Bandsaw Tension Reminder

What ever works for you. I just leave the top door open when tension is slacked..

-- Brian's Table Top Toys http://home.mountaincable.net/~bgraham/

two really good ideas

-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

That’s a good tip. However I have a tough enough time complying with detensioning the blade without remembering to open the door or flip a tag. I think I’ll put one of those by the light switch!

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

I’m with you on this one Tom. I always seem to remember to detension the blade 30 minutes after I leave the shop. I don’t seem to have the problem on retensioning when I start but that will probably happen eventually.

All good ideas on this one.

-- Wayne, Tennessee Mallard Design

I flipped it on once with the blade slack…Ehww! My saw has the big lever that pulls the blade to tension and re-tensions in a snap. Now I unplug the saw and hang the cord on the lever in slack mode as a reminder. In case I forget, I wrote on the saw with a Sharpie: Check Blade Tension! above the on switch.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Shows how much I’m learning here. I don’t have a band saw yet and I didn’t even know you needed to do any of this. This is why I love the internet. Its better than college ever was!

~DB

-- Happy Ripping!!!

Keeping so much tension on the blade all the time shortens blade life and is hard on the wheels, bearings, etc. of the saw.

I use a “Pony” spring clamp (they are bright orange) to remind me. When the blade is tensioned the clamp is clamped to the tensioning knob. When the blade is loose I clamp it right to the blade just above the table. It acts like a flag and is easy to move back and forth.

-- Check out my new website! http://www.theeasellife.com

I haven’t thought of keeping a door open or a spring in place. My saw has a quick release bar on the outside, so I only open the door to track the blade.

-- Jeff, South Carolina