Description
You just installed a new blade on your bandsaw, but when you try to make a straight cut, the blade keeps drifting to one side.
In the next 60 seconds, I’m going to show you how to fix basic blade drift on your bandsaw.
First, what is blade drift?
I’ve set my bandsaw fence a half inch away from the blade. But as I make the cut, the blade starts pulling toward the fence.
My bandsaw actually has an adjustable fence that can compensate for this, but before adjusting your fence to match the drift, check your blade tracking.
Open the upper wheel compartment and look at where the blade is riding on the wheel.
On a bandsaw with crowned wheels like this one, the centerline of the blade should ride on the center of the upper wheel. If it doesn’t, use the tracking knob to move the blade until it does. You can use a ruler to check that the blade is equally spaced from both edges of the wheel.
Bottom wheel? Not important.
Next, make sure your blade guides and thrust bearing are properly adjusted, the blade is sharp, and the tension is correct. Your bandsaw’s manual will tell you exactly where everything should be.
And that’s it. Let’s try that same cut again.
It couldn’t be more perfect!
——
But what if this isn’t a new blade, and a blade that used to cut straight is now drifting?
Before messing with the bandsaw, we need to understand what can take a good blade and cause it to turn bad.
Bandsaw teeth are set. That means that the teeth are bent slightly from side to side. This creates a wider kerf so that the blade has room to move in the cut.
If the teeth have dulled on one side over the other, or if even a single tooth is damaged, the blade can start moving toward the side with the least resistance. If it can cut easier on the left, it’ll start cutting to the left. If it can cut easier on the right, it’ll start cutting to the right.
This is blade drift.
So if a blade stops cutting straight and starts drifting, it may not be your setup at all. It may be the blade.
For years, woodworkers have compensated for this by angling the fence to match the direction of the drift.
You can do this with an adjustable fence, or simply by finding the angle the blade wants to cut and clamping a straight board to the table at that angle.
It works. But keep in mind, you’re compensating for the drift, not fixing what caused it.
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