In Mark Duginske's book "The Complete Guide to the Bandsaw", he says that with a 1/4 inch blade you can cut a curve with radius of curvature equal to that of a quarter. I can come nowhere near this. The best I can do, with considerable blade flexing, is a radius of more than 1 1/2 inches. I also get noticeable burning of the wood. I am using 4/4 maple and yellowheart.

Can someone suggest what the likeliest problem is, such as:

poor technique, though I am trying to follow his directions

cheap saw -- Craftsman 10 inch

dull blade -- though it seems reasonably fast on a straight cut

low tension

cheap blade -- is there anything better available in the 70 1/2 inch length?

dirty blade -- I've cleaned it with pitch remover

something else?

thanks

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toysandpuzzles

Welcome!

Most of the things you mentioned could cause your issues. Here are a few ideas to try:

1st, make sure the tesion is right. The tension guage on most saws is useless. Tighten it up so it is a bit above the guage marks for your 1/4" blade.

2nd, Make very sure that your guides are set properly above and below the table. I'm guessing your Craftsman has guide blocks. They need to be keeping the blade in place, but not binding. Try slipping a piece of copy paper between the blade and the guide block when you tighten it. Also, be sure not to push the blade to one side or the other as you set the blocks. The blocks should be supporting the blade BEHIND the teeth, not covering them. Then set the thrust bearings (the ones behind the blade) so that the blade is just in front of them. Again, use the paper shims to set a slight gap.

3rd, For really tight radii, you want a blade with fewer teeth and a good "set" on the teeth. "Set" is the amount that the teeth are bent to each side of the blade. The teeth then cut a wider kerf which allows the body of the blade to follow the curve without binding.

4th, If you have a small grinding stone, use it to gently round the back edges of the blade. With the saw running, just lightly rub the stone on the two back corners being sure to avoid the teeth. You can buy stones mounted on a wooden handle just for this.

Picture in your mind what is going on here: You are trying to cut a curved line with a short, straight line segment. The tighter the curve, the more likely that the line segment will bind up. Widening the curve (by cutting a slightly wider kerf) will help, as will rounding the back edges.

Hope this helps,

Ralph

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www.consultingwoodworker.com