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Old 12-16-2018, 10:45 AM
Quickstep192 Quickstep192 is offline
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Default Bandsaw Blade Guides

I’m wondering what y’all like for bandsaw blade guides. I’ve been using cool blocks, but I find they wear too quickly and don’t really provide that much resistance to blade twisting.

Also, the original setup on my saw has always seemed a little sloppy; the entire guide assembly for the upper guides shifts a bit when you tighten the thumbscrew for the upper guide assembly.

I’m considering Carter bearing guides since they replace the entire guide assembly.
I also hear good things about ceramic guides. What are everyone’s favorites?
My saw is a Delta 14” if that matters.

Thanks for any guidance.
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Old 12-16-2018, 11:39 AM
M Hayden M Hayden is offline
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Go for the Carter guides. I’ve got them on a 1967 Delta/Rockwell 14” saw. The Carter guides coupled with a Lenox 1/2” trimaster (carbide) blade is a magic combination - with a 1.5 hp Baldor motor, it resaws really well.
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Old 12-16-2018, 12:25 PM
JCave JCave is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Quickstep192 View Post
I also hear good things about ceramic guides.

I have a Laguna bandsaw, it came with ceramic guides. I needed a new guide and purchased the kit, not exactly inexpensive. Just make sure that you adjusted them correctly.
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Old 12-19-2018, 12:16 AM
tadol tadol is offline
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Sounds like you have one of the newer saws with a round bar for the upper guide - the older saws had a hex bar that didn’t allow it to move easily.

There are alot of things to look at when fine tuning a bandsaw - if you are willing to make the effort (and lucky enough to have a friend with a machine shop) its pretty straightforward. Check the bar is straight before anything else. If you can get a groove milled down the length of it, then get the bolt ground so that it rides in the groove, that will make keeping the alignment of the guide much better. The connection between the guide and the bar has to be really solid. The guide should stay an equal distance from the back of the blade throughout its range, and should also remain centered on the blade throughput as well. That may get into adjusting wheels or even frame to accomplish. Which opens up the whole balancing of wheels and truing of tires, but thats usually pretty good on newer saws. If you can see the blade move from side to side, or forward back, even a tiny amount with each wheel revolution, you got other problems -

There are a few aftermarket guides - the blocks versus bearings choice has alot to do with the primary use of the saw. Blocks work fine, but they need to have their faces dressed and true to the blade to be really effective. Thrust bearings need to be checked for no scarring and smooth rotation - but are pretty easy to replace. Sometimes the problem is just blades with funky welds that keep you from getting the guides properly set - and when they get damaged or dull, you need to replace them and not try to burn your way thru stock. Extra heat from the blade can cause problems with guides and tires.

I have older saws, and am quite happy with blocks but have used all bearing guides as well. Carters are good. But I’ve used too many saws that just weren’t well set up to begin with, and that’s always where I’d start before investing in guides -
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Old 12-19-2018, 09:25 AM
charles Tauber charles Tauber is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Quickstep192 View Post
I’ve been using cool blocks, but I find they wear too quickly and don’t really provide that much resistance to blade twisting.
For many years, I've used cool blocks on a 1980's 14" Rockwell. I've had no issues with them. In my experience, they do wear, but not quickly. The blocks can be turned around or filed to remove the wear. The blocks should not be touching the blade constantly, but installed with a small amount of clearance on each side of the blade.

I find your comment about resistance to blade twisting curious. What sort of twisting problems are you experiencing? Normally, the blade only twists when cutting tight curves. Are you having "drift" issues, where the blade cuts at an angle? I occurs to me you might be using too narrow a blade for what you are cutting, or too few teeth, both of which will cause the blade to move all over the place while cutting thicker/harder material. (Normally, you want to use the widest blade possible for resawing.) Trying to use, say, a 6 tpi, 1/4" blade, such as you might use for cutting out thin tops and backs, for resaw work just isn't going to give good resaw results. (I'd use a 3 tpi, 1/2" or 3/4" skip tooth for resaw work.)

Certainly, my 14" Rockwell is not a "precision" machine - far from it - but it still cuts quite adequately, including resawing. A few years ago, I purchased a Laguna 14/12. It's an entirely different animal. It has ceramic guides that seem to do what they need to: I've had no issues with them.
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Old 12-19-2018, 10:53 AM
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Bruce Sexauer Bruce Sexauer is offline
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For many years I had lusted for Carter Guides; all those bearing and great precision! About five years ago I bought a set for my Delta 14 and installed them. They are still there, but I now realize they are just as finicky as the original stock guides, and assuming properly set up, are no more accurate or useful. My resaw is a Delta 20”, and I expect to keep its original 1961 steel guide system on it till I drop; it’s just not any kind of problem.

The trick to a bandsaw is learning how to set the thing up. Once you understand it the work rarely takes more than a couple of minutes, and if it is out of whack it becomes obvious at a glance. Generally, I go through the simple process every time I change a blade and it rarely needs tweaking in between.
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