Band Saw Trouble

That’s called blade drift. It can happen on most saws. If your cutting a fairly thick piece of wood, you’ll also get that bending when your blade isn’t pulling away enough sawdust. You should be using a skip tooth blade for this, because it does it does a better job of clearing sawdust.

Check out this article on band saws.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

I think your blade might be deflecting when the cut starts. Make sure you have your guides properly set for the blade. Dick’s link is a good read.

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

Thanks guys, I’ve downloaded that article to read.

-- Tim D. - Woodstock, GA

Asking a 9” benchtop bandsaw to cut a straight line might be asking too much. You should consider returning it and saving up for a larger floor model. If a new one is definitely out of the budget, try to find one used from Craig’s List or the paper or an estate sale…

My two cents, based on experience…

-- Ethan, http://greystonegreen.blogspot.com/

Bandsaw blades rarely cut parallel to a fence set at 90 degrees to the table. They’ll have a bias to one side or the other. Do a trial cut along a straight line drawn on a piece of scrap wood without a fence and then set the fence parallel to that cut.

-- Res severa verum gaudium - True pleasure is a serious business. http://www.folksy.com/shops/TreeGems

Stewart said: Do a trial cut along a straight line drawn on a piece of scrap wood without a fence

I would add: with a wood of similar density…

I have the same saw! It’s sitting up in storage above my shop. I got too frustrated with it and
got a 14” delta and haven’t looked back!

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

I also think that a 9” saw may be your problem. Even many 14” saws can create this problem if you don’t have good guides… I would return that one and save a few more bucks to get a better saw with good guides.

I hate to spend other people’s money, but I don’t see a solution for this saw without going to a better one

-- making sawdust....

I have a Ryobi 9” band saw. I bought it for cutting smaller pieces for dollhouses. When I started building furniture, it was clear that that saw what not the right one for the job.

-- Working at Woodworking http://www.VillageLaneFurniture.com

Glad to see I’m not the only one who learned via that experience…

-- Ethan, http://greystonegreen.blogspot.com/

These forums are psychic-like, twice this afternoon now. Saturday somebody gave me a 9” Ryobi because he upgraded to a 14” model. My first try of a short piece of 2×4 just to see resulted in exactly the same effect as itsme experienced. The blade twists to the right. I spent time futzing with the blade guides to little effect. I’d be scared to set the fence parallel to where the blade wants to go, because where it seems to want to go is rightward until…sproing!!

Isn’t it worth at least swapping out the blade for better quality, like Timber Wolf, before consigning it to the junk corner. It should be suitable for light work at least. So you’d think. Otherwise what’s the point of the thing. (I couldn’t see the link Dick posted without a subscription.)

-- Neil (so I don't have to remember to sign my name)

I was afraid that this might be too light duty for what I was wanting but hopeful that it would work. After using the saw it seems more functional for the small pieces (like dollhouses!) much like a scroll saw.

Does anyone have experience with a Ryobi 10” drill press??? I might trade the band saw in and go for the drill press but would like to get some feedback before I make the swap.

Thanks again for the info.

-- Tim D. - Woodstock, GA

Tim I happened to have purchased a few Ryobi tools, mainly because my budget was not agreeable to anything better. The one thing I’ve found is that they can be useful if their limitations are kept in mind. They generally don’t have the power of better tools, so they will not perform well when your projects grow in size. I have the 10” drill press and it does me well. I don’t turn pens or things, so I don’t need to drill deep. I do find that it does have problems with larger Forstner bits, those over an inch; it just doesn’t have the torque to drive it. Again, the Ryobi line is fine for what it does, I have a 10” chop saw that has served me well for the last 4 years, a plunge router that does what I need it to do, a few cordless drills that work just fine, and a 12” planer that makes wood flat. To my way of thinking, as long as you remember that they are more introductory tools and not for professional use you’ll do just fine with them.

-- Working at Woodworking http://www.VillageLaneFurniture.com

I recently bought a 9” (blog here, sorry pics offline at the moment). Proper blade setup and buying a proper blade for heavy duty work (such as when resawing) is essential with these little saws.

I have resawn 3-1/2 thick hard maple (the max thickness the tool will handle), with excellent results. I think the problem is most people expect things to work out of the box. With budget tools you may need to spend some time calibrating them to perform as the “big boys”.

Oh, and don’t feed the wood too fast… For thicker stock, get an agressive blade (3-4 teeth per inch), and only push lightly… The more force you apply, the greater the tendancy for the blade to deflect.

-- Dekker - http://www.WoodworkDetails.com/Blog/MNagy/

I suggest you check to see if the blade is centered on the wheel. If its too far back the cut will drift to the right. Too far forward and the cut will drift to the left. Correct it by leaning the top wheel in or out.

-- The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance. Aristotle

I’m sorry for those who don’t have FWW online, so check this article.
by David Marks

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

I agree with the red head (and others in the same camp) – that saw is mostly worthless. It was one of my first powertool purchases and one of my worst. I actually threw it away at the dump rather than have it heaped upon some other unsuspecting woodworker. You will spend more money and time getting that thing to be of marginal value than it is worth. Feed rate is frustratingly slow, blade won’t stay put, table is too small to be of any value. Can it be improved? Sure, but spend the money on a used 14”.

-- Just another woodworker

I’m with the others. I’d get a bigger saw. I had a small 9” one and it was good for balsa wood and that was about it – didn’t matter the blade type or size, it just was not hefty enough to cut much.

-- You can't get a hug from Facebook.

The Ryobi drill press is basic. I have used it many time at my woodworking school and it has held up. But if you are trading in at Home Depot the Ridgid drill press is much better.

-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne

Schwing,

I’m glad to see I’m not also the only other one to just chuck the Ryobi band saw into the dumpster!

-- Ethan, http://greystonegreen.blogspot.com/

Ryobi tools are really for do it yourself tiny projects. i would not buy their drill press either. The Rigid stand drill press is not a bad choice. I also like the Delta and Steel City drill press.

-- making sawdust....

I have started with bottom of the price list tools many times and some never lasted the first few attempts at use. If you cant afford a higher quality tool make the best of what you have but keep in mind they will have limited use and life span. Don’t ask to much from them and upgrade when you can.

-- Ron, Twain Harte, Ca. Portable on site Sawmill Service http://westcoastlands.net/Sawmill.html http://westcoastlands.net/SawBucks2/phpBB3 http://www.portablesawmill.biz/concrete/

Does any know what Ryobi means?

It means “fishing finery” in Japanese. They started out making fishing things.

Just thought you might like to know.

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.