Horizontal bandsaw not cutting straight on 304

I'm having issues cutting 304 on my horizontal bandsaw. It's a Clausing Startrite HB250M. It works fine on everything else I've thrown at it, mostly mild and free machining steel, aluminum, and 17-4PH. I was trying to cut 5/8"x3.5" flat 304 bar today. I have it clamped lying flat, the way I usually do.

Shortly after the blade makes contact, it jumps over and starts cutting ~1/8" towards the end of the bar.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

DanielG said:

I'm having issues cutting 304 on my horizontal bandsaw. It's a Clausing Startrite HB250M. It works fine on everything else I've thrown at it, mostly mild and free machining steel, aluminum, and 17-4PH. I was trying to cut 5/8"x3.5" flat 304 bar today. I have it clamped lying flat, the way I usually do.

Shortly after the blade makes contact, it jumps over and starts cutting ~1/8" towards the end of the bar.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

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Cutting it flat is a no-go. Stand it up.
Now tell me and all of us all about the blade as well.

Is it possible you have a dull blade, perhaps with a set of loosely adjusted blade guides and/or somewhat low blade tension? Your description of "it jumps over" makes me think that you've got feed pressure building up without the blade cutting effectively, eventually forcing the blade to bow. I'm also going to speculate that this blade has way too many teeth per inch for the cut.

If you have a new/spare/coarse blade, try it. If it's new, don't forget to break it in properly with much lower-than-usual feed. Also, try this cut the short way (stock against the fence, not laying down flat).

I have an older H175 model saw. When I got it many years ago it also had problems cutting straight on tougher materials. There was no single quick fix, but rather a number of small problems leading to the end result. Once they were all resolved the machine cuts straight.

1. Blade guides were set too loose and too far apart.

2. Down feed cylinder was low on oil. This allowed an uneven feed speed

3. Down feed regulator was not retarding the feed pressure properly. Down feed pressure on my machine is supposed to be set at 6 psi. With too much downfeed pressure the blade will jump. With the proper pressure it will glide through the material.

4. Blade tension was insufficient. I can't remember the exact pressure recommended, but there is a section in the manual that defines what it should be and how to set it.

5. Idler wheel was not properly aligned

A few other things to check are proper blade size. The older 250 models used a 1" x .035" x 11' 11" blade. If the blade is not tall enough it can twist in the guides. If it's too thick it won't track properly on the wheels. If it's too long it can't be tensioned properly.

Also as mentioned the proper tpi for the size of the material being cut. I primarily use 2 different blades for most materials. On the smaller stuff I use a variable pitch 10-14 tpi. On the larger pieces I use a variable pitch 8-12 tpi. If there are too many teeth engaged in the work piece the gullets will fill with swarf and tend to make the blade either rise or push it off to the side

You may be able to get an operators and parts manual from Clausing. I called them when I got my saw to order a few parts. They sent me a copy of the manual at no charge. If none are available from Clausing there are several online vendors selling reprints.

I'm not familiar with your saw, Can you slow down the blade sfm and increase the feed. 304 will work harden on you if you let it rub.

Make sure your blade is the correct tooth profile for the material.

Regards,
Alonzo

Multi load-stand them up with "G" clamp on

You always saw through material so the blade contacts as little material as possible so cut flat bar standing up. You need a lower blade count for stainless.

Sent from my 2PS64 using Tapatalk

I cut material flat as well-- works just fine. I figure the blade doesn't heat up as much that way. I know mine will drift of center if the blade is dull. My saw with coolent gets 20x the blade life than the saw with the mister.

I have the same saw, and am very happy with it. i'll second the thought on having the proper number of teeth for the material being cut. I cut mostly round ss 316 up to 4" and while the cuts are not dead true I seldom have to face more than .020-.030.

Project nut hit all of the high points.

The blade is 1" wide, variable pitch. Measuring over a 1" section, I get 12 teeth.

I slowed the blade down and put the bar on edge and it cut well.

Thanks for the help.

On a related note, I think it may be time for a new blade for this saw. What are some recommendations for a good general purpose blade? It's not doing production work, so it doesn't have to be the latest and greatest.

I use Ellis bimetal blades on my Startrite. They're a little smaller than the ones for the 250, Mine cost $26.00 each with a minimum order of 2. Depending on the size and type of material I cut the blades last 1 to 2 years.

Band Saw Blades - Ellis Mfg, Inc.

I pick mine up at their factory in Verona WI. I know they ship, but have no idea what it costs, or if there's free shipping with a minimum dollar order.

The saw has coolant capacity, but I've never used it. I seem to get more than acceptable blade life without the stink and mess of coolant. As a side note when cutting round stock up to 4" in diameter the cut will be less than .005" off. That makes it easy to face, and wastes less material.

I used sawblade.com last time I needed some for my Rusch. It's a nice blade delivered fast, but their sales guys will wear you out.