To compensate for lead if making straight crosscuts using the miter gauge, you will need to shift the table. To do this:
1.On a scrap piece of wood, mark a line that is perpendicular to the front edge. Starting where the line begins, cut the board by push- ing it through the blade with the miter gauge.
2.Loosen the table mounting bolts according to the instructions about ÒTable ParallelismÓ on page 20. Shift the table to compensate for the blade lead.
3.Repeat steps 1 and 2 until the blade cuts straight when wood is pushed through with the miter gauge.
NOTICE
If the table is shifted, the fence will be affect- ed since it is attached.
NOTICE
Lead adjustments will change when new blades are mounted in the saw.
Wheel Alignment
Wheel alignment is one of the easiest ways to ensure you get optimal performance from your bandsaw. When wheels are aligned, or coplanar, the bandsaw is more likely to cut straight without wandering; and vibration, heat, and blade wear are considerably decreased because the blade is automatically balanced on the wheel. This is known as “Coplanar Tracking.”
To verify if the the upper and lower wheels are coplanar:
1.With the blade on and properly tensioned, hold a straightedge close to the center of both wheels. Make sure it fully extends across them as in Figure 29.
G1073/G1073Z 16'' Bandsaw
Figure 29. Holding a straightedge across both wheels.
2.A perfectly coplanar set of wheels will allow the straightedge to touch the top and bottom of the outside rims on each wheel. If this is the case with your wheels, then they are coplanar.
3.If your wheels are not coplanar, check them for adjustment by placing the straightedge on the upper wheel first Ð ensuring that it touches both the top and bottom rim Ð and adjust the tracking knob to see how the straightedge lines up with the lower wheel.
If the straightedge only touches the top rim of the lower wheel, then the upper wheel needs to be shimmed.
If the straightedge only touches the bottom rim of the lower wheel, then the lower wheel needs to be shimmed.
Shimming a wheel.
1. Adjust the tracking knob so the top wheel is parallel with the bottom wheel. With the straightedge touching both points of the wheel that does not need to be adjusted, measure the distance away from the incor- rect wheel with a fine ruler. See Figure 30. The distance you measured with the ruler is the distance the wheel must be corrected.