Lesson Learned - Keep up with maintenance
My Grizzly band saw has ball bearings instead of guide blocks, for both the sides and the back of the blade.
I guess I was forgetting that the lower bearings, under the table, got more saw dust than the upper ones. So I blithely assumed (yes I know what that means) that as long as the upper set was OK, well, so must the lower ones be.
Mind you, that wasn't a well thought out thing. It just didn't occur to me that there would be a drastic difference in condition between the two sets.
Well, one day I was sawing something small enough so I could look through the throat plate while the saw was working. What I saw was little sparks.
Little sparks?!!!
What could that be, thought I.
Stop the saw, pop out the throat plate and - - - Whaaaaaaat?
The rear back guide bearing had seized and each time I pushed the work against the blade it rubbed the now stopped bearing.
It did no harm to the blade. I went to the internet and used the part numbers to find new bearings, and Amazon had them, 5 pieces for five bucks!
With new bearings installed (both the side and back guides) and good adjustments made I can slice a 1/64" veneer from the side of a walnut board.
Lesson learned.
I hereby promise to be good from now on.
Don
My Grizzly band saw has ball bearings instead of guide blocks, for both the sides and the back of the blade.
I guess I was forgetting that the lower bearings, under the table, got more saw dust than the upper ones. So I blithely assumed (yes I know what that means) that as long as the upper set was OK, well, so must the lower ones be.
Mind you, that wasn't a well thought out thing. It just didn't occur to me that there would be a drastic difference in condition between the two sets.
Well, one day I was sawing something small enough so I could look through the throat plate while the saw was working. What I saw was little sparks.
Little sparks?!!!
What could that be, thought I.
Stop the saw, pop out the throat plate and - - - Whaaaaaaat?
The rear back guide bearing had seized and each time I pushed the work against the blade it rubbed the now stopped bearing.
It did no harm to the blade. I went to the internet and used the part numbers to find new bearings, and Amazon had them, 5 pieces for five bucks!
With new bearings installed (both the side and back guides) and good adjustments made I can slice a 1/64" veneer from the side of a walnut board.
Lesson learned.
I hereby promise to be good from now on.
Don