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I have a delta 14" band-saw, and it doesn't quite cut straight. When I feed a piece of wood through straight, about 2" into the cut, the blade starts to turn out slightly cutting a curve. If i keep the wood straight and keep going.. the blade will just continue on its path outwards. How do I tune this properly and get it to cut straighter? The small guides on either side I adjusted already. I put them both against the blade, and just slightly backed them off just a tiny bit.. as to not rub and generate heat. The bearing behind the blade is about 1/32" from the back of the blade. Also, how wide of a blade should I be using to cut the scarf joint on the neck?
Thanks in advance!

Jason

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How thin is the blade? and what kind of wood?

Jeff

Is the top guide close to the wood ?

Are you using the original OEM blade? A good quality blade could fix the trick, like it did for me. On the other hand, many bandsaws have some drift regardless and the only solution for cutting a straight line is to feed stock at an angle corresponding to the angle of drift. There are fences for bandsaws made with this capability for the reason you describe.

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"Building guitars looks hard, but it's actually much harder than it looks." Tom Buck

From blade type and condition, tension, guides, rollers and so on, there's more than anybody can tell you without looking at the machine. Do yourself a favour and buy this book, you won't regret it:
http://www.amazon.com/New-Complete-Guide-Band-Saw/dp/1565233182/

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

I have the same bandsaw -

I spent some $ and got myself a very good fence - that I adjusted for the drift angle - Kreg Bandsaw Fence
I also got Cool blocks to replace the Delta guides, and I have them very close
and I got a new Timberwolf blade.

I have been able to resaw 6" tall stock and cut detailed thin wood as well with no issues.

I would go over the Delta instructions and online instructions on tuning the saw perfectly - then you will see big improvement.

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It is an OEM blade, and of poor quality I'm assuming. At the weld line there is a tooth the sticks out further than the rest.. I just found this and had wondered why it sounded funny when cutting, a steady click click click.

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You can partly read the book on Google Books
http://books.google.ca/books?id=aeM7uIFQav8C&pg=PA70&lpg=PA70&dq=bandsaw+adjustment&source=bl&ots=FTE1K-0EK4&sig=y-M_AIGu-FpqLvZNwUabilKnLGs&hl=fr&ei=ZwvJS5rmE4G78gbHqZWGBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CDYQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q&f=false

Ditto on what Todd says. First you need to get the wheels in line. On that saw you may be able to shim the wheels with washers, that is the best or you may have to unbolt at riser block if you have one or at that joint if you don't and align the wheels with a strait edge of about 3.5 feet. I also find it important to track the blade as close to the center of the wheels as I can get. Then crank up the blade tension a bit extra. I find guides less important than one might think. They do have to be set properly but the other factors such as blade tension, wheel alignment, blade sharpness, tracking on the wheel, maximum blade size for cut seem more important.

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Ditto on what Todd says. First you need to get the wheels in line. On that saw you may be able to shim the wheels with washers, that is the best or you may have to unbolt at riser block if you have one or at that joint if you don't and align the wheels with a strait edge of about 3.5 feet. I also find it important to track the blade as close to the center of the wheels as I can get. Then crank up the blade tension a bit extra. I find guides less important than one might think. They do have to be set properly but the other factors such as blade tension, wheel alignment, blade sharpness, tracking on the wheel, maximum blade size for cut seem more important.

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If the blade is bowing out during a cut, your feed rate for the size blade and density of material is too great. Even with a properly tuned saw, if you've got the wrong blade for the job, it will bow out of line.

I'd get the Bandsaw Handbook and get your saw tuned up. Then start improving some of the parts by contacting Iturra Design, get their catalog, and slowly improve your saw with better blades, guides, springs and tires (if they're worn out).

Iturra doesn't have a website, but here's their number: 904 371 3998.

From what I see in the photo that blade will never cut right until it's either cleaned or replaced. Way to much buildup on the blade.
If the blade is tracking in the relatively same position on both top and bottom wheels there is no need to fool with wheel alignment.
If your using a fence that needs to be adjusted to compensate for blade drift.

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Hi, Jason.
Every respondent has given good advice. There are a lot of potential issues with band saws. One of the things you must remember is that every single blade tracks a bit differently. After you make sure the wheels are in alignment, the guides are properly set, the blade is sharp and clean, the tension is correct, etc. etc. etc., you must still check for the tracking angle of your particular blade. You can do this easily be drawing a line along a straight stick about a half inch away from--and parallel to--the edge, and then sawing along that line freehand. Don't saw it all the way to the end. You'll notice your saw wants to cut this way or that at first. Pretty soon, you'll find the feed angle that gives you a straight cut along your pencil line. When you are tracking correctly along your pencil line, just stop your feed and shut down the saw. DON'T MOVE YOUR STICK! Carefully draw a pencil line on your saw table along the straight edge of the stick. That will tell you the drift angle that your blade wants. Now set up your fence parallel to that drift angle. You can adjust in or out for the thickness you want, but keep the fence angle parallel to the pencil line you drew on your saw table. You will be able to make lots of straight cuts. You have to do this every time you mount a new blade. (At least in my experience, that's what I have to do.) I hope this helps.
Good luck. You will be fine.

Patrick