wooden bandsaw blade pressure guides

[Timo Christ]

My bandsaw is the Holzkraft HBS533S (21", same factory as Grizzly G0566 with different guides and 5HP 3-Phase motor), which is shown in more detail here:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=25603
I was not too happy with the stock guides (typical "euro" guides) as they had alot of play and were tedious to adjust. The mechanical noise from metal to metal contact also bothered me.
On a german forum i read about an idea for bandsaw guides inspired by the big Canali resaws. These saws use so-called single point pressure guides. Their operating principle is to displace the band by a couple of mm (say 1/8in) from its natural running position. With such guides it is essential to detension the blade after use, this is done on the Canali saws as well. Fortunately my saw has a detensioning lever.
To try this concept on my saw i made a new table insert from 19mm birch ply to use as a lower guide and a wooden profile which is clamped to the cast aluminum guide support as a top guide block. For now i'm using a clamp but this is insecure as machine vibration could loosen the clamp.. a version with an elongated hole will be made so that it can be secured with a bolt on the cast alu guide support. The rear support rollers can still be used, but it works without them as well.

Benefits:
it's free!
lower guide is very close to the workpiece.
easy to adjust (only has to be adjusted once).
lower noise.

What i still need to work on:
Make top guide from hardwood with elongated hole for adjustment.
Do some metalwork to keep top guide from being twisted (i.e. pin all round parts) but for now it holds as it is.
Improve dust collection.

I didn't saw much yet, so this modification is definitely still under evaluation. My first impressions are very positive though, and i doubt that i will go back to the original guides or buy expensive aftermarket guides (Panhans APA).
I only use a wide blade on my saw (27mm 2/3 TPI bimetal). The table can not be tilted anymore after this mod, but as my table only tilts in one direction anyway (useless for dovetails) this is not a big concern for me. I expect this guide mechanism will also work well with smaller blades (10mm is the smallest i have).

T

[Mike Cutler]

Interesting idea Timo. I have big roller bearing guides on my Rikon. I could probably just use the bearings to deflect the blade, but it would be a little difficult without some form of a fine vernier adjust to get the blade perpindicular to the table and have an equal amount of pre-load on the upper, and lower guide bearings.

I know that the big Marvel, metal working bandsaw, at work has two sets of upper and lower guides. The blade is actually twisted 90 deg with the most upper, and lower most set of bearings, and the two inner sets of upper and lower bearings are definitely preloaded aginst the blade.

Let us know how it works out for you.

[Robert Mickley]

I don't see why it wouldn't work. My sawmill only has a roller on the inside of the blade and a one on the back on each guide. As for the wood. My wallace bansaw only has bearing for thrust. the side guides where steel blocks I replaced them with ones a cut out of purple heart a couple years ago. they work just fine

[Jim Becker]

There are many folks who use hardwood for band saw blade guides. 'Hard and oily' is nice, but just about any hardwood will work just fine.

[Steve Clardy]

I have an early 1900's Star 20" bandsaw that has all wooden side guides. I made, replaced them several years ago. White oak, soaked in oil.