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I have a Rikon 14" deluxe bandsaw and am having some tracking issues.

With a thin (1/4") blade on the saw, I simply can't get it to track right. I can get it to track in front of the center point and behind the center point but not right in the center. There is a dark band on the wheel just aft of center and when adjusting the tracking, I get nothing, nothing nothing…then it starts moving back and boom - it falls right into the dark band. When adjusting to go back forward, same thing - several turns of nothing followed by a sudden movement to a point just forward of the dark band.

I'm guessing that perhaps I wasn't diligent enough about releasing the tension on the blade, or perhaps ran too high a tension and I've got a low spot in the tires? New tires would probably fix it?

Any other thoughts?

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http://www.birkonium.com CNC Products for Luthiers
http://banduramaker.blogspot.com

Yep... If there is no crown left on the tyres (tires), for whatever reason, you'll have problems adjusting the tracking. Cleaning the tyres can help, if a build-up of resin/saw dust/gunk is causing the "out-of-crown".

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Trevor Gore, Luthier. Australian hand made acoustic guitars, classical guitars; custom guitar design and build; guitar design instruction.

http://www.goreguitars.com.au

On my Laguna LT-18, I always keep the teeth off the edge of the tire. The 1.25" resaw king will ride nearly center but for the .25", it is hanging precariously on that front edge of the tire. The guides on that saw will not adjust to allow centering the narrow blades. Not sure if your guides will be happy with that technique but perhaps an option.

If you keep the teeth just forward of the center of the wheel then you can change blade sizes without adjusting the guides. These bandsaws have minds of their own though.

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Ken

Yeah what Ken said. Try to get it to track near the edges. I also have the RIkon 14". The lower guide bearings won't move forward enough for smaller blades but if you track the blade to the back of the wheel you might get it to work. Also, I find that the blades require more tension than what the tension knob says. I'll usually crank it up to the next size up.

I'm going to pick up new tires, probably the Carter urethane ones since they're the same width.

It must be a low spot worn in the rubber because the blade always migrates to the same spot on the tire. Once it's in that zone, it takes several turns in either direction to get out of the ditch. anywhere else on the tire small movements of the wheel cause small movements in tracking.

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http://www.birkonium.com CNC Products for Luthiers
http://banduramaker.blogspot.com

I think new tires will take care of the problem. I don't know about Rikon band saws but mine is a very old craftsman 14" that I was having the same problem with this past spring. Bought a new set of urethane tires and my saw works like new again (well it works like a 40 year old saw that now tracks true).

Resurface the tire with sandpaper on a stick of scrap. Carefully... or turn by hand.

I've also got the Rikon deluxe 14" and have experienced some of the same tracking/guide problems. Except for these annoying issues I really like this saw. Andy,

I'd be interested on how the tire replacement works out if you do it. Also, anyone know of a guide upgrade for this saw?

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I'm picking up the new tires today and should have them installed sometime soon. I'll report back on whether the issue is fixed.

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http://www.birkonium.com CNC Products for Luthiers
http://banduramaker.blogspot.com

I put the new tires on today and there's no comparison. Everything is fixed and the blade tracks right in the center.

Seeing how this thing tracks now, I think the OEM tires were junk out of box.

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http://www.birkonium.com CNC Products for Luthiers
http://banduramaker.blogspot.com

That's good to know - thanks for reporting back.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"