Band Saw Trouble Chart

Blade Break-in Procedure

Blade and Sawing Terminology

Standard Tooth Styles

Tooth Sets

• Incorrect blade
• Band tension too high
• Excessive feed
• Incorrect cutting fluid
• Wheel diameter too small for blade being used
• Worn or chipped pressure block (back-up guide)
• Blade rubbing on wheel flanges
• Teeth in contact with work before starting saw
• Side guides too tight

• Teeth too coarse. Check your cutting chart *
• Reduce band tension. See Machine Operator's Manual
• Reduce feed pressure
• Check your coolant *
• Use thinner blade and lower speed
• Check pressure block. Replace if worn
• Adjust wheel alignment
• Allow 1/2" clearance before starting cut
• See Machine Operator's Manual

• Blade teeth inverted (backwards)
• Improper break-in period
• Hard spots in material (like scale)
• Material work hardened (check for hardness and adjust feed)
• Improper cutting fluid or mixture
• Speed and feed too high

• Install blade correctly
• Reduce feeds and speeds during break-in period in accordance with manufacturers' recommendations
• Check material for actual hardness - hard spots like scale or flame cut surfaces
• Increase feed pressure
• Check your coolant *
• Check your cutting chart *

• Teeth dull
• Over or under feed
• Improper pitch blade
• Cutting fluid not applied evenly
• Incorrect blade (too many teeth per inch)
• Guides worn or loose

• Use new blade
• Check your cutting chart *
• Check your cutting chart *
• Adjust coolant nozzles
• Check your cutting chart *
• Tighten or replace guides

• Over feed
• Lack of band tension
• Tooth set damage
• Loose guide arms or set too far from work

• Check your cutting chart *
• Check Operator's Manual for correct tension
• Check material hardness
• Adjust arm as close to work as possible - tighten and align. Check guide

• Improper or lack of cutting fluid
• Wrong coolant
• Excessive speed or pressure
• Incorrect blade (wrong pitch)

• Check your coolant *
• Check your coolant *
• Reduce speed or pressure. Check your cutting chart *
• Check your coolant *

• Incorrect feed and/or speed
• Incorrect blade (wrong pitch)
• Saw guides not adjusted properly

• Check your cutting chart *
• Check your cutting chart *
• Adjust or replace saw guides

• Indexing out of sequence
• Material loose in vise

• Check for correct indexing sequence (head rise)
• Check hydraulic pressure

• Feed pressure too high
• Tooth lodged in cut
• No cutting fluid or incorrect coolant
• Hard spots, scale, inclusions, etc.
• Incorrect blade (wrong pitch)
• Work spinning in vise; loose "nest" or bundles
• Blade teeth running backwards

• Reduce feed pressure and/or speed. See your cutting chart *
• Never enter same (old blade), cut with new blade
• Check your coolant *
• Check hardness. Descale and/or anneal if necessary
• Check your cutting chart *
• Check hydraulic pressure; be sure work is firmly held
• Reverse blade teeth, turn inside out

• Insufficient blade tension
• Incorrect blade (back too soft)
• Incorrect feed (excessive)
• Back-up guide frozen in position, damaged, or worn off
• Guide arms too far apart, cocked, worn or loose
• Blade rubbing on wheel flanges

• See Machine Operator's Manual for correct band tension
• If using hard back blade, switch to a variable tooth
• Reduce feed pressure. See your cutting chart *
• Free pressure block and realign; if worn, replace (never regrind)
• Move arms close to work as possible
• Adjust wheel alignment

• Dull or damaged blade
• Incorrect feed and/or speed
• Lack of band support
• Insufficient band tension
• Incorrect pitch blade

• Replace with proper blade
• Check your cutting chart *. Adjust until noise disappears
• Set guide arm properly - close to work as possible
• Check Operator's Manual for correct tensions
• Check your cutting chart *

• Saw guide inserts or roller are riding on teeth
• Insufficient blade tension
• Incorrect blade (width of blade incorrect)
• Hard spots
• Back-up guide worn

• Check table and Operator's manual for correct blade width
• Check for correct blade tension
• Check your cutting chart *
• Check material hardness
• Replace back-up guide

• Band binding in cut
• Side guides adjusted too tight
• Work not held firmly
• Incorrect (or lack of) cutting fluid

• Check table and Operator's manual for correct blade width
• Check for correct blade tension
• Check your cutting chart *
• Check your coolant *

• Incorrect blade
• Incorrect feed or speed
• Improper (or lack of) cutting fluid

• Check your cutting chart *
• Check your cutting chart *
• Check your coolant *

• Material loose in vise
• Incorrect blade (wrong pitch)

• Check hydraulic pressure
• Check your cutting chart *