Bandsaw Tension on 18" Grizzly

[Gary Curtis]

My 20 year-old Grizzly bandsaw tensioner is marked with a scale number 1-10. How do I match those numbers to given size bandsaw blade?

What is the right tension marking, and would it be the same for every size blade?

Gary Curtis

[Roy Wall]

Gary,

My guess is about the 5 mark is for a 1/2 or 3/4 blade. I would just tension a 1/2" blade so it has about an 8th or quarter inch deflection about a foot down from the wheel ( inside or spine side of saw).....see how it runs....and make a note on the guage itself for 1/2" blade.

a wider blade will need more tension....narrower blade less.