Still struggling with G0555 tension now w/ pics

[Van Huskey]

Have you tried switching the spring back to the stock spring? When trouble shooting always look at what you changed FIRST and what was not changed last.

[Ronald Blue]

Van is correct. You stated it worked until you took it apart to change the spring. Either the spring or something else you disassembled is not correct. Take a deep breath and retrace your actions. I know it's been several weeks. I hope you took photos as you disassembled it. Good luck.

[keith micinski]

https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam's_razor

At this point it is going to be hard to go back to the beginning since you have replaced a bunch of parts and disassembled it multiple times. I would be willing to bet a large sum of money that the very first time you dissassembled it to replace the spring, when you say you knew for a fact that the saw was working properly, is where your problem lies. Identify those parts and processes and stop trying to find other problems until you verify that was done properly.

[Tom Ewell]

maybe I'm missing something but I'm not seeing the nut at the bottom of the screw in his pictures

go555 bandsaw tensioner.jpg

[keith micinski]

This thread seems to address the nut and why you might not see it in his photo. Also could be his problem.

http://lumberjocks.com/topics/30692

[Tom Ewell]

Gotcha, the nut gets exposed only when the tension is loosened all the way, otherwise it's inside the casting when tension is set.

[John Lanciani]

I'm betting on that top collar on the tension rod being in the wrong place. In pic #2 the tension spring is almost fully compressed but the tension rod is not bearing on the saw frame. If the tension rod isn't bearing on the saw frame it isn't putting any upward pressure on the wheel support to raise the upper wheel and tension the blade.

[Don Orr]

I'm with John L. here in that the tension rod is not bearing on the frame. That is not correct. I'm certainly no expert but have been using my bandsaw a long time. They are all fairly similar. If you have or can get a parts diagram, that may help with how the parts go together. I think you might have something out of order. I would also try and assemble things WITHOUT the quick release mechanism and collars to see if you can get it to work. Or even look at diagrams from other makes of saw to see how their tension systems work. After all, Grizzly just copied established designs. I've been watching this thread and hoping things would go more smoothly and feel bad that they have not. Unfortunately a good lesson in perseverance. You can get this-stick with it and do some more research. I have confidence in you. Keep us posted.

Found the parts diagram for you.
http://cdn1.grizzly.com/partslists/g0555_pl.pdf

[John TenEyck]

I think there are two ways that saw can apply tension to the spring. One is with the rod bearing on the frame, just like it does on my Delta 14". In that case, the quick release mechanism won't function properly. The other way is with the rod off the frame. In that case, tension is applied by means of that big barrel nut (for lack of a better term) that sits on top of the quick release mechanism. In both cases, the rod moves the captive nut (Part # 39 in the Grizzly parts list) up against the bottom of the spring.

This shouldn't be that hard. Either the rod can move the nut up enough to tension the spring or it can't. If the rod is bearing against the frame it's just a matter of turning the knob at the top of the rod until the captive nut compresses the spring enough to apply the desired tension. If you run out of travel before that happens then something is bent or the blade is too long. If the rod is off the frame and the barrel nut is in play then you would need to turn the barrel nut, then move the quick release to engage tension, check where the tension is, disengage the quick release, and adjust the barrel nut accordingly, until you have the desired amount of tension when tension is engaged. Again, if you run out of adjustment before achieving the desired tension something else is wrong.

John

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Here's a photo from the G0555 manual.

G055 manual3.jpg



The tension rod isn't designed to touch the upper frame arm. The tension rod is suspended from the support plates (qty. 4) by the upper tension collar. One end of the support plates is bolted to the pivot arm which is attached by two screws to the upper frame arm. The other end for the support plates is raised and lowered by the quick release lever depending on whether or not the blade is tensioned. The quick release lever is bolted to the upper frame arm.

The "working area" of the quick release lever is somewhat triangular in shape with a groove at it's highest point. When the handle of the quick release lever is pulled down, it's the triangular area that raises the spacer separating the support plates, lifting the support plates, raising tension rod due to the upper tension collar.

The upper tension collar is designed to set the blade tension depending on the blade size.

The lower collar is designed to set the minimum tension when the blade tension is released so that one might not experience the need to readjust the blade tracking every time the quick release lever is engaged and disengaged.

All the above is just my opinion, of course.

[Van Huskey]

Ken and John are correct the clones that have quick releases put the pressure on the large nut which bears on the cross piece between the yokes of the frame, those without a quick release bear the pressure on the bottom of the yoke.

I still think the OP needs to assemble the saw with the OEM spring or at least compare the diameter and height of the new spring he has. It worked with the old spring so it is either the spring or the assembly (meaning the OPs putting it back together) but each time he disassembles and reassembles it without verifying the spring issue he potentially adds variables to the mix.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

The tension rod in my MM-16 pushes up to tension the blade. The tension rod on this b/s is pulled up by the quick release lever.

Think of a wheelbarrow. You have a pivot point at one end (the axle for the wheels) in the case of this bandsaw, the bolt through the support plates to the pivot arm. The equivalent of handles and body of the wheelbarrow would be the support plates in this bandsaw. The action of your legs lifting up and raising the wheelbarrow by the handles is the equivalent of pulling down on the quick release lever handle raising the triangular end of the quick release lever until the spacer on that end of the support plates drops into the notch on that end of the quick release lever. The upper tension collar rides on the top the support plates. The mechanical load in a wheelbarrow can be in the barrel or it could be suspended under the barrow.....as is the tension rod of this bandsaw.

I think the OP has experienced more than one problem but with the same resultant symptoms.

I dearly wish I lived closer cause I'd be there in a heart beat.

[Van Huskey]

The key is upward pressure has to be applied to the wheel and on this saw it is pulling the spring up which pulls down on the quick release crossbar vs pressing down on the yoke which the non-quick release versions of this saw do. Looking at the pictures it appears the spring is indeed being compressed so it indicates to me something is binding and preventing the upward pull on the wheel. IF the upper wheel support hinge is not significantly bent then my guess is either the tension slide or the spring is binding because the spring is apparently compressed by the look of it.

If anyone is local and can contact the parents and go over I think a fresh set of eyes may be all it takes to get this saw right.

[keith micinski]

I don't think its the spring only because the spring shouldn't even begin to compress until the bade starts to to tighten up and give it something to push against. It sounds like he can't even get the blade to start gaining tension before the spring is compressed making me think something else is causing the top wheel bracket to catch before it is at it can begin to engage the blade.

[keith micinski]

I basically just said what van said two minutes later. Sadly I have gotten sucked into this thread and I don't even own this saw and never will