{"id":31352,"date":"2024-10-09T15:52:17","date_gmt":"2024-10-09T05:52:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/mag\/?p=31352"},"modified":"2024-10-09T16:03:35","modified_gmt":"2024-10-09T06:03:35","slug":"why-is-bandsaw-blade-tensioning-important","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/mag\/why-is-bandsaw-blade-tensioning-important\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Is Bandsaw Blade Tensioning Important?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Presented by: Excision<\/a><\/p>\n

Bandsaw blade tension might seem like a small thing, but it could hurt you in the long run if you don’t pay attention to it. Having the correct tension can reduce chattering, improved accuracy, and give you a nicer finish. In fact, we say it solves up to 90% of all bandsawing problems.<\/p>\n

How often do you pay attention to the tension of your bandsaw blade?<\/p>\n

I\u2019m guessing you might be saying \u201cnever\u201d or even, \u201cwhat is bandsaw blade tension?\u201d<\/p>\n

If so, you\u2019re likely unaware that bandsaw blade tension can have a big impact on the economics and the quality of your bandsaw cutting.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s often overlooked \u2013 at a cost.<\/p>\n

Correct bandsaw blade tensioning is the cornerstone of overcoming a large majority of bandsaw blade challenges \u2013 and it\u2019s a simple (but still effective) fix that you can make in only a couple of minutes.<\/p>\n

So, why is bandsaw blade tension important?<\/h2>\n

The tension of a bandsaw blade has the ability to significantly influence the blade\u2019s life, accuracy, and quality of cut.<\/p>\n

Proper tensioning prevents the blade from chattering during operation and maintains its true alignment on the wheels \u2013 this is essential for keeping the blade running smoothly.<\/p>\n

Put simply, when the blade is tight it doesn\u2019t have any room to wander or flex during the cut, meaning that the pressure is applied evenly across the blade. It also means that it can\u2019t deviate during the cut which will allows for straighter cuts.<\/p>\n

Because of this, a correctly tensioned blade can get significantly greater blade life, as well as deliver higher-quality cuts.<\/p>\n

At Excision, we say that getting your tension correct can solve up to 90% of all bandsaw blade problems, which means you should be getting it right.<\/p>\n

Correct tensioning can solve up to 90% of all bandsaw blade problems<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

How do I know what my tension is?<\/h2>\n

If you want to test what tension you\u2019re getting on the blade, there are two simple ways to do this.<\/p>\n

1. Using a tension meter gauge<\/h3>\n

Using a tension meter gauge is the most accurate way to test tension on your bandsaw blade.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Make sure the machine is turned off<\/li>\n
  2. Release any tension on the blade, until it\u2019s loose<\/li>\n
  3. Fit the gauge \u2013 tighten kip nut on fixed leg first, then on the moveable one<\/li>\n
  4. Zero the gauge<\/li>\n
  5. Increase the tension (go a bit further than you usually would)<\/li>\n
  6. Check the gauge \u2013 if it\u2019s past 250MPa it\u2019s well tensioned<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    2. Using your hand<\/h3>\n

    This is a more rudimentary means of testing it, but if you don\u2019t have a tension meter gauge, or just want to do a quick test after you\u2019ve changed your blade, then this is a good method.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Make sure the machine is turned off<\/li>\n
    2. Tension the blade to the level you\u2019d usually do it<\/li>\n
    3. Place the palm of your hand on the back of the blade in between the blade guides<\/li>\n
    4. Push down as hard as you can \u2013 if you get any more than 2-3mm of downward movement, your blade doesn\u2019t have enough tension on it<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      How do I increase the tension?<\/h2>\n

      Using In-built tensioning<\/h3>\n

      All modern bandsaw come equipped with tensioning mechanism that allow you to adjust blade tension easily. Adjusting your tension is pretty simple, although some higher-end bandsaws do have limit switches that need to be depressed before you can start cutting.<\/p>\n

      To increase the tension, all you need to do is turn the dial clockwise, until you get into the recommended range.<\/p>\n

      But if you\u2019re not getting enough tension, and you can\u2019t turn the dial any further, you have only one option.<\/p>\n

      Getting smaller blades<\/h3>\n

      Bandsaw machines have a tolerance of 5-10mm for blade sizes, because the tensioning mechanism allows for this. However, if your blade size is slightly too big, this means that the bandsaw doesn\u2019t have enough capacity to get enough tension.<\/p>\n

      So, if you\u2019re unable to get enough tension on your blade, we recommend you choose a blade that is 5 10mm smaller in length.<\/p>\n

      For example, if you currently use a blade that is 2480mm long, then you would choose a blade that is 2475mm long.<\/p>\n

      You might be saying \u201cbut I\u2019ve always used the same length!\u201d<\/p>\n

      This might be true, however getting optimal bandsaw tension will be worth making the change.<\/p>\n

      A note on bandsaw quality<\/h2>\n

      Some bandsaws are restricted in their ability to get good tension, depending on their quality.<\/p>\n

      High quality machines such as Excision have heavy cast iron bows, and strong internal tensioning mechanisms that allows them to achieve high tension.<\/p>\n

      On cheaply made bandsaws, it is often hard to achieve high tensioning, leading to decreased blade life and less accurate cuts.<\/p>\n

      Pay attention to blade tension<\/h2>\n

      In short, paying attention to blade tension will pay dividends over the long run.<\/p>\n

      It\u2019s a simple thing that could transform the quality of your cuts and give you less issues.<\/p>\n

      If you\u2019re having issues with your bandsaw blades, don\u2019t hesitate to reach out! We have technical assistants throughout Australia ready to help.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Presented by: Excision Bandsaw blade tension might seem like a small thing, but it could hurt you in the long run if you don’t pay attention to it. Having the correct tension can reduce chattering, improved accuracy, and give you a nicer finish. In fact, we say it solves up to 90% of all bandsawing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":31355,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33,7842],"tags":[3031],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-31352","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-machines4u","category-metalworking","tag-metalworking"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31352","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/40"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31352"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31352\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31367,"href":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31352\/revisions\/31367"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31355"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31352"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31352"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31352"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=31352"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}