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Bandsaw losing power and stalling

S

Steve Perrone

Joined
Oct 3, 2020
Messages
17
Likes
6
Location
Andover, MA
Hello, so I’m having a problem with my bandsaw constantly stalling and not being able to make it through 4+ inch thick bowl blanks. It is the Wen 10 inch 3.5 amp which I know is a smaller saw but for the first 6 months or so of use it would easily make cuts all the way up to its 6 inch maximum. I turn on a lathe with a 12 inch swing so this size combo was working out fine for me until the saw started having issues. I’ve tried making adjustments to the wheels and bearings and also have a fresh blade in it and it maybe helped a little but I still am experiencing the same problem. I’ve looked with the door open and the belt isn’t slipping. I don’t have any long term experience with band saws so any insight would really be appreciated. Thanks.

-Steve
 
Marvin Jones said:
Are you using a jig to cut the bowls or freehand? Are you using a different technique, maybe binding the blade or cutting greener wood? Just some things you can look at...green wood and cured, dry wood requires a different blade at times.
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I’m using cardboard circle cutouts as a jig to cut the blanks. I’ve always been cutting green wood and using the same type of blades. I’m using a 1/2 inch x 3tpi. The stalling does seem to be even worse with particularly wet maple I’ve been trying to saw but the saw is definitely struggling more than it used to with all wood I have tried recently (red oak, ash, maple). It definitely cuts the dryer wood easier but again, it’s just overall much easier to stall compared to when it was new.
 
I know you mentioned a new blade, I'd try another. It is also possible to sharpen blades using a dremel. I've found that I can easily sharpen blades with a similar tooth count and size with my dremel, and that often resolves issues. Sharp matters, esp when using tools without power to spare...
 
I’d agree with Kirk, that it sounds like a dull, or inappropriate blade to me. On a straight cut in dry wood does the cut stay straight or veer off in one direction? Especially for green wood and with a low powered saw, you need a sharp blade, deep gullets, and decent set on the teeth to clear the swarf.
 
hockenbery said:
Don’t laugh - blade upside down?
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Al, years (decades) ago, I worked in a community center with a guy who, among other things, taught woodworking to kids. I walked through the shop one day and noticed the smell of burning wood. He proudly told me that he mounted the bandsaw blade upside down so the kids wouldn’t hurt themselves. Fortunately I was his supervisor, and I forbade him from using the bandsaw with the youngest kids, and told him to put a new blade on the saw to teach the older kids how to properly, and safely, use the saw.
 
If your bandsaw has what looks like 2 start capacitors one of them could be bad. I had that happen on my Minimax. It would run like normal but whenever I tried to make a larger cut it would simply stall. I pulled the housing off the controls to the motor and saw that one capacitor had a large bulge. I replaced that capacitor and the motor went back to working like normal.
 
A 10" Wen bandsaw probably has a permanent capacitor motor for cost reasons. The capacitor is always in the circuit as there is no centrifugal switch or relay to drop out the start winding. A good starting point would be to replace the capacitor. I would strongly recommend maintaining the same capacitance value as it is matched to the operating impedance characteristics of the motor. A deviation of more than +/- 20% from the design value can result in problems such as overheating and/or poor performance.
 
Steve, I'm including a thread title Jamie Straw started a few years ago that has a bunch of good information that might help you. She did not post a resolution, but the information by others might be good for your efforts. Please disregard if you have already read this.

Bandsaw problem - stalling out​

 
Tom De Winter said:
Guides could be set wrong knocking the set out of the blade as soon as it’s turned on.
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Thanks, do you know what specifically would be causing this issue? Guides too close and touching the blade or too far away? I’ve set them so they’re very close but not touching the blade like it says to in the manual. Like I said in my original post though I have very limited experience with bandsaws and large power tools in general.
 
Kirk Amidon said:
I know you mentioned a new blade, I'd try another. It is also possible to sharpen blades using a dremel. I've found that I can easily sharpen blades with a similar tooth count and size with my dremel, and that often resolves issues. Sharp matters, esp when using tools without power to spare...
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Thanks for the advice! Do you have a particular brand of blade that you’d recommend? It seems like most green wood specific blades don’t come in 72” .
 
Steve Perrone said:
Thanks for the advice! Do you have a particular brand of blade that you’d recommend? It seems like most green wood specific blades don’t come in 72” .
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I've had great luck with Timberwolf blades from Suffolk Machinery. If you go to their site they will custom cut blades to various lengths. I did not see any of the green wood specific blades in shorter length than 91", but based on my experiences with them, you might be able to get one with a phone call. Other blades are available down to 50 or so inches. My 16" saw takes a weirdish size 114", so I've always had to order online.

I'd definitely try a new blade which is the easiest thing to swap, before digging into more complicated things.
 
Steve Perrone said:
Would too much tension be potentially causing this problem? Because it’s definitely not too loose. It’s never slipping when the saw stalls.
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No. Try a new blade (or sharpen the present one) and check the capacitor(s). A blown cap is usually obviously deformed.

You can get any blade made to custom length from many online suppliers. I would suggest a .025" thick 1/2" wide 4tpi hook tooth Lenox Diemaster 2 from Spectrum Supply but there are many options. Bimetal blades are long lasting, and a coarse pitch will work best in thick green wood. A thin band requires less power, although it will be a bit more prone to twisting and binding in the cut. Diemaster 2
 
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No mention of the rear guide. It should be set to just graze the back of the blade while its running at idle. If there is much of a gap the blade can and will back up between the guides under a cutting load to the point the teeth are between the guides. This can destroy the set of the teeth, damage the side guides and possibly dull the teeth as well.
 
Steve Perrone said:
Thanks, do you know what specifically would be causing this issue? Guides too close and touching the blade or too far away? I’ve set them so they’re very close but not touching the blade like it says to in the manual. Like I said in my original post though I have very limited experience with bandsaws and large power tools in general.
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Steve, if your saw is set up like mine, it will have a bearing or guide behind the blade and one on each side. the two on each side should be close enough so the blade cannot twist between them. The one behind the blade should keep the teeth set in front of the two side bearings or guides. Most green wood blade teeth are bent slightly to the side, one tooth one way and the next the other this helps with the spongy fibers not compressing on the blade by clearing a little wider path than the blade thickness. If the bearing or guide on the back of the blade is too far back, the sides of the teeth can ride or be pushed into the side bearings or guides and can push/ wear that set out of the blade.
 
Make sure that a key has not fallen out of one of the belt pulleys and that set screws are tight. Do that ASAP as continuing to use it like that will destroy the shafts. Easy to troubleshoot by watching the belt when the machine stalls.
 
On mine I quickly ruined a couple of green wood blades before I realized that the rear thrust bearing was just a bit too far back and when the blade was pushed back when cutting the teeth were coming against the side bearings and in a few seconds the blade is ruined. I double check mine often now to make sure the rear bearing, top and bottom have not moved and when the blade touches it the side bearings are still well behind the teeth and at the edge of the bottom of the gullets. My Rikon has knobs to tighten the bearings by hand and unless you really tighten them hard they can slip. Green wood buildup on the inside edge of the blade will also cause bogging down.
 
Richard Coers said:
Make sure that a key has not fallen out of one of the belt pulleys and that set screws are tight. Do that ASAP as continuing to use it like that will destroy the shafts. Easy to troubleshoot by watching the belt when
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Richard Coers said:
Make sure that a key has not fallen out of one of the belt pulleys and that set screws are tight. Do that ASAP as continuing to use it like that will destroy the shafts. Easy to troubleshoot by watching the belt when the machine stalls.
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What do the keys look like? Does it look like anything has fallen off or is missing? Thanks
 

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Randy Anderson said:
On mine I quickly ruined a couple of green wood blades before I realized that the rear thrust bearing was just a bit too far back and when the blade was pushed back when cutting the teeth were coming against the side bearings and in a few seconds the blade is ruined. I double check mine often now to make sure the rear bearing, top and bottom have not moved and when the blade touches it the side bearings are still well behind the teeth and at the edge of the bottom of the gullets. My Rikon has knobs to tighten the bearings by hand and unless you really tighten them hard they can slip. Green wood buildup on the inside edge of the blade will also cause bogging down.
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I just checked and it seems like the bearing is set far enough forward now that this isn’t happening. It may have ruined the blade before I readjusted the bearings though. And I do have some sawdust buildup on The blade, I’ve removed it with a razor blade but seems like this comes back after cutting just a couple more blanks. Is there any way to stop this buildup from happening ? Thanks.
 
Also, Im hearing a slight grinding noise once every revolution of the wheels when I turn it by hand, but I’m struggling to locate it. Seems like it’s coming from the bottom wheel but I’m not sure. The guides apear to be set correctly and the belt isn’t too tight. And there is a vibration when the saw is running. Could this all be from sawdust buildup on the blade and tires?
 
Steve, when you look at the pulley and the shaft, each has a rectangle cut into them. Behind the sawdust in that square opening should be a square bar or key that keeps the pulley from spinning on the shaft. To me, it looks like the two are still aligned and the dusty looking area in the square may be the key, see if you can feel metal inside the square opening. It may be fine but the pulley does appear to have shifted out, kind of unusual to see that much keyway exposed. The belt does appear to be loose. If the key is missing and you can measure the square opening you can buy square key at about any good hardware, some auto parts or big box stores. not something you have to buy from the manufacturer. The pulley has a round part that rides on the shaft out past the part the belt rides on. That round part will have a hole and an allen head set screw you may not be able to see as the head is threaded too and sometimes is below the surface. The set screw usually tightens against the key. Sometimes the set screw is lost, should be in the cabinet but if the drawing above is for your saw, then it shows the size of both the key and set screw, both should be hardware stuff.
 
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Sinc you said that the belt is not slipping when the blade stalls the key must be in place. It still is a good idea to check the pulley is where it should be on the shaft (coplanar with the driven pulley) and the grub screw securing the key is tight.

Have you checked the capacitors?

Is the blade sharp? Take a close look at the teeth, using a magnifying glass if you have one. Do the tips come to a fine point, or are they rounded over? If it is dull, sharpen it or replace it, and order a spare blade while you are at it.
 
Green wood sap and gunk will build up primarily on the inside edge/face of the blade. Some woods more than others. It also builds up on the rubber tires around the wheels and gets be a real mess to deal with as well as make your saw run rough and sound rough. There are other threads here about how to deal with it but it's just part of the process - dealt with and minimized but can't be eliminated. On mine I regularly clean the inside of the blade and tires with the milky colored natural based mineral spirits and a green scotch brite pads. No idea why the "natural" based mineral spirits seems to work best but it works really well and figured less stressful on the rubber tires. Use it liberally on the blade and tires, scrub it and be careful not to pinch your fingers in between the blade and wheels as you spin to clean the gunk off (yep, done it). Check your lower wheel for the brush that sorta makes an attempt at keeping the wheel clean and make sure it's not worn out or too far away to help at least some. Since I've kept an eye on my rear thrust bearings I haven't ruined a blade. All it takes is a split second and if the teeth of a green wood blade hit the side bearings it's game over. You will find lots of very strong opinions on which green wood blade to use from folks who know a lot more than I do but, after a few different types I've been using a 1/2" 3 TPI blade from Olson. Not expensive but seems to work and last much longer than others I've tried. Also, and I have no way to explain it, the gunk buildup on the inside face is far less than others I've used. Probably a combination of sharp teeth and keeping an eye on things vs the blade but, it works better so I keep it.
 
Randy Anderson said:
Green wood sap and gunk will build up primarily on the inside edge/face of the blade. Some woods more than others. It also builds up on the rubber tires around the wheels and gets be a real mess to deal with as well as make your saw run rough and sound rough. There are other threads here about how to deal with it but it's just part of the process - dealt with and minimized but can't be eliminated. On mine I regularly clean the inside of the blade and tires with the milky colored natural based mineral spirits and a green scotch brite pads. No idea why the "natural" based mineral spirits seems to work best but it works really well and figured less stressful on the rubber tires. Use it liberally on the blade and tires, scrub it and be careful not to pinch your fingers in between the blade and wheels as you spin to clean the gunk off (yep, done it). Check your lower wheel for the brush that sorta makes an attempt at keeping the wheel clean and make sure it's not worn out or too far away to help at least some. Since I've kept an eye on my rear thrust bearings I haven't ruined a blade. All it takes is a split second and if the teeth of a green wood blade hit the side bearings it's game over. You will find lots of very strong opinions on which green wood blade to use from folks who know a lot more than I do but, after a few different types I've been using a 1/2" 3 TPI blade from Olson. Not expensive but seems to work and last much longer than others I've tried. Also, and I have no way to explain it, the gunk buildup on the inside face is far less than others I've used. Probably a combination of sharp teeth and keeping an eye on things vs the blade but, it works better so I keep it.
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Thanks for the thoughtful response, I will definitely try to keep up better with the dust buildup on the blade and tires. The thrust bearing is definitely we correctly now so I think I will try one of the Olson blades, looks like they make that same one you have in the size I need.
 
Steve, I started ordering the Olson ones online from amazon because I had ruined a few more expensive ones and decided until I was responsible enough to keep it set right, not try to cut things I shouldn't and be a better operator in general I needed something less expensive. Surprised but I like them a lot better than any I've used and still going strong. I know lots of folks use others mentioned here and other threads and they're good blades I'm sure but, my saw spends 99% of it's time cutting wet gnarly blanks so the combination of works well and affordable works for me.
 
Steve Perrone said:
What do the keys look like? Does it look like anything has fallen off or is missing? Thanks
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In that picture it looks like the belt may not be tensioned properly which with a multi rib belt could means that it could be slipping under load and just looking at it run thru the spokes of the wheel is not going to tell you much. The one capacitor housing likely means that it is a capacitor start single phase motor and what happens when a motor like that is loaded enough to slow down it will draw a much higher amperage, but you would need an amprobe to verify that while it is loaded. The simplest would be to add tension to the belt to see if that solves the problem.
 
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