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Hello,
I picked up one of the Lowe's close-out 12" two-speed Hitachi CB13F cast iron band saws a few years back and have been getting more and more use out of it as projects unfold and had a question about adjusting the blade tracking. Under proper tension, I'm able to center the blade on the upper wheel, but on the lower wheel it's usually off significantly, with the teeth riding along the outer edge of the lower wheel. At this point I checked the wheels for co-planer and to my surprise, they're spot on. This is with the widest capacity blade installed, a 1/2" Timberwolf, with the tension set per the Timberwolf instructions. Is this the expected behavior - the blade being aligned on the crown at the top only?
I learned about the deeply discounted price on this saw on this forum and it's turned out to be a wonderful saw, despite some of its shortcomings (table flex and tricky guide adjustments). It's indispensable for cutting push sticks, plexiglas components, fixtures and all sorts of things. Eventually, I'd like to upgrade to a larger, dedicated wood cutting bandsaw for re-sawing, but with the dual speed on the little Hitachi and a metal cutting blade, I could see a permanent home for it alongside the larger saw.
Regards,
Tom
I picked up one of the Lowe's close-out 12" two-speed Hitachi CB13F cast iron band saws a few years back and have been getting more and more use out of it as projects unfold and had a question about adjusting the blade tracking. Under proper tension, I'm able to center the blade on the upper wheel, but on the lower wheel it's usually off significantly, with the teeth riding along the outer edge of the lower wheel. At this point I checked the wheels for co-planer and to my surprise, they're spot on. This is with the widest capacity blade installed, a 1/2" Timberwolf, with the tension set per the Timberwolf instructions. Is this the expected behavior - the blade being aligned on the crown at the top only?
I learned about the deeply discounted price on this saw on this forum and it's turned out to be a wonderful saw, despite some of its shortcomings (table flex and tricky guide adjustments). It's indispensable for cutting push sticks, plexiglas components, fixtures and all sorts of things. Eventually, I'd like to upgrade to a larger, dedicated wood cutting bandsaw for re-sawing, but with the dual speed on the little Hitachi and a metal cutting blade, I could see a permanent home for it alongside the larger saw.
Regards,
Tom
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