Euro-style blade guide of bandsaw

[Susumu Mori]

Hi all,

I recently purchased a 20-inch bandsaw, an upgrade from a 14-inch Grizz, and this is my first experience with the euro-style blade guide. So I would appreciate sharing you experience about it.

I think I set up the two discs at each side of the blade and a thrust disc correctly. The bandsaw runs smoothly and I can cut nice veneers as thin as 0.015 inch with a uniform thickness. So, I have no problem with the performance.

However, I noticed a couple of things and I want to know if it is normal.

First, the thrust disc is not completely parallel to the blade and contacting at the upper part of the disc. That means, the blade and the disc contact at the edge of the disc, causing wearing of the disc from the edge. Am I suppose to adjust the disc parallel to the blade so that the blade is supported by the face of the disc, not by the edge? Because both the upper and lower thrust discs are tilted in the same way, I thought they are intentionally set up in this way.

Second, the two side discs do not seem parallel. Again, both the upper and the bottom guides are in this way. They are toe-in; closer in the front and wider in the back, contacting the blade behind the teeth of the blade, while the back of the blade has more space for wiggle. I'm not sure if there is any way to adjust it.

Anyway, I would appreciate your help here.

[Charles R Johnson]

Susumu,
You ask very good questions and I share them with you. I've got a newer 24" Felder BS with Euro guides. I'm getting excellent performance from the saw but also noted the same concern about the side guides not being parallel which seems to make it difficult to know one has the adjustment correct. I have basically adjusted them so i don't have much or any contact with the blade. The back guide is runs such that the blade would contact the outer 1/4" of the disc. which seems reasonable to me. I using a Woodmaster Carbide blade and feed the stock in such that the back blade rarely makes contact. Of course that will be different with narrower blades.

Some input from others on using the Euro guides with various blade widths would be appreciated.

[Susumu Mori]

Hi Charles,

You must have bought a big brother FB610. Mine is FB510. I bet we share the same guide system. So it seems all FB guides are made in the same way. It's good to know that at least my guides are not a glitch

Well, as long as the saws are performing well, maybe I should not worry too much about it....

[Charles R Johnson]

My saw is the prior model FB600 which I got as a demo machine. I'm sure we have the same guides. I just finished 220 resaw slices 1/8" thick on the machine with no problems. I was actually pretty amazed with the accuracy with the CT blade and using David Marks fence jig with feather boards. I building 4 of the Finewoodworking "Garden Chairs". Now I'm in the middle of the glue up for the bent wood lamination. The new BS has changed my methods for roughing out work and now the table saw is strictly for joinery and sheet goods. good luck with your machine. CJ