. I wish you would have posted it before I spent the $150 for one of Iturra's gauges. When I get a chance I'll compare the two.
I agree with Lars, send the idea off to FWW or another of the mags before somebody else does.
I tried the flutter test as that seemed to be the proper way to test according to what I have read. Then I used the dial caliper idea posted here. I did not have time to verify the results exactly but from what I saw the tension seemed to be hugely more using the caliper than using the flutter test setting. Seems like a lot of tension to me but I am surely not a bandsaw expert. I do not know if I was being careful enough but will try it again later when I have the time. Has anyone else compaired the two?
One other thing that I found was that Michael Perata in a post showing simular threads below (Blade Tension Guage) briefly mentioned using a dial caliper instead of a tension guage. He did not expound but there must be at least on other person using this method.
Hey San Josey,Originally Posted by Chris Padilla
You are a TERRIFIC judge of character and celestial influence! Contrary to popular opinion, salt water DOES NOT build brain cells, even if it is well iced! Anyway, thanks for the compliment - I think??
Dale T.
I am so busy REMAKING my projects that I don't have time to make them the FIRST time!
Hey Spring,Originally Posted by John Miliunas
Remember that the same in/in strain(stretch) occurs on BOTH sides of the blade and the "stretch" on the blade is actually double your reading. OK. You already knew that! As a good friend, I just wanted to set the record straight. By the way, BS (Badger Stadium) is an ancient acronym. We now call it Camp Randall Stadium.
Dale T.
I am so busy REMAKING my projects that I don't have time to make them the FIRST time!
Lou,Originally Posted by lou sansone
Timberwolf recommends the "flutter" method. I've tried it and have no complaints with the results.
Lou, we all have skeletons in our closets. One of mine is that I SELDOM detension my Band Saw blades. That negates the purpose of the whole post for idiots like me. If there are any "sharks" in the Creek, I am fair game!
Dale T.
I am so busy REMAKING my projects that I don't have time to make them the FIRST time!
Hi Lou, I use the "flutter method" for tensioning. But isn't that just for low tension blades? Now I just crank it up and check performance.
Alan T. Thank God for every pain free day you live.
Originally Posted by lou sansone
I have tried the "flutter" method and found it to be the most inaccurate way to test tension. My results yielded tension so low as to be dangerous.
As far as I am concerned there are no "low tension" blades. Steel is steel and the only reason that I can see for advising low tension is to hide weak welds.Originally Posted by Alan Tolchinsky
Kurt,Originally Posted by Kurt Loup
THANK YOU!
You just saved me a bunch of $$ for a tension gauge. (And, made SWMBO happier to boot).
GREAT Idea and it's so easy, a Caveman could do it.
-Mike
This sounds like a great way to set up the blade in my new Rikon 10-325 that arrived today, but I am wondering at what tension do you start your measuring at and how do you know what that is?
Thanks. I agree with the other posters, if this works, you should get a prize.
I don't want to rain on the praise parade here, but doesn't this assume zero tension at the beginning measurement? How do you get it to be at zero, but still have the blade straight, so that any further elongation is due to tension?
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This is a vintage post and, Kurt did win a prize from FWW and his tip was in the magazine, about 2 years ago...
Accurate? I have no idea.
Different steels at different hardnesses will perform differently under stress. So too will the performance change with the width and thickness of the blade as well as little things like tooth and gullet grind.
Over my years in machine shops with band saws I never once pulled out a tension gauge (never saw or heard of one). I just tightened the blade to just the right "feel." However, it is absolutely true that a DO-All or a Grob (common machine shop saws) are stratospherically better (heavier) machines than what a few lousy grand will purchase in the consumer retail market.
Kids new in the trade would over-do the tension such that they'd snap the blades over and over and the machines would be no worse for it.
I rather suspect that that sort of treatment would destroy most made-for-the-consumer band saws. But then you aren't paying 20 grand for them either.
I've used the TimberWolf flutter test, and am happy with it most of the time, but when I am pushing my saw and thus blade more than usual, I will give it a few more cranks higher. I usually find another flutter free zone, higher up in tension, that I use for the hard cases.
I haven't tried this yet, but I do have the article. Same idea though.
https://www.taunton.com/finewoodwork...F.aspx?id=2702
Last edited by Eddie Darby; 08-11-2007 at 9:20 AM.