Blade tracking ??

[edsaws]

While i was setting up the wheels on my mill today,
I was wondering if i really need a tracking device to adjust where the blade will ride on the wheels. If the wheels are aligned in coplan is it necessary? Does the tracking change from blade to blade? Your thoughts appreciated.

[edsaws]

what the heck is up with dis her postage spelling eh

[chet]

Tracking does change, when I switch between a couple of brand of blades I use.

[woodmills1]

I have been using the bunch of old blades eh.  Anda they been workin just fine.  Put one on today and up it went.  And i mean up,  even upper (UP) guides wooden helpen it.  Maybe I only set one side of it. :D

[Tom]

That'd do it.  'Specially if you set one side twice.   :D  Ya got any rakers left?

[D._Frederick]

Ed,
I have found on my mill that as the Vee-belt tires wear, you will have to change the tracking. Also, when I change blade thickness, the blade may not ride in the same spot. When you have the blade balanced ( centered ) correctly on the band wheels and the guides set so that the blade is not riding against the guide flanges when not sawing, it is easier to adjust the tracking than the guides to maintain the setting.

[Tom]

Just a word of advice.

Be careful when changing tracking on one wheel and not the other.

It is important for the two wheels to be in the same plane. If they aren't, there is undue stress put on the blade and its life will be diminished.  

A blade can be "made" to ride centered on the wheels, even if the wheels are not in the same plane.

The idle side of most mills will have an adjustment that will cause the blade to move in or out on the wheel.  It does this by tilting the wheel from side to side.

The drive side also has adjustments but they are usually not readily made.  They also entail tilting the wheel.

Check both wheels when you make an adjustment to the idle side.  The blade may not be tracking the same on each wheel.  If they get too far out of line, you should get your book out and go through a re-alignment.

It probably doesn't hurt to check the two wheels for being in the same plane every once in a while.

Remember though........If it ain't broke, don't fix it.  (some of these adjustments are time consuming and difficult.)

[chet]

I recently discovered what Tom is refering to. I noticed that my blade was not running in the same position on both wheels. I had to shim my drive wheel to get the same tracking with both wheels.

[edsaws]

I understand they need to be in the same plane to reduce stress.Maybe I should've asked how often do you adjust the tracking? Does it change a lot or stay the same most of the time?Thanks again

[Bibbyman]

Years ago I'd check the tracking after every blade change.  I'd put the sharp blade on,  tighten it and then "spin it up" until it found it's track.  Then I'd tweak the adjustment just a little and try it again.   Once it was tracking right on the idle wheel,  I'd visually check the drive wheel adjustment to see if it looked reasonably the same.  I'd also look at both guides to see if the blade rode where it should.

On our new LT40,  they have eliminated the tracking adjustment handle on the idle wheel side.  Now it takes a wrench to adjust it.  I'd like to see the handle return because now we tend not to make the checks as often.  We tend to throw on the next blade and crank it up without looking at the tracking and doing the tweaking.  We get by with this when we're using a run of the same blades,  same number of sharpenings.  But if we get an old blade mixed in,   I find I need to make some tracking adjustments.

In 10 years of sawing,  I've only one time had to make a slight adjustment to the driver wheel tracking.

[solidwoods]

Edsaws.
You have to have blade tracking ability.
The track can change anytime it feels like it.  From blade to blade.
You need adjustments to make the face of both wheels on the same plane, and blade tracking for BOTH wheels. The blade is set-up or tracked with blade guides moved away from blade and the blade must track on BOTH wheels. Then bring the guides back into position.
The Drive wheel will not need to be tracked after that (all it adjusts for is to get it into the adjustment range of the other wheels adjustment range).
Also lock the adjustments!
How often does the track change?  Not very often, it really depends on a whole bunch of things but for me about once every 2 days cutting or so. But when it has to be changed, it has to be changed or else.

JIM

[edsaws]

Thanks for your input i got it all squared away ;D got my tracking to work the way i wanted. Kinda hard to explain but i basicly flipped the idle side wheel assembly over.So now it pivots right behide the wheel.  Now it tracks alot smoother than the way i had it.

[EZ]

Does the blade tracking on solid steel wheels with no belts have to be realined every so often. Or once the tracking is set it always stays the same. Just wondering.
EZ

[Larry]

EZ,
Jim has the same mill I do and it has steel wheels -- no belts.  I buy a box of bands and run them until they're dead from resharpening and never touch the tracking except to keep the teeth off the wheel as they get thinner.  Switch to a new box or different brand and just about always have to readjust the tracking.

[Tom]

EZ,
So far, any tracking adjustment that I have had to make on steel wheels with a machined crown was due to blades and was very infrequent.

I had to change the tracking on my LT40 (v belt) only a few times in 10 years.  I had to do it when I installed new wheels and when I upgraded to the emersed gears   The rest of the times it was due to wear of the belts.

sawdust or resin build-up on any of the wheels will change the tracking.

[D._Frederick]

Tom,
Please tell me what the "emersed gears" were on your Lt40?

[Tom]

First let me say that I coined Emersed bearing because I don't know the technical name.

On my mill, a 1990 LT40, the Drive side wheel was turned through a shaft that was mounted on the mill head with two pillow block bearings.  Mine broke and Wood MIzer, when I was trying to puchase parts, sent me an assembly, gratus.  They said that they had been having trouble with them and had designed a new bearing that ran in an oil bath.

I purchased the new Oil bath bearing and took it to the Atlanta distribution office to have it installed as well as have them walk me through tuning/alignment.  I felt it was a prime opportunity to get some first hand education on the mill.  It was. ;D

Since that "oil bath" bearing (kinda like a punkin in a rear end on an auto......'cept different :D ) was installed,   I have never had any trouble with the drive line on the mill.

[solidwoods]

EZ  
I don't think you'll see much difference in solid wheels vs sheave with belt type wheels.  Except you don't have to buy/keep on hand belts for the band wheels.  The belts will last quite a few hrs.  I can't help but wonder if solid wheels are generally rated for higher pressures than spoked wheels or sheaves.

The trick to designing/building is to go look at the common ones that are in use, and talk to it's user.

JIM