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supporting the blade above and below the back blade guide, giving the blade unsurpassed
stability. The Laguna Guide also incorporates patented ceramic as the blade support material.
The advantage of this material is its ability to resist wear, and with care it should give years of
safe service.
Please read the following notes as they will assist you in getting the optimum
performance from your Laguna guide system.
As with the roller guide systems, the Laguna guide system will damage your blade if it is not
adjusted correctly. The guide blocks must not come in contact with the teeth of the blade. It is
advisable to run the blade by hand with the guide blocks completely clear of the blade, and
only when you are completely sure that the blade is running consistently in the correct
position, you may then adjust the surround guide blocks as detailed in this manual.
Note on using the Laguna ceramic guide system.
1.
When fitting a blade to your bandsaw, adjust the guide blocks as detailed later and run the
blade by hand through the guide blocks for at least two complete revolutions.
2.
The weld on a new blade may not be perfectly aligned, and the misalignment could hit the
ceramic blocks (side and back), causing damage to the blocks or the blade. If the blade has a
bad weld, return it to your blade supplier or side dress and file the back of the blade as
needed.
3.
The back blade guide is manufactured from ceramic, so as the blade pushes against it,
friction between the blade and the ceramic occurs. This action generates a certain amount of
sparks. This is normal and will become less with time as the back of the blade guide
smoothes out the back of the blade.
4.
The back blade guide will slowly form a small grove as the blade is used (this is normal). It
is recommended that for approximately every 8 hours of use, the guide be rotated 15
degrees. This will ensure that the groove does not become too deep and will greatly extend
the life of your guide.
5.
The 14-12 Laguna guide system can be used with 1/8" to 3/4" blades.
6.
The Laguna guide system uses ceramic to support and guide the blade. This has many
advantages (very poor conductor of heat, very resistant to wear, etc.). The disadvantage is
that it is very brittle, so the guides must never be dropped, exposed to hard knocks, hit with
hard objects or used with badly welded blades. Any of the above actions may cause the
ceramic to chip or break and will detract from the performance of the Laguna guide system.
Any mistreatment of the guide system will render the warranty void.
7.
The side guide blocks must be tightened before running the machine to avoid jamming the
blade and damaging the machine and/or guide blocks.
8.
When cutting gummy or green wood, the blade can become covered with resin. You will
find that the surround guide system ceramic blocks remove the resin as the blade is moved
through the guide blocks and keep that part of the blade clean. For this reason it is
recommended that the blocks be adjusted as close to the gullet as possible, but the teeth
must not come in contact with the blocks, as they will become damaged. Although the guide
blocks clean the blade, some woods will still gum the blade and the resin will have to be
removed with solvent.
