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SHOPSMITH 11” BANDSAW
555943
Maintenance
Caring for Your Bandsaw
Your Shopsmith Bandsaw is designed to de-
liver years of reliable service with a minimum
of maintenance. Like any other power tool,
however, it will perform better more safely if
you regularly take a few minutes to properly
maintain it.
WARNING
Remember to turn off and unplug the power
source and to uncouple the Mark V headstock
(or Power Station) from the Bandsaw BEFORE
you begin any maintenance or service proce-
dure. DO NOT rely solely on the power switch.
Sharpening Bandsaw Blades
As you use your Bandsaw, the blades will
naturally become dull and worn. A dull
blade cuts slowly, burns the wood, and if it’s
worn more on one side than another, will not
track properly. File, sharpen or replace dull
blades immediately.
WARNING
A dull blade interferes with the performance of
your Bandsaw, and there is also a danger it may
heat up and break while you’re using the ma-
chine.
On the other hand, bandsaw blades are ex-
pendable items-much like sanding belts.
Depending on the type and amount of use,
bandsaw blades will perform well for various
lengths of time. When a blade becomes worn,
many woodworkers simply replace it with a
new one. However, below is information on
how to sharpen bandsaw blades.
Professional Sharpening
Even if you file your own blades regularly,
you’ll eventually need to have them profes-
sionally sharpened - after you touch up a
blade 2-3 times, or when it becomes badly
worn. Sharpening a Bandsaw blade is an
exacting operation that involves setting the
teeth and grinding the hook to precise angles.
Unless you have the proper equipment, we
recommend you take your dull blades to a
saw shop to have this done.
When you have your blades sharpened, you
may want to change the set of the teeth, de-
pending on the type of woodworking you’re
doing. A slightly larger set will enable you to
cut a tighter radius. But it will also make the
cut rougher and the blade harder to track. A
smaller set is useful if you do a lot of resawing
- the blade cuts more smoothly and tracks
straight.
NOTE
Combination-style blades have hardened
teeth. Some saw shops may not be able to
sharpen them.
Sharpening It Yourself
Sharpening a bandsaw blade is not a difficult
operation, but it’s tedious. And since most
saw shops will sharpen Bandsaw blades for
such a small fee, it may not be worth your
time.
However, there are times when knowing how
tot file a blade may come in handy - times
when the blade you need is dull and the saw
shop is closed. And if economy is a major
concern, occasionally filing your Bandsaw
blades will extend their useful life. For those
of you who have the need and the patience,
here’s the procedure:
1. Clean the built-up wood pitch from the
blade. Apply mineral spirits or oven
cleaner to dissolve the pitch, then wipe it
off with a rag.
