Bandsaw blade tension

[darkzero]

I use automotive tires for band saw wheels

I'm sure I'm picturing something different but I have to ask just in case you built some sort of super bandsaw like the crazy go kart belt sander.

 

[cathead]

Here's an old photo of my band saw.
It has been moved to my wood lot as of last summer and has a bigger motor on it now plus electric start.

 

[benmychree]

I leave the tension on my shop saws, both wood and metal. But relieve it on the saw mill, it has a hydraulic tensioner. The blade runs with 1,200 pounds tension. If the temperature goes up the hydraulic fluid expands and the tension sky rockets.
Interestingly, when I first put a blade on the tension will drop for the first 4 or 5 cuts, keep bumping it up, then it holds steady. The blade must be stretching.

Greg

Or, perhaps it is heating up and lengthening

 

[benmychree]

I too, have never released tension on the blades of any of the bandsaws that I have and do own, never a problem with tires.

 

[francist]

“...how many times have people turned on the bandsaw before remembering to retention the blade?...”

I’m thinking probably quite a few, although maybe not more than once.

I have four of these flags hanging from a hot air duct in my shop. They’re just nylon tube webbing with a rare earth magnet stitched into one end. The tag of yellow makes them extra bright. On the odd occasion that I do have the tension down for some reason, on goes a flag. The next day, next hour, next month, whenever I want to use that machine again there is the flag telling “hey, check this first, dopey!”

Yes yes, I still have to remember to put the flag on but most of the time I do because I’m still in the moment of servicing the machine or whatever. It’s the next day, when I may be thinking of something else, that I’m liable to forget I was halfway through something.

Super easy to use, I find I use them on setups as well to say hey, don’t monkey with this setting, or hey, this clamp is slack for now. Might not work for everybody, but I like them.

-frank

 

[DavidR8]

That’s a great idea [mention]francist [/mention] similar to a lock out tag on a circuit breaker.


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[Titanium Knurler]

My guess is to relieve tension on the blade so it doesn't stretch...

Will, it looks like Grizzly agrees with you. This is a screenshot from my bandsaw Owner’s Manual:

 

[francist]

That’s a great idea [mention]francist [/mention] similar to a lock out tag on a circuit breaker.

I actually patterned it after the flags they use on aircraft propellers and rotor blades, as in Take me off before spooling up!

-f

 

[Mini Cooper S]

I too, have never released tension on the blades of any of the bandsaws that I have and do own, never a problem with tires.

Ditto! In fifty years of formal training and shop experience, I have never even heard of relieving tension on blades.

 

[porthos]

thanks guys; i was just curious. regardless of the results to my question; i would have left the blade under tension