The Best Way to Set Up a Bandsaw!
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Back in 2007, I posted a video on Bandsaw Setup. The method I demonstrated was one I learned from other woodworkers as well as numerous books and manuals. While the method works perfectly, it overcomplicates things and employs a couple of unnecessary steps, namely achieving coplanarity of the wheels and eliminating drift. Four years later, I became aware of a video from The Woodworking Shows featuring Alex Snodgrass and his simpler (and nearly foolproof) method for bandsaw tuneup. I have since become friendly with Alex and asked him if he'd be willing to come out to my shop to film his setup method. He agreed and here we are! I can say without a doubt that this is the BEST way to set up a bandsaw.
Align the Blade
Install the blade and apply just enough tension to keep the blade securely on the wheels. Use the tracking adjustment while turning the wheel by hand to line up the deepest part of the gullet with the center of the top wheel.
Tension the Blade
You can usually ignore the tenon meter on most bandsaws as they are notoriously inaccurate. Instead, tension the blade until your finger is only able to deflect the blade by about 1/4". This test should be done at the back of the saw where nothing can get in the way of the blade. The amount of pressure you apply to the blade shouldn't result in turning your finger white. If that happens, you're pushing too hard. After the tension is set, make sure the blade is still tracking properly with the gullet in the center of the top wheel.
Side Guides (Front to Back)
The front of the side guides should be located about 1/16" back from the deepest part of the blade gullets. You don't want the side guides to contact the cutting teeth of the blade since the teeth flare out at a slight angle. This adjustment is made to both the top and bottom guides.
Thrust Bearings
Adjust the thrust bearings carefully so that they do NOT rotate while the blade moves, but they DO begin to rotate as soon as light pressure is applied to the blade. Spend the necessary time to get this adjustment just right. Of course, you'll do this adjustment to both the top and bottom guides.
Side Guides (Side to Side)
Just like the thrust bearing adjustment, the side guides should be as close to the blade as possible without actually touching. So when the blade moves the bearings should be stationary. When a slight amount of pressure is applied to the blade as its moving, the bearings should spin.
Square the Table
Using a 2x4 or 2x6, make a partial cut into the face of the board. Turn the saw off, flip the board around and try to get the blade to slide into the cut slot. If it slides in easily and without resistance, we know the table is 90 degrees to the blade. If it doesn't slide in, make adjustments to the table and cut/test again. The wider the board is, the more accurate this test will be.
Align the Fence
The fence can be aligned parallel with the body of the blade using nothing more than a ruler. Be sure the ruler is resting on the body of the blade between the teeth. With a long enough ruler you can easily align the fence by eye. Alex shows us the F.A.S.T system which is a simple and convenient way to do this same task.
Test Cut
Since the overall goal of this setup process is to prepare for resawing, a good test is to slice off a thin veneer from a jointed and planed board. In our first test cut we were able to slice off a piece that was .016" or just over 1/64". This is way thinner than anything I'd ever need but it's pretty cool to see that the saw is capable of making such a delicate cut.
Special thanks to Alex Snodgrass and Carter Products for helping make this video possible. Happy bandsawing!
Episode 13 - Bandsaw Setup - • 13 - How to Setup Your...
F.A.S.T Alignment System - amzn.to/2uuRdL4
Carter Products - www.carterproducts.com/
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I saw Alex's video back in Nov. 2017 and went to my parents house 700 miles away for Christmas and tuned my dad's bandsaw like this and he was amazed! He said he has been woodworking his whole life and always had an issue with drift. He was so happy he gave me his other bandsaw Lol. Said he wanted to see me tune this 75 yr old Power King before I left and it cuts amazing. Dad says he never seen his father's saw cut straight til I tuned it! Thanks Alex Snodgrass! I love my grandfather's bandsaw so much, plus I got brownie points with my Dad!
Goddamn this is wholesome 😁
I agree, this is one of the best bandsaw tuning videos I have ever seen. I realize it's 5 years later, but this is timeless!!
The best 9 minutes I have spent today. Thank you.
He is the best, I’ve tried everything to stop drifting even bought another bandsaw, nothing worked until I met Alex at a wood show and talked with him and he sold me new guilds and blade told me how to adjust everything and gave me his cell phone and told me to call if I had any issues, well I’m cutting thick lumber paper thin with absolutely no drift, ran back to the show the next day and was just so happy had to tell him, bought the stabilizer and blade and can now cut around the head of a pin, just amazing
How Pff
damn this was comprehensive. snodgrass is the man.
Actually the best way to set up a bandsaw is to have Alex Snodgrass come to your shop and do it for you.
Well, I can't argue with that! :)
The Wood Whisperer- No disrespect, but I would like to have Matthias Wandel tune mine...but I guess he would just make me a better one out of wood, gotta love that Canadian!
haha I prefer my dangerous spinning blades in a metal housing. :)
+Supermutt Something tells me such an adjustment would require 2 separate pantorouters and no pocketholes.
With a name like “Snodgrass” it has to be good.
Alex is the Bandsaw GOD!
Fantastic! I attempted to watch his much longer video but just couldn't find the time to sit through the entire process. Thanks for having him and thank you Mr Snodgrass for coming to the shop to share your knowledge
This little band saw has turned out to be the best tool purchase I've ever made kzhead.infoUgkx5ZrqmYO2uJq_nuU8TopyWxVzn8vqmPUL Once doing the set-up as per the included suggestions, this table top tool has been my go-to saw ever since (8 months as of this review). There are few things I wouldn't attempt with this saw. It takes up much less space than my table saw yet delivers twice as much punch. I've used it to create slices of wood no thicker than an 1/16th of inch by using the POWERTEC BS900RF Rip Fence. For small shop projects this tool can't be beat.
Alex is the band saw King. Cool that he agreed to come out to your shop and make this video..what a great guy! Hopefully he's having a good successful career
I don’t know how I missed this video 4 years ago. This must be the best blade adjustment video on YT and believe you me, I have watched many of them.
I’ve been adjusting my bandsaw all wrong for years!!! Yes I’m an amateur leave the comments aside but this is the best video on adjusting the bandsaw ever!!
Most Non-sponsored, homeowners don't have this type of equipment, I'd like to see less expensive units tuned which would probably reach more audience members. But I still love all your videos, non-the-less.
The first American video to get to the point quickly with very little waffle I have watched and was very useful thanks
I saw a Snodgrass video many years ago and used his advice to set up the 30 year-old band saw I had just bought. I was amazed at the results. I could cut straight through things without any drift off of straight line. My cuts were accurate and precise. I was so glad I had seen that video.
I only clicked on this one to see if it went along with Alex's masterful teachings. And then BAM--here's ALEX!!! Okay it's the Best.
Man, before the internet, back in the early 90s, I had a bunch of tools. I learned from my dad and grandfather how to use them all, ever since I was a kid. I haven't had a bandsaw in 20 years. I looked up these videos because I just bought one. Turns out I was taught right.. I miss my dad and grandpa but its videos like these that remind me to be grateful for the family I have. I thought everyone knew this tips. Glad to see some things never change.
I had a science teacher in junior high Snodgrass. I saw this ones techniques in another video. I did it to my $100 used Harbor Freight saw and it works Great. I'm going to watch your video anyways. thanks
That is awesome!
I was at WoodCraft today and the guy mentioned Snodgrass, I said I’d look him up but hadn’t done so yet. Changing a blade and clicked on this video, what a coincidence!
Ok! Excellent , thank you ! I'm a beginner sheet metal worker and our band saw at work is all kind of wonky , cutting in arc, making sparks etc, and nobody at work seems to know hot to set it up right and so I went to find instructions and directly stumbled upon your video containing exactly all the info I needed ! Thank you for that ! And thanks to Mr Snodgrass 👍
Thank you for inviting Mr. Snodgrass; I learn alot from you fellows...cheers...rr
Your wood whispering has made my delta bandsaw cut phenomenal!! Well done lad!!
Finally setting up my retirement workshop and have taken delivery of a bandsaw. This helped heaps. Thanks
I bought a small cheap ass 120$ bandsaw yesterday. It was barely usable, I was really disappointed and thought that I had throws my money away. Then I looked at this video, spent some time setting it upp according to this method, and now it works absolutely great (for a small band saw). This video essentially saved me 120$!
OMG where has this information been all of my life? I have had my little 12" delta bandsaw for over 30 years, never liked it much but was ok for my needs. Tried to re-saw some lumber quite a few times with little success, tried setting up as suggested in the video, OMG It worked! I only have a 1/2" blade as that is the biggest blade my saw suggests, but still, took it slow and really happy with the results.
Fantastic advice! I've been using bandsaws for 40 years, and I didn't know half of this stuff!
WAY better than the video of Alex doing the same before the live audience!!! Thank you for doing this. I hope you did more with Alex than just this video. Hoping for more to come on Bandsaw Tips With Marc and Alex.
I have had my band saw for about 5 years now and always dreaded using it because the blade would always come off the wheels, it was set up exactly like the book described and didn't work for me. It was time, I needed a new blade and figured I would look for some new ways to set my blade correctly. I first put new tires on it (watched your video on how to do that). After following the instruction in this video I was making veneer like a pro, I still can't believe how great it is cutting. Thanks for your videos.
I've watched the original but this simplified version is so much better. Thanks for doing this one
I have to say that I literally just completed this process a few minutes ago on my old Delta/Milwaukee 14" Bandsaw that I got from my grandfather. I had also purchased a couple of the Carter AccuRight blades for the new setup. I've never done any resawing on a bandsaw before, but using the 1/2" 3TPI blade just now, I just produced a 0.026" thick, 4" wide veneer from a scrap of pine I had lying around. This process definitely works, even if you don't have a big fancy saw. Thank you Marc and Alex for producing this tutorial.
It’s funny out of all the machines in our shop that I can easily set up , shapers , molder , wide belt , sliding panel saw , I always have problems with the band saw , after watching this , it makes sense why I was having problems. Great info
Ok hold on!! I had to come back on and give a tip of the hat to this guy and his amazing tutorial on bandsaw set up . I followed every step of this and now I have the most accurate and amazing sawing tool in my shop. My bandsaw is cheap, had terrible drift...couldn't even resaw a 2x4. Basically ended up using it to cut scrap, finally not used at all. After using his method there's no drift, no vibration no anything but straight clean cuts. Thank you so much for sharing this precious information.👍🏼😉
your channel deserves more attention and subscribers,count me in!You care about woodworking and it shows.
Couple of days ago, I picked up my very first woodwork machine, and guess what it was? ! Perfect timing. Thank you for setting this up.
This video save me a couple days trying to troubleshoot my makita bandsaw... followed the steps and works like a charm now
I was ready to throw away my bandsaw before I saw a video of Snodgrass teaching this method at a show. It made a major difference!
I've watched a bunch of bandsaw setup videos and this one has solved all my bandsaw issues, no word of a lie, it's like magic. It's now running smooth and quietly, cutting neatly and much more efficiently. I only have a small 10incj bandsaw but the info all seems relevant for a small machine. Such an excellent video.
I still do not have a band saw but thank you for this as I will be able to use this knowledge in the future.
Thanx to you and Alex for doing this clearer version of his method.
Awesome. Cheers for this, I really appreciate it as I just bought a band saw today. I purchased it 2nd hand so I'll use this information you've provided to make sure it runs true and proper. Thanks.
Mark, I cannot thank you enough for this one! my grandfather's 12" Craftsman is working better than I thought possible. I am free-handing my Adirondack chair parts! holy crap, Batman!
This is the best bandsaw set up guide I have seen. Even with my super cheap bandsaw I am getting much better cuts. Thanks!
Well, I watched, I learned, I conquered. Bandsaw is now running better than when I received it. Thank you so much for the advice. Brilliant.
Hi Marc, I have had a bandsaw for some time and not used it because the b****y instructions are pathetic and what your expert showed us is excellent and I feel like tackling the bandsaw now. Thank you very much for your videos they are extremely useful . regards Mike from Sydney Australia
I'm a band saw noob and this was very informative.
Worked for me, Mr Snodgrass knows his stuff.
Alex truly is the bandsaw king. And truly a standup guy, I was having some issues and reached out to Alex and the Man replied to me over several texts and guided me in the right direction. You can’t beat that. Another reason to trust in the Carter brand , the Man cares !
Whoa. I totally haven't used my bandsaw for 3 years because i couldn't set the blade correctly and i thought my saw sucked. Now i can't wait to go home and set it up. thanks!
Holy smokes...what a great video. I did this on my bandsaw last week. Took all of about 15 minutes and what a difference! It's like a whole new machine! Thanks for the great vid!
thanks for having this video out to help out with the details that could not see in the older videos
Fantastic tutorial. I love finding information like this on youtube.
Finally a video that explains what part of the blade to align to center. Every other one I watched left me guessing what to align. I am so glad I found this.
The light came on shining very bright! I loved the video, short, to the point and he demonstrated all adjustments! BRAVO ZULU!
I saw Alex's video a few years back and have used his method ever since. Even on my really cheap Metabo 317 I found a great improvement. Good to see a fresh update and reminder.
This is brilliant. I now understand why the blade was drifting and know how to fix it easily.
I love that we can share this knowledge. Thanks for the video. The snodgrass method is the best.
Forgot a couple of Alex's recommendations . Will try it out on next blade change.
Thank you both to the moon and back for this video calibration. The best band saw video I've ever seen. Yall are such a blessing.
Really really helpful this video, the main point I was not getting correct was having the blade centered on the crown of the wheel, Alex corrected that and I now have the gullet of the blade on the crown of the wheel, big improvement. I'm cutting green Oak, BIG pieces into bowl blanks with a circle jig, this made a HUGE difference in cut performance. Thank you both! Cheers from Tokyo!
I've studied several Alex Snodgrass videos on bandsaw tune-up and this is the best! The explanation is slow enough to be easily comprehendible. Also, the videography is excellent and there are no distractions from an audience or the crowd at a tradeshow or seminar. Great job!
Great presentation, Marc. Thanks for having him on and sharing the awesome information!
Thanks, and thank you Alex. I have had my bandsaw from 40 years ago and I did exactly what you said and it now cuts a STRAIGHT LINE first time ever with out wandering. WOW you taught me everything the saw manufacturer told me to do. Thanks
After many issues with blade drift and mass frustration, I tried your method and now my saw works perfectly! Thanks so much for sharing this information. Now that I understand how it all works, this makes perfect sense.
I also discovered I had two bad bearings.
Snodgrass is the man when it comes to bandsaws! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for another great video, Marc! I appreciate you sharing the work of others and having guests, as opposed to being a know it all and pretending like you have all the best methods. You are still my hero!
1st time I've seen the theory explained about all the adjustments, makes sense. Great video!
my bandsaw cuts straight and accurately without blade guides. Finding the sweet spot on the drive pully and correct tension and following Alex's other advice
Same here. Blade centered, never using the side guided on rip cuts.
Wow. Huge thanks to Alex and Marc. This video is excellent, thorough, and pretty concise. Marc, once again, you have impeccable timing. I'm picking up a bandsaw Saturday and am planning to tune it up next weekend. Keep up the fine work man!
Great tips from Alex and a great video from you. Every time I go to the woodworking shows I have to watch Alex in action and spend some money on Carter.
I met Alex in Atlanta on the woodworking show. He is the king of bandsaws!
Thanks Marc and Alex! Just picked my first band saw. This is GOLD!
Almost perfect timing. I just tuned my bandsaw on 4 July but after watching this I will go back and make a couple of tweaks. Thanks.
My new bandsaw is in the shop now and running great! This worked perfectly!
Thanks for getting Alex’s awesome information in a high quality video!
As a newby to band saws, this video is so thoroughly thought out, it made tuning my band so easy because there is no guessing just pure fact and method. Absolutely brilliant thank you
I followed these procedures today with wonderful results. Thank you.
This is exactly how I do mine. I have 2 Startrite bandsaws - one has rollers the other solid guides. The solid guides are actually more accurate.
Thanks for posting, Marc! I've met Alex Snodgrass a bunch of times at shows and he is a super guy!
Just saw this video last night and went into my shop today to adjust my Jet bandsaw. It worked freaking great and was so easy to do! I was frustrated with how bad my bandsaw would track when resawing. Spend less than a half hour following Alex's method and now it cuts great.Wish I found this years ago.
Thank you both, hands down the best bandsaw set up video I've ever seen. Saw it multiple times during these years, this time I found the moment to leave a comment about it. Thanks again from a fellow woodworkers from Italy.
This has been one of the most informative videos I've seen this year! I was given an old bandsaw last year and it really hasn't been able to cut right. Can't wait to give it a tune up tomorrow.
Excellent! Without a doubt the best bandsaw set video I’ve ever seen. Many thanks Mark and Alex. Mike, 🇬🇧
Alex is a genius. I own several Carter products and have never replaced any of my band saw blades using his tensioner and guides.........going on over 6 years now with an older Jet (grey, not the newer white) band saw.
Thanks for updating the video and sound on such a classic bandsaw video.
My bandsaw is a Rockwell/Delta over fifty years old. Has none of the new fangled things on it, but it still works well. The blade tension tips were welcomed. I don't have wheels for side guides. I have two 3/8" bars for guides. Like I say the saw works well, and the only thing it needs is occasional oil and replacement blades. They haven't made this bandsaw in years.
Just now came across your video. I have a modest workshop and my bandsaw is a two year old Wen 10". Still has the factory blade and since it's hardly been used I never did get around to setting it up. Used every tip in this video and I'm thrilled to say that the saw cuts 100%+ better, even with the factory blade. I may order a new Carter blade for it soon too. Thanks for the help.
Thanks for having him come over, Marc! And thanks to Alex for sharing his knowledge with us. I used his other video to set my band saw up, but this is much easier to see and follow along. That fence aligning tool / width gauge looks pretty nice, too. I'm going to have to order one of those sets.
I watched your video the other day. Last evening I was working in the shop and thought I would try Mr. Snodgrass's technique.... I mean it couldn't hurt. My new 14" Jet saw was making a terrible racket every time the welded joint in the blade passed through the roller guides. I was skeptical because my manual stated the blade must be centered. By offsetting the blade the blade ran true and was much quieter than setting up according to the manual. Thank you for posting this video. I thought that I had purchased a messed up saw, not the case. Thank you Wood Whisperer & Mr. Snodgrass.
Great video as always Mark. I am buying my first real bandsaw soon and I know this video will prove to be invaluable. The info was presented in a very relatable manner, and I'll be thanking you again when I get my saw off to the right start. Appreciate the effort man.
Excellent video. Very clear, and the reasons explained - which makes it much easier to remember.
Thanks so much for this, it was very helpful and took all the mystery out of the process. Followed along with the video and finally have my bandsaw working like it should!
One of the best videos abt adjusting a bandsaw. Thank you. Regards from Germany.
Great tutorial from a master. I learned a lot. Thanks.
Thanks, Alex. I watch this video every couple of months just to keep me sharp.
Perfect timing Mark! Just picked up my first used band saw yesterday and it definitely needs a tuneup.
Great video! I use his method for bandsaw setup and it works fantastic - great to see it in a nice close-up, high def video! Thanks Mark!
Great video, learned a great deal, especially on ensuring the table is level with the 2 x 4 cut.
Just bought my first bandsaw and this helped a TON!! Thanks Marc and Alex!!
Marc, thanks for this great video! I learned how to set my bandsaw up many years ago after you published episode 13. Always worked for me. Now I'll be tweaking my set up procedure thanks to you and Alex sharing this information. Thanks for all you do.
Mark I'm impressed. Wonderful video and easy explanation. Thank you so much
Marc what a great set up video. Thanks for introducing us to Alex. By far the best band saw set up explanation I've seen.