Delta/Rockwell 28-350 - A few questions to get it running.

[cody michael]

I posted earlier about this saw I believe.

I have the saw all put together, tires crowned and new blade installed did some test cuts and I am quite happy with it.

two questions

First I bought some thrust bearings from accurate bearing, they are smooth but I think they have to much resistance to spinning, the one I took off and cleaned I can spin with finger and it keeps spinning, new ones stop as soon as I let off. also there are sparks where the blade contacts the thrust bearing, and even under a heavy cut it spins but only slowly. If these are the wrong style bearings does anyone have a link to the correct ones?

Second, if I adjust the guides close to the table then raise guides all the way up there is about a 3/32 gap between thrust bearing and blade. Does this mean I need to move the wheels in or out? or is there some other adjustment?

[Will Boulware]

Not an expert by any means, but I've got a 28-3x0 (the newer ugly Rockwell counterpart to your 350). That bearing looks about right, and I wouldn't worry excessively about how freely it spins if it's doing it's job. Mine has what may be described as the worst guides in the history of bandsaws as we know them (the stacking parallelogram variant), and it sparks a bit here and there like yours does, but it's currently cutting 16th inch veneer without a complaint, so I can't say anything bad about it. The occasional spark isn't really hurting anything.

Again, I'm no expert here, but with the way mine's adjusted, I don't get continuous contact between the blade and the back bearing. I usually set it up with the post about halfway up from the table and double-fold a dollar behind the blade for spacing. I've never had any issue with it and haven't really looked to see how much it varied all the way up vs. all the way down. If my cut quality falls, I'll re-adjust accordingly, but like I said... Those sorry parallelogram guides are peeling off veneer this week like the boss is watching. The Italian saws brag about cutting stuff with the guides backed all the way out. My saw (and yours) aren't stiff enough to play that game with a 1 inch Lenox carbide blade, but they'll certainly do it with a Woodslicer! If yours is cutting well, I wouldn't sweat the petty stuff.

[joel cervera]

I rebuilt one of these about 3 yrs ago. You will need to adjust the hexagonal guide post so that it follows the blade whether raised up or down low. I don’t remember the process. But when I get a chance I will post the name and author of a reference book that I use to adjust all my machines.