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G4186Z 18" Bandsaw -31-
Figure 31. Blade leading away from line of cut.
Blade Lead
Most bandsaw blades will not cut straight when
using the fence or miter gauge. This is called
“lead.” See Figure 31. Lead occurs (1) if the
blade tension is incorrect, (2) if the teeth are dull
on one side, or (3) if the teeth are set heavier on
one side of the blade than the other.
If you notice that your blade is not cutting
straight (i.e. leading) while using the fence or
miter gauge:
1. Check that the fence is parallel to the blade
line.
2. Check that you have proper blade tension. If
the blade tension is correct and you do not
want to replace the blade, compensate for
lead by skewing the fence or adjusting the
table.
To skew your fence:
1. Obtain a piece of scrap wood that is approx-
imately
3
⁄4" thick x 3" wide x 17" long. On a
wide face of the board, draw a straight line
parallel to the long edge.
2. Slide the fence out of the way and cut free-
hand along the line. Stop at the halfway
point. Turn the bandsaw off and wait for the
blade to stop.
3. Clamp the board to the bandsaw table with-
out moving it. Now slide the fence over to
the board so it barely touches one end of the
board.
4. Loosen the two skewing cap screws on top
of the fence. (Refer back to Figure 25 for
details on skewing fence.)
5. Skew the fence left or right so it is parallel to
the edge of the scrap piece. You may need
to readjust the fence locking mechanisms to
gain maximum adjustment.
6. While maintaining the skew, tighten the cap
screws.
To compensate for lead if making straight
crosscuts using the miter gauge, you will
need to shift the table. To do this:
1. On a scrap piece of wood, mark a line that is
perpendicular to the front edge. Starting
where the line begins, cut the board by push-
ing it through the blade with the miter gauge.
2. Loosen the table mounting bolts according to
the instructions about “Table Parallelism.”
Shift the table to compensate for the blade
lead.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 until the blade cuts
straight when wood is pushed through with
the miter gauge.
NOTICE
Lead adjustments will change when new
blades are mounted in the saw.
NOTICE
If the table is shifted, the fence will be
affected since it is attached.