So frustrated with my new HF 4x6 band saw

[Maplehead]

Hi All
I picked up a metal cutting bandsaw yesterday. It's the cheap Harbor Freight 4x6. All the reviews for this saw are positive so I figured what the heck. Anyways, I have spent several hours now trying to get this thing to cut straight. No go. I'm cutting 1/8" mild steel angle iron. I tried cutting with the angle iron sides down, like a standing pyramid, and the blade just swings outward as it goes down, every time, even after many different adjustments. I turned the stock so that it would cut down onto only one side and the same thing happened. The blade started to cut outward again but then the cutting stopped as the blade came off the wheels.
Blade tensioning seems to be a mystery. In fact, the manual really lacks in both set up info and adjustment info. One thing that looks cloogy to me is how much the blades has to twist coming off the wheels into the guide mechanisms. Is that how they are normally?
Any and all help in getting me to adjust this correctly is greatly appreciated.
And yes, I have watched many vids on the subject, to no avail.

 

[mattthemuppet2]

your blade looks really loose. Tighten it up as hard as you can by hand. Then using a square of some sort, make sure the blade is perpendicular to the table (not leaning over one way or another) using the adjustment bolt at the top of the guide. Then get the blade parallel to the table by adjusting the rollers. Don't adjust them too tight or you'll break the blade - you should be able to move each roller by hand with a bit of effort.

Try those and see if anything changes. Getting the tracking right is a complete pain, but you only have to do it once

 

[Maplehead]

your blade looks really loose. Tighten it up as hard as you can by hand. Then using a square of some sort, make sure the blade is perpendicular to the table (not leaning over one way or another) using the adjustment bolt at the top of the guide. Then get the blade parallel to the table by adjusting the rollers. Don't adjust them too tight or you'll break the blade - you should be able to move each roller by hand with a bit of effort.

Try those and see if anything changes. Getting the tracking right is a complete pain, but you only have to do it once

Hi Matt
Thanks for the reply. Is there any other way to tell when tension is correct than just tightening as hard as I can? I'm afraid of breaking the blade if I do that.

 

[mickri]

I have a craftsman 3x6. So not the same machine but I had the same problem with not getting straight cuts. I discovered that the amount of pressure on the blade had a lot to do with getting straight cuts. Once I slowed down how fast I tried to get the blade cut through the material the cuts got straighter. The blade can only cut so fast through the material. If you apply too much pressure the blade has to go somewhere so it bends. I also found that having the guide rollers as close as possible to the width of the material also helped with getting straighter cuts.

 

[markba633csi]

The blade will make a musical note when plucked- like a fat guitar string. I have used Starrett and Morse blades with good results. Not sure about HF blades.
Yes the blade is twisted quite a bit by the guide mechanism- that's normal. But the blade should be perfectly perpendicular as it meets the work, and the drive wheels need to be in the same plane. You might need to shim one or both.
Too much pressure can cause the blade to skew off at an angle. You may have to play with the spring tension to get a good result. With a sharp blade, only light pressure is needed.
Adding a hydraulic feed to these saws can make a big improvement there- I converted mine as have many others
-Mark

 

[mattthemuppet2]

Hi Matt
Thanks for the reply. Is there any other way to tell when tension is correct than just tightening as hard as I can? I'm afraid of breaking the blade if I do that.

no, that's about the right tension You can't get the tension high enough to break the band with one hand on that plastic knob. However you can break the blade (as I did) if the side rollers are too tight.

 

[bakrch]

I agree, right out of the box it is extremely frustrating. Here is a .pdf that floats around this site. Consider it a proper owner's manual.

I used to hate my saw, but this got me appreciating it very quickly.

 

[NCjeeper]

The blades that come with the saw are crappy. Putting a quality blade on it will help greatly.

 

[Maplehead]

I agree, right out of the box it is extremely frustrating. Here is a .pdf that floats around this site. Consider it a proper owner's manual.

I used to hate my saw, but this got me appreciating it very quickly.

I read that one last night and again earlier this morning. I haven't doen the wheelmchecks yet, just everything to do with the guide bearings.
A few more questions:
Loosening the feed spring seems to make the cut go faster. How fast should a cut be going through 2" of 1/8" mild steel?
If the cutting stops midway down does that mean the feed spring is too taught and it's holding the machine from advancing further?
My blade is just about square to the fence. The blade looks to be square to the table. If the blade is in fact square to the table and the blade tension is correct then what would be the next factor causing the blade to slope outwards as it cuts down?
Lastly, do all these machines make that cyclic noise per every revolution because of the blades weld joint? Mine is pretty loud.

 

[Maplehead]

The blades that come with the saw are crappy. Putting a quality blade on it will help greatly.

I've read that everywhere as well, but I also read that until that OEM blade dies it should still cut straight. Not your case?