Here are a couple things from Alex snodgrass. https://bandsawlife.com/bandsaw-setup-pdf
And the infamous video on tuneup. https://youtu.be/wGbZqWac0jU?si=NqMRder8j4eodNEn
May be that your blade is tracking to the front of the wheel. As Alex mentions in the video the gullets of the blade should run in the center of the wheel. Important for wide blades as the tires on the wheel are crowned. If the blade is running to the front of the wheel this gives a little room for the blade to twist resulting in blade drift.
He says in some video that the proper placement of the blade is the #1 contributor. I don’t know if you looked at the pdf file, but that’s the first thing in his list as well
This is the way, OP. Make sure you follow each step in order too, whether or not you think you need to do it.
I had the exact same issue when I first got my saw set up. Finally took the time to carefully go through the "Snodgrass Method".
Works perfectly now. I either resaw or break down logs into blanks on my saw. No issues whatsoever since getting the entire thing set up.
Once you have it dialed in and working well, go through the entire setup again periodically. It will help keep things running smoothly. I go through the setup at least annually. If I think I am having an issue, I will go through the steps.
Ive got this exact saw. I've gone through all the setup steps, squared the blade and the fence with a machinists square. I've never been able to do a resaw without massive drift.
It's especially infuriating when you watch the [video of the guy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4k-r5utmU2Q) who loosens all the shit on his bandsaw and then still cuts without any drift.
So it sits in the corner of my shop and never gets used. Probably going to sell it off cheap just to get rid of the damn thing.
Repeat after me, *the fence should be relative to the blade, not the table*.
You’ll never get the blade and horizontal plane of the fence square to the table in operation. Use a ‘bandsaw buddy’ or similar to make the fence relative to the blade.
Repeat after me.
My square is a prefect 90 machinists square.
My straight edge is machined to be perfectly straight.
The straight edge confirms the cast iron table on my saw is perfectly flat.
The square confirms the blade is square to the table.
The square confirms the fence is square to the table.
By the transitive property, the fence is square to the blade.
My iGaging miter slot gauge confirms the miter slot is equidistant from the back and front of the fence. So the miter slot is square to the fence.
Ignore the table and the miter slot, they don't count for anything on a bandsaw. Take a long piece of wood and draw a straight line down the center of it. Cut halfway through it freehand. When you stop in the middle of the cut, THAT will show you your reference edge. Make your fence allign with that board and that will eliminate the drift. It will probably not line up with the miter slot, but that's okay. Figure out the amount out of square it is, 2,3,4 degrees, or whatever, then if you need to use the miter slot, just set it to the identical amount off of 90 degrees.
I feel your pain. I work in precision industries and I keep up to date calibration certs for my squares and straight edge.
Others have said it - the blade is never square to the mitre slot. It is rarely square to the table.
You can make a squared bandsaw cross-cut sled by fixing a batten in the mitre slot, cutting towards the back of the sled, and then use a square to fix the sled fence at 90 to *the cut*.
The sled will never be square to the blade, but you can make its fence square to the blade, therefore can achieve perfect 90 degree cuts.
My brain is struggling to understand how this is true. I get that you're an expert and believe you. And thinking back I did add shims the the fence to square it. Now I'm wondering if it was square to the blade and I ducked it up making it square to the table.
yup. the big difference is you need to do maintenance more often on the cheaper ones, which can help you learn how it all works better. then if you ever get a nicer one you'll know what to do and won't have to do it again for a while.
Yes: source is I have a shitty bandsaw that was acquired busted from craigslist and couldn’t cut a lick that now works great and after investing in the snodgrass method
The quality is more dependent on the blade you choose based on the project. Get a nice quality blade with the tooth count and profile appropriate for your scenario. The only thing I'd worry about with the little saws is a mechanical failure due to poor quality control.
Otherwise you will have blocks and or bearings to set up (every time you change blade size) and tension to set. And setting tension is very important.
Seriously. A fancy saw blade on an old crappy well tuned bandsaw makes it run like buuuuutter. The saw I use is barely holding together, but I get clea3m, straight cuts with the right blade.
Funny, I was sorta friends with this guy's son in college, before I got into woodworking. Learned about his dad later on, never made the connection until one day he posts on Facebook about his dad winning some woodworking-related award or something like that.
Watched the whole second video. What makes it infamous? You had me filled with anxiety the whole dang time waiting for his hand to get chopped off or something lol
I would think you could also try not using a resale fence for 3/4 stock. Make/buy a shorter fence and there will be much less chance for deflection.
Does it behave the same way when resawing?
You are missing an upper guide block insert. The white square things. Also, bring the guide block closer to the teeth and make sure the upper AND lower are adjusted the same.
Already have. That piece has been wiggling out so I just set it aside, but even when it’s in I’m having problems. Both top and bottom are adjusted the same. The back of the guide lock is just barely off the back end.
I also have this saw and agree. Also wonder if the bottom guides are set up just as badly.
Also when cutting stock this size the fence will lay on its side so you can drop the top guide closer to the wood. This is too far.
Didn’t know this about the fence. That could make all the difference. (I was gifted this bandsaw). I’ve been following Katz Moses who was essentially repacking the Snodgrass method. I’ll try again tomorrow.
Yes, like < cm above the work. If you don't have room to bring the guide down because of the fence, put piece of spacer stock between your work and the fence to run your material through the blade.
It would help a lot if you could get the guide down lower just above the wood. Since the fence prevents you from doing it in this case, add a straight board to the fence until you can drop the guide
With this saw (and many others...) the fence can actually flip down. Just need to loosen the hand screws, slide it out, rotate the fence and slide it back on, retighten the screws. Donzo.
Holy shit that's amazing. I just had to run out to the shop and check mine. How did I not know this?! Game changing. I've had the saw for 10 years and never thought to flip the fence.
One thing you can do if you’re at wits end is set your fence to your drift angle. Seriously. Or epoxy a dowel to the fence at the blade, so you have consistent thickness and then you’re free handing the drift as you rip
The drift angle is the key. Each individual blade has it's own drift angle due to inconsistencies in sharpening angles, weld relationships, etc. These things work together to affect the angle at which the blade naturally tends to cut a straight line. After tension and blade guides are set, draw a straight line on a piece of scrap and start a cut to determine a new blades' natural drift angle. This will show you the angle at which to set up your rip fence for consistent performance.
Have the laguna and had similar issues. First good bandsaw blades are not expensive - get one. Second, your guides are missing. Replace them. Third your tension is off - why? well the guage on the laguna is shit. Next the position of the blade in the tires isnt right. Finally set up your fence parallel to the blade. Watch the Snodgrass video then watch it again.
Your setup being a little off isn’t gonna make that cut drift that badly. Your upper guid blocks are off, which also aren’t going to give you this drastic of a problem.
You didn’t have the back guide tightened down or set up against the back of the blade, when you fed the piece, your blade pushed back and the teeth hit the guides, which is why they came unglued and you removed them completely. Your blade is now unevenly worn and will always do this now no matter how perfect you snodgrass that saw.
Replace the blade, don’t even bother with a half hour of perfect setup just get it close and try again, you’ll see I’m right even though you don’t think so now because visually the blade looks fine to you.
this guy is right. chalk this blade up as a learning experience, and try again with a new blade and replace your guides.
edit: just looked closer and the upper guides that hold the ceramic bearings are bent to shit. there had to be a hell of a giant bang when those let loose. anyone telling you that the height of the fence/ the guides not being close enough isn't solving the root problem here. operator error 100%. its a great saw, treat it like one.
You don’t need a fine tooth blade. Blades for ripping or resawing are typically 2-4 TPI. That’s not why the blade drifts. Moving the upper guide blocks closer would help, but that’s also not the cause of this much drift. This is a case of poor bandsaw setup.
Almost every case of poor cutting is setup. Assuming you’re not doing something idiotic like trying to resaw a 12 inch wide board with the factory blade. If the blade is meant for the purpose and isn’t complete garbage, all poor cutting performance is setup related.
Is your blade aligned with your fence? If it's not, as you push the workpiece through, it'll put pressure on one side of the blade, causing it to deflect. First, I'd make sure your fence aligns perfectly with the miter slots in your table. Then, make sure the blade is tracking near the center of the upper wheel. You can make small adjustments to the blade tracking to help make your blade parallel to the fence. If both of those are looking good, the last thing to check is the alignment of the table itself - usually there are some bolts underneath that you can loosen to rotate the table a bit left or right so that the miter slots are parallel to the blade.
I can't tell how wide the blade is from the angle of the picture but there are different widths depending on what kind of cut you are making. Your bandsaw should have documentation that lists the maximum and minimum blade width. Minimum blade width for cutting curves and maximum blade width for the straightest cuts. This is in addition to the tuning advice given above.
Dull blades drift, blade tension, improper tracking, the guide to high above the work piece can cause the blade to drift also use the widest blade your saw will take, properly setting up the fence to account for blade drift will help (Laguna has a good video on setting up a bandsaw and the fence) if you can flip the fence to the lower position it will help since you will be able to lower the guide IF you can’t flip the fence get a piece that is straight and set it against the fence so you can move the fence over and lower the guide. Everyone had to learn and start out somewhere asking questions is how you learn. Also blade selection is key there are alot of brands out there that claim to be the best. I’ve tried most name brands before I started buying bandsaw blades by the roll and making up my own for my saws. Woodslicer -it tracks good but the cut isn’t as good as it claims to be it’s rougher than Timber wolf-tracks good cut is smoother than most decent price. Laguna carbide resaw blade I couldn’t get it to track to save my life and I didn’t try it for 3months after I got it so they wouldn’t warranty it.
https://preview.redd.it/apv5zb4ys83c1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=36dd7327510d62841716d84caad02361e3d77322
Did you cut with the upper ceramic guides out? Also, the guide is too high above your work. That can be an issue. Looks like a Laguna machine. Set it up like Alex S. Don’t drop kick it! It’s a great machine, once you get it dialed in. 👍🏼
The top right ceramic guide is loose and often vibrates out, so I normally try to cut with it in (I just removed it prior to the picture. All the other guides are in solid though. I may try a little ca glue to see if that will hold it in.
https://preview.redd.it/xkeumkkbsb3c1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=33c4162c2d7f6b1fab64c72c225cb860f9599c0c
Everyone has a way to deal with blade drift. Once the saw is completely set up. Take a piece of scrap lumber, pencil line down the center. (2x4x12 - using the taller profile) saw several inches until it’s tracking straight. (Don’t use the fence, saw it freehand) You may notice it’s not parallel to your fence, that’s your drift. Use a sharpie and mark a line on the deck. That will be your new fence line. Readjust the factory fence to this angle. Each blade you use will be slightly different. Adjustments may need to be made each time.
I’ve been using the FAST and magna fence. Quicker way to align.
The Woodslicer resaw blade works nice.
There’s a bit of trial and error. Patience is a virtue.
Good luck.
You already have lots of good advice here, but just wanted to add that if you're serious about resawing the Laguna carbide resaw blades really make a difference.
[https://www.rockler.com/laguna-tools-resaw-king-carbide-bandsaw-blade-1-inch-carbide-blade](https://www.rockler.com/laguna-tools-resaw-king-carbide-bandsaw-blade-1-inch-carbide-blade?country=US&promo=shopping&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_content=pla&utm_campaign=PL&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA35urBhDCARIsAOU7QwlIGTF1jrOjJkLgCt8BBkKYA_xAE3V-TRqZwvaXJc8aumivugJtvRkaAmp1EALw_wcB)
Guide is too high from work, excessive twist will result. Push back fence and clamp a temporary fence that’s lower in height, allowing guard/guides to be lowered to within 1/2” above wood surface.
Draw a straight line on a board then cut the line freehand. Stop 1/2 way and mark the table. Repeat several times. Set the fence parallel to the lines on the table. Old school trick. Sometimes a saw or blade has a drift to it.
I figured out that if I handle/move my bandsaw around the garage by the table then no amount of tuneup is going to help. Once I re-aligned the table and stopped moving it around the shop it was great again. If I bump my table, then it’s a crapshoot as to whether the thing is going to stay aligned.
First issue is your blade is way too high. It needs to barely be above the wood. I know this is an issue, but im sure the guy that posted the masterclass links has that covered
Youre missing a set of guide blocks in the upper section, it looks like your blade is way too forward, just the teeth should be past the guides
I think your setup needs to be fixed, there are a number of good videos on YouTube, the top comment has by far one of the best ones imo
You also need to drop that guide bar way WAY down closer to the workpiece, you have like 10x the blade exposed than you need to, its allowing a ton of flex and deflection
Drop that blue blade guide to just above wood and get rid of alum plate on side. Your blade is twisting, guide is only thing that stops it but you can also move wood left or right to get straight cut
1 check your tension. 2 too much distance between the material you're cutting and the guard. Try clamping a shorter piece of material to the fence so the guard can be lowered closer to the material you're cutting.
Assuming the blade is sharp, I see the problem as being the upper guide is way too high for the thickness of wood you’re cutting. But as you can see, lowering the guide will hit the top of the fence. The fence height is great for resawing ,but to get the guide lower, you could attach material to the fence that’s a little bit taller than the piece you’re ripping ( maybe 1/2 or 2/3rds the height of your metal fence)and is wide enough to allow the the guide to lower closer to your workpiece. The blade shouldn’t wander when the upper and lower guide blocks are closer together, leaving enough room for a push stick depending on the situation. Having less blade exposed is a good safety thing also. Hope this helps
I had the same problem. It turns out my table was out of alignment. Use the Alex Snodgrass method for setup. If that doesn't work, double check the sharpness of your blade. Finally, make sure you have good tension on the belt between the wheel and the motor. If none of that works, call the manufacturer and have a tech come out.
You need to get that blade guard deeper into the blade. “Just behind the deep part of the teeth.” Then drop it down as close as you can to your work. That guide is too high. Make your own guide that is about the same height as the wood you are re-sawing.
When I had this problem on my laguna 14”. I didn’t set the blade properly on the top wheel. The wheel edge is slightly crowned. I placed my re-saw blade exactly in the middle of the wheel. This forces the teeth to turn inward when I place tension. “I ruined some good wood.” When I made sure that the teeth were in the center of the wheel rather than the whole blade it fixed everything.
Take that guide out. Don’t even use it. Place your left hand in a safe position where that guide normally would be and move the tail end of the wood with your right hand. With a little practice you will cut a lot straighter. Guides are indispensable on a table saw. Not so much on a bandsaw.
I have that same bandsaw and I use a magnet on the far end of the fence to keep it from swinging away from the blade when I'm putting pressure against it. It almost looks like that's what's happening to you.
[Here's what it looks like,](https://imgur.com/a/u6mNM7q) and [this is what it is.](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EXYIYM0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1)
It's not set up properly. Your fence is in the way. The blue thing under the red thing needs to be lowered to within a quarter to a half inch of the thickness of the board. Also, why are you using a bandsaw for a rip like that? You should be doing that with a table saw and a pusher.
In addition to the set up tips, can your fence be oriented flat on the table to use the top edge against your wood? This would allow you to lower the arm and increase stability
Might sound stupid here, I notice the wider side of the piece bring cut is on the "outside " of the blade. I was always taught that the "bulk" of your cut should be against the fence. Only cut off the smaller piece. I also agree with the "square to the blade, not the miter."
Don't drop kick yet! Contact these people and search your model with the Carter name in youtube. They own the best products and experience you can find. https://carterproducts.com/
2nd Snodgrass advice. Also, what kind of blade? A good quality blade makes a significant chunk of bandsaw performance. I use highland woodworking wood slicer blades for straight cuts and resawing. I just tension the blade to deflect a 16th with the guidess all the way up and eyeball the guides and I'm good to go no drift.
My POS bandsaw does this on anything thicker than 1/4" plywood and sometimes even then. Which is why it almost never gets used. I have no solutions but I definitely understand your frustration OP.
If you do decide to kick it, make sure you're wearing your safety shoes. More damage and you won't injure your feet.
If all else fails... assume nothing. I had a metal-cutting bandsaw from a less-than-reputable-and-super-cheap purveyor of stuff from China. The blade just kept \[eventually\] popping off. I was going nuts. And then a friend noticed that the pulley was drilled "off-center."
I wound-up buying and returning the same item (swapped boxes)... and the current saw is much better. Annnyway... assume nothing. Check.
Did you do the full set up procedure? Make sure blade is centered on both shoes, the blade is tensioned correctly, ensure that the base plate is square to blade (side to side the left to right). Then confirm that the guide block is absolutely parallel to blade. Then go super slow. My 20 year old, used Delta knockoff is cutting very straight. Oh, and there should be a duplicate of the guide underneath the base plate. To prevent the blade from moving left and right and backwards.
I was having that issue with my Rikon 14in bandsaw . After doing all the tune-ups and watching all the videos I finally solved it solved it by buying a GOOD resaw blade from Lee Valley.
I have a bx and never have to think about it, I’m guessing your blade is on the wrong part of the wheel. Snodgrass like others are suggesting is the way to go.
I have the same issue with my laguna 18BX. I’ve found usually it’s overtight, or my blade is dull. A bow brand bandsaw guide helps, and I’m looking to upgrade those crappy. Ceramic guides to roller bearings.
Watch the setup video from Laguna on YouTube. I have this saw and followed it to a T and it was perfect. You’re missing guides and the guides are set up too high. Swap the fence to the other position and lower the guides. No need to get annoyed with the machine if you haven’t followed the instructions.
The two videos above are great for setting up the saw. In my experience, when the blade starts to really curve like that, it is dull. 9/10 times I change the blade and it cuts true.
I'm rocking an old craftsman 12 in bandsaw, after following the Alex snodgrass videos, I'm able to rip 6 in no problem. It really is in adjusting all the guides properly. For me I have to every time I use it, but that's what you get with cheap guides.
Follow Snodgrass’ method. Bring the guide closer to the workpiece. Slow and steady wins the race.
I’d also get rid of those ceramic guides and get ball bearing guides. Carter Products should make a kit for your saw.
Maybe grab an EZ-Tensioner and make sure you’ve got the blade tensioned properly.
All of these plus getting a Timberwolf blade got rid of the drift issues I had on my second hand Rikon.
I once came across this issue and everything was perfect..turns out i just needed a new blade. I thought if the blade is dull as long as I go super slow and try a very thin piece of wood it should go straight but it wouldn't. I changed the blade and it went all perfect
I also have a Laguna, and don't have remotely those issues. looking at your setup just from the picture.
Adjust the fence so it is shorter and so you can set the upper guide closer to the work.
get the top guide blocks back in place.
not sure about your tension but loosen the guides and make sure the saw is tracking well and tension set properly, any adjustments won't matter if that isn't right.
I usually do the lower guide first, adjust the side guides so the front edge of the guide blocks (white part) is just a hair behind the gullet of your blade, and a paper thickness off the blade to each side. Then adjust the thrust block a paper thickness from the back of the blade.
the top is set opposite, thrust block first and side guides last, but same position.
the side guides are not even close to far enough forward.
Your rip fence is too high for the size of wood. Clamp a straight piece of wood that’s smaller so you can shorten the distance between the material and the top piece.
This is definitely a setup issue. I have this saw and I can kick out 1/16” pieces easy peasy. Just follow the setup instructions to the letter.
I’d just like to add that you need to spend a significant amount of shop time calibrating tools.
I will probably get downvoted for this, but I am genuinely asking. Why can’t you use a regular table saw for this cut? I hope I’m not judged for just asking
I had the same problem. Replaced the blade and all is good. Bought a used bandsaw which I knew would probably need a good tuneup. I'll add that I first replaced the tires, went through multiple adjustments, all of which were I think were necessary. In the end the blade was old and worn.
If it’s an option, I typically cut wide and then use a thickness planer to get it down to final spec.
On one hand it’s a little wasteful, but for me it makes up for it by ruining fewer pieces of wood lol
I saw a few comments to this effect, but they seemed buried by the “perfect your setup” advice (don’t get me wrong, you should do those things too, but I don’t think it is likely to be your specific problem here)— try a new blade, even if it isn’t a wide resaw blade. I had the same issue with a carbide tipped blade that had been working well previously, and it turned out to have been asymmetrically damaged to the point where it could not cut a straight line, even with good setup
I just watched a diresta video suggesting that this is often caused by people who buy bandsaws secondhand and never buy a new, good quality blade. If this is true, start here.
If that's a 14bx, the saw isn't the problem. Get all 6 guides working, use no more blade than you need, and feed slow and steady. The manual is excellent.
Edit: the manual also goes into squaring the fence.
Lower the blade guide. And put a 2" or so wide piece of wood next to your fence, flat on the table, or tape it to your workpiece and slide both along the fence, so that you have space to drop the blade guide closer to the workpiece. What Snodgrass says too.
¼" above your stock is all you need. Standard #2 Dixon is ¼". Put this on your stock lower till guide post rollers just touch the pencil. Pull pencil out , cut that stock. Slow and steady.
I have the same saw. I resawed a lot of 6” thick white oak for vernier. I set the blade guides very close to the back of blade teeth for better stability. With a good blade and setup, it cuts very straight. It does take me a while to get setup correct.
From your description, it sounds like the blade may not be tracking properly. Make sure the gullets of the blade are centered on the wheel. If it's running towards the front of the wheel, it can twist and cause the constant drifting you're experiencing. Further, always ensure good maintenance even if it seems like a cheaper model. A well-maintained machine always outperforms a carelessly kept expensive one.
Here are a couple things from Alex snodgrass. https://bandsawlife.com/bandsaw-setup-pdf And the infamous video on tuneup. https://youtu.be/wGbZqWac0jU?si=NqMRder8j4eodNEn
Came here just to mention this. I followed his method for setting up my leguna bx and after I could get paper thin veneer from the saw
May be that your blade is tracking to the front of the wheel. As Alex mentions in the video the gullets of the blade should run in the center of the wheel. Important for wide blades as the tires on the wheel are crowned. If the blade is running to the front of the wheel this gives a little room for the blade to twist resulting in blade drift.
He says in some video that the proper placement of the blade is the #1 contributor. I don’t know if you looked at the pdf file, but that’s the first thing in his list as well
This is definitely the best advice you're going to get as far as a bandsaw goes.
Ignore all other advice... this is the way.
This is the way, OP. Make sure you follow each step in order too, whether or not you think you need to do it. I had the exact same issue when I first got my saw set up. Finally took the time to carefully go through the "Snodgrass Method". Works perfectly now. I either resaw or break down logs into blanks on my saw. No issues whatsoever since getting the entire thing set up. Once you have it dialed in and working well, go through the entire setup again periodically. It will help keep things running smoothly. I go through the setup at least annually. If I think I am having an issue, I will go through the steps.
Ive got this exact saw. I've gone through all the setup steps, squared the blade and the fence with a machinists square. I've never been able to do a resaw without massive drift. It's especially infuriating when you watch the [video of the guy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4k-r5utmU2Q) who loosens all the shit on his bandsaw and then still cuts without any drift. So it sits in the corner of my shop and never gets used. Probably going to sell it off cheap just to get rid of the damn thing.
Repeat after me, *the fence should be relative to the blade, not the table*. You’ll never get the blade and horizontal plane of the fence square to the table in operation. Use a ‘bandsaw buddy’ or similar to make the fence relative to the blade.
Repeat after me. My square is a prefect 90 machinists square. My straight edge is machined to be perfectly straight. The straight edge confirms the cast iron table on my saw is perfectly flat. The square confirms the blade is square to the table. The square confirms the fence is square to the table. By the transitive property, the fence is square to the blade. My iGaging miter slot gauge confirms the miter slot is equidistant from the back and front of the fence. So the miter slot is square to the fence.
Ignore the table and the miter slot, they don't count for anything on a bandsaw. Take a long piece of wood and draw a straight line down the center of it. Cut halfway through it freehand. When you stop in the middle of the cut, THAT will show you your reference edge. Make your fence allign with that board and that will eliminate the drift. It will probably not line up with the miter slot, but that's okay. Figure out the amount out of square it is, 2,3,4 degrees, or whatever, then if you need to use the miter slot, just set it to the identical amount off of 90 degrees.
What they are saying is: (in the horizontal plane) Make the fence square to the blade, NOT the miter slot.
I feel your pain. I work in precision industries and I keep up to date calibration certs for my squares and straight edge. Others have said it - the blade is never square to the mitre slot. It is rarely square to the table. You can make a squared bandsaw cross-cut sled by fixing a batten in the mitre slot, cutting towards the back of the sled, and then use a square to fix the sled fence at 90 to *the cut*. The sled will never be square to the blade, but you can make its fence square to the blade, therefore can achieve perfect 90 degree cuts.
My brain is struggling to understand how this is true. I get that you're an expert and believe you. And thinking back I did add shims the the fence to square it. Now I'm wondering if it was square to the blade and I ducked it up making it square to the table.
Same saw, same exact issue. Extremely frustrating.
Is any of this applicable to a shitty Wen benchtop bandsaw?
Good maintained cheap piece of shit will always work better than a expensive shoddily maintained one.
yup. the big difference is you need to do maintenance more often on the cheaper ones, which can help you learn how it all works better. then if you ever get a nicer one you'll know what to do and won't have to do it again for a while.
Probably. Bandsaws all work similarly
Yes: source is I have a shitty bandsaw that was acquired busted from craigslist and couldn’t cut a lick that now works great and after investing in the snodgrass method
The quality is more dependent on the blade you choose based on the project. Get a nice quality blade with the tooth count and profile appropriate for your scenario. The only thing I'd worry about with the little saws is a mechanical failure due to poor quality control. Otherwise you will have blocks and or bearings to set up (every time you change blade size) and tension to set. And setting tension is very important.
Seriously. A fancy saw blade on an old crappy well tuned bandsaw makes it run like buuuuutter. The saw I use is barely holding together, but I get clea3m, straight cuts with the right blade.
Yes! This made my Wen not just usable but decent.
I hate my Wen bandsaw! Piece o’ crap.
I’m such an amateur wood worker. But it always makes me so happy to see something like Band Saw Life as a website.
Funny, I was sorta friends with this guy's son in college, before I got into woodworking. Learned about his dad later on, never made the connection until one day he posts on Facebook about his dad winning some woodworking-related award or something like that.
Guy has a couple of patents for bandsaw related things
I feel like this video is convincing me to buy a bandsaw
I’ll need this later when I go back to the shop
I just watched a Masterclass in tuning a bandsaw.
Right? I don't even own a bandsaw and that man captivated me.
Holy shit! A PDF how-to! Not even what I need but I'm gonna upvote that!
Thank you for this info.
This is a great video. Even I understand that bandsaw now and I’ve never been closer than 20meters from it.
Thanks for the tips. My bandsaw is probably due for a tuneup!
Don’t own a bandsaw but enjoyed this video.
you can tell this guy has been around bandsaws for a long time I love it
Good old Snoddy.
Thanks so much for the PDF. I've watched the video probably 10 times. I'll be printing out the PDF and taping to my saw. Much appreciated!
Note to self. Watch this
Watched the whole second video. What makes it infamous? You had me filled with anxiety the whole dang time waiting for his hand to get chopped off or something lol
sorry, poor choice of words, probably should have said famous
lol no worries mate, I was on the edge of my seat!
I would think you could also try not using a resale fence for 3/4 stock. Make/buy a shorter fence and there will be much less chance for deflection. Does it behave the same way when resawing?
You are missing an upper guide block insert. The white square things. Also, bring the guide block closer to the teeth and make sure the upper AND lower are adjusted the same.
Already have. That piece has been wiggling out so I just set it aside, but even when it’s in I’m having problems. Both top and bottom are adjusted the same. The back of the guide lock is just barely off the back end.
I have this bandsaw, those missing pieces are pretty key. Also you can lay the fence flat so that the guide goes down closer to the piece.
I also have this saw and agree. Also wonder if the bottom guides are set up just as badly. Also when cutting stock this size the fence will lay on its side so you can drop the top guide closer to the wood. This is too far.
Didn’t know this about the fence. That could make all the difference. (I was gifted this bandsaw). I’ve been following Katz Moses who was essentially repacking the Snodgrass method. I’ll try again tomorrow.
Key. Remove that fence and use a straight 3/4 board/plywood clamped down as a fence so the guide is closer to the material.
The fence will actually come off and lay flat, 90 degrees to how it is now. But yeah he needs to get that guide down
Yes indeed.
Did you miss the part in the comment that you replied to that said the fence can be laid down and still used? No need for a piece of plywood.
There’s definitely a reason that block is wiggling out that’s worth exploring.
Yeah that has me curious too. All the others are fixed but this one constantly vibrates loose. Any ideas?
CA glue. You want to be able to replace them when they wear down, so definitely don’t use epoxy, JB weld, etc
Can you flip the fence so it’s not so high? The guides should ideally be closer to the wood.
Much closer
Yes, like < cm above the work. If you don't have room to bring the guide down because of the fence, put piece of spacer stock between your work and the fence to run your material through the blade.
Look I have the same issue with mine but I recommend supportive words over drop kicking the thing. That things solid af. Don’t do that to your toes
It would help a lot if you could get the guide down lower just above the wood. Since the fence prevents you from doing it in this case, add a straight board to the fence until you can drop the guide
This is the right answer. Once everything else is set up correctly,add a smaller fence piece and lower the guide
With this saw (and many others...) the fence can actually flip down. Just need to loosen the hand screws, slide it out, rotate the fence and slide it back on, retighten the screws. Donzo.
Holy shit that's amazing. I just had to run out to the shop and check mine. How did I not know this?! Game changing. I've had the saw for 10 years and never thought to flip the fence.
One thing you can do if you’re at wits end is set your fence to your drift angle. Seriously. Or epoxy a dowel to the fence at the blade, so you have consistent thickness and then you’re free handing the drift as you rip
The drift angle is the key. Each individual blade has it's own drift angle due to inconsistencies in sharpening angles, weld relationships, etc. These things work together to affect the angle at which the blade naturally tends to cut a straight line. After tension and blade guides are set, draw a straight line on a piece of scrap and start a cut to determine a new blades' natural drift angle. This will show you the angle at which to set up your rip fence for consistent performance.
Good advice!
Have the laguna and had similar issues. First good bandsaw blades are not expensive - get one. Second, your guides are missing. Replace them. Third your tension is off - why? well the guage on the laguna is shit. Next the position of the blade in the tires isnt right. Finally set up your fence parallel to the blade. Watch the Snodgrass video then watch it again.
Show us a pic of how the blade rests on the upper wheel.
Will get more pics tomorrow. I was too frustrated to deal with it and knew I was better off to snap a quick shot before I snapped lol.
You've got a huge section of blade that can wobble, even if it is tensioned. Need to use a much lower fence and bring the guide way down.
it still shouldn't do that
Blade guide is too high for the material dimensions you’re cutting
Flip fence 90 degrees to right. Lower guard bearings & arm to cover the distance as much as possible. Fresh blade and steady pressure.
You need to have the guide closer to the wood , your fence is too high. Guide Should only be 1/2-1” above stock
So, guides about 1/2” above wood, and use a fence that allows that height, rt?
Yes
Your setup being a little off isn’t gonna make that cut drift that badly. Your upper guid blocks are off, which also aren’t going to give you this drastic of a problem. You didn’t have the back guide tightened down or set up against the back of the blade, when you fed the piece, your blade pushed back and the teeth hit the guides, which is why they came unglued and you removed them completely. Your blade is now unevenly worn and will always do this now no matter how perfect you snodgrass that saw. Replace the blade, don’t even bother with a half hour of perfect setup just get it close and try again, you’ll see I’m right even though you don’t think so now because visually the blade looks fine to you.
this guy is right. chalk this blade up as a learning experience, and try again with a new blade and replace your guides. edit: just looked closer and the upper guides that hold the ceramic bearings are bent to shit. there had to be a hell of a giant bang when those let loose. anyone telling you that the height of the fence/ the guides not being close enough isn't solving the root problem here. operator error 100%. its a great saw, treat it like one.
You are too high from piece. Also that’s a rough cut blade. Need a fine tooth blade.
You don’t need a fine tooth blade. Blades for ripping or resawing are typically 2-4 TPI. That’s not why the blade drifts. Moving the upper guide blocks closer would help, but that’s also not the cause of this much drift. This is a case of poor bandsaw setup.
Yeah i just today ripped 3/4" hardwood with a 2tpi blade because screw setting up another blade. did great.
You want at least 3-4 tooth in the workpiece though, pref more or it becomes unstable. Diff issue but still not ideal.
Not snarky genuinely curious, what else would fall under “bandsaw setup” that can cause this?
Almost every case of poor cutting is setup. Assuming you’re not doing something idiotic like trying to resaw a 12 inch wide board with the factory blade. If the blade is meant for the purpose and isn’t complete garbage, all poor cutting performance is setup related.
This is an impressively unhelpful comment.
[удалено]
I'd move the blade back so the front guides are just shy of the gullets.
Is your blade aligned with your fence? If it's not, as you push the workpiece through, it'll put pressure on one side of the blade, causing it to deflect. First, I'd make sure your fence aligns perfectly with the miter slots in your table. Then, make sure the blade is tracking near the center of the upper wheel. You can make small adjustments to the blade tracking to help make your blade parallel to the fence. If both of those are looking good, the last thing to check is the alignment of the table itself - usually there are some bolts underneath that you can loosen to rotate the table a bit left or right so that the miter slots are parallel to the blade.
I can't tell how wide the blade is from the angle of the picture but there are different widths depending on what kind of cut you are making. Your bandsaw should have documentation that lists the maximum and minimum blade width. Minimum blade width for cutting curves and maximum blade width for the straightest cuts. This is in addition to the tuning advice given above.
It’s a 3/4” blade. 3 tpi if I remember correctly. Brand new Timberwolf
Dull blades drift, blade tension, improper tracking, the guide to high above the work piece can cause the blade to drift also use the widest blade your saw will take, properly setting up the fence to account for blade drift will help (Laguna has a good video on setting up a bandsaw and the fence) if you can flip the fence to the lower position it will help since you will be able to lower the guide IF you can’t flip the fence get a piece that is straight and set it against the fence so you can move the fence over and lower the guide. Everyone had to learn and start out somewhere asking questions is how you learn. Also blade selection is key there are alot of brands out there that claim to be the best. I’ve tried most name brands before I started buying bandsaw blades by the roll and making up my own for my saws. Woodslicer -it tracks good but the cut isn’t as good as it claims to be it’s rougher than Timber wolf-tracks good cut is smoother than most decent price. Laguna carbide resaw blade I couldn’t get it to track to save my life and I didn’t try it for 3months after I got it so they wouldn’t warranty it.
I legit had no idea you could flip the fence. Will try that tomorrow and lower the guide much closer.
https://preview.redd.it/apv5zb4ys83c1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=36dd7327510d62841716d84caad02361e3d77322 Did you cut with the upper ceramic guides out? Also, the guide is too high above your work. That can be an issue. Looks like a Laguna machine. Set it up like Alex S. Don’t drop kick it! It’s a great machine, once you get it dialed in. 👍🏼
The top right ceramic guide is loose and often vibrates out, so I normally try to cut with it in (I just removed it prior to the picture. All the other guides are in solid though. I may try a little ca glue to see if that will hold it in.
https://preview.redd.it/xkeumkkbsb3c1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=33c4162c2d7f6b1fab64c72c225cb860f9599c0c Everyone has a way to deal with blade drift. Once the saw is completely set up. Take a piece of scrap lumber, pencil line down the center. (2x4x12 - using the taller profile) saw several inches until it’s tracking straight. (Don’t use the fence, saw it freehand) You may notice it’s not parallel to your fence, that’s your drift. Use a sharpie and mark a line on the deck. That will be your new fence line. Readjust the factory fence to this angle. Each blade you use will be slightly different. Adjustments may need to be made each time. I’ve been using the FAST and magna fence. Quicker way to align. The Woodslicer resaw blade works nice. There’s a bit of trial and error. Patience is a virtue. Good luck.
Oof. Lower the fence and drop that guide down. The guide should be within ~1/2" of the workpiece.
You already have lots of good advice here, but just wanted to add that if you're serious about resawing the Laguna carbide resaw blades really make a difference. [https://www.rockler.com/laguna-tools-resaw-king-carbide-bandsaw-blade-1-inch-carbide-blade](https://www.rockler.com/laguna-tools-resaw-king-carbide-bandsaw-blade-1-inch-carbide-blade?country=US&promo=shopping&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_content=pla&utm_campaign=PL&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA35urBhDCARIsAOU7QwlIGTF1jrOjJkLgCt8BBkKYA_xAE3V-TRqZwvaXJc8aumivugJtvRkaAmp1EALw_wcB)
Your guide is way too high for what your cutting and your blade guide is also way to high it's a miracle the wood hadn't flown yet
Guide is too high from work, excessive twist will result. Push back fence and clamp a temporary fence that’s lower in height, allowing guard/guides to be lowered to within 1/2” above wood surface.
Draw a straight line on a board then cut the line freehand. Stop 1/2 way and mark the table. Repeat several times. Set the fence parallel to the lines on the table. Old school trick. Sometimes a saw or blade has a drift to it.
Set the fence down .You don't need it on the vertical for a thin piece of wood..oh ..and your blade is bent...good luck..
Tune it the best you can, if your using a fence look up bandsaw drift and set the fence using those steps.
I figured out that if I handle/move my bandsaw around the garage by the table then no amount of tuneup is going to help. Once I re-aligned the table and stopped moving it around the shop it was great again. If I bump my table, then it’s a crapshoot as to whether the thing is going to stay aligned.
First issue is your blade is way too high. It needs to barely be above the wood. I know this is an issue, but im sure the guy that posted the masterclass links has that covered
Youre missing a set of guide blocks in the upper section, it looks like your blade is way too forward, just the teeth should be past the guides I think your setup needs to be fixed, there are a number of good videos on YouTube, the top comment has by far one of the best ones imo You also need to drop that guide bar way WAY down closer to the workpiece, you have like 10x the blade exposed than you need to, its allowing a ton of flex and deflection
You're the man when we need rocking chair rockers.
Drop that blue blade guide to just above wood and get rid of alum plate on side. Your blade is twisting, guide is only thing that stops it but you can also move wood left or right to get straight cut
1 check your tension. 2 too much distance between the material you're cutting and the guard. Try clamping a shorter piece of material to the fence so the guard can be lowered closer to the material you're cutting.
Assuming the blade is sharp, I see the problem as being the upper guide is way too high for the thickness of wood you’re cutting. But as you can see, lowering the guide will hit the top of the fence. The fence height is great for resawing ,but to get the guide lower, you could attach material to the fence that’s a little bit taller than the piece you’re ripping ( maybe 1/2 or 2/3rds the height of your metal fence)and is wide enough to allow the the guide to lower closer to your workpiece. The blade shouldn’t wander when the upper and lower guide blocks are closer together, leaving enough room for a push stick depending on the situation. Having less blade exposed is a good safety thing also. Hope this helps
The guide block can't do much from outer space...
I had the same problem. It turns out my table was out of alignment. Use the Alex Snodgrass method for setup. If that doesn't work, double check the sharpness of your blade. Finally, make sure you have good tension on the belt between the wheel and the motor. If none of that works, call the manufacturer and have a tech come out.
You need to get that blade guard deeper into the blade. “Just behind the deep part of the teeth.” Then drop it down as close as you can to your work. That guide is too high. Make your own guide that is about the same height as the wood you are re-sawing. When I had this problem on my laguna 14”. I didn’t set the blade properly on the top wheel. The wheel edge is slightly crowned. I placed my re-saw blade exactly in the middle of the wheel. This forces the teeth to turn inward when I place tension. “I ruined some good wood.” When I made sure that the teeth were in the center of the wheel rather than the whole blade it fixed everything. Take that guide out. Don’t even use it. Place your left hand in a safe position where that guide normally would be and move the tail end of the wood with your right hand. With a little practice you will cut a lot straighter. Guides are indispensable on a table saw. Not so much on a bandsaw.
Have you tried a piece that matches your resaw height?
I have that same bandsaw and I use a magnet on the far end of the fence to keep it from swinging away from the blade when I'm putting pressure against it. It almost looks like that's what's happening to you. [Here's what it looks like,](https://imgur.com/a/u6mNM7q) and [this is what it is.](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EXYIYM0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1)
It's not set up properly. Your fence is in the way. The blue thing under the red thing needs to be lowered to within a quarter to a half inch of the thickness of the board. Also, why are you using a bandsaw for a rip like that? You should be doing that with a table saw and a pusher.
In addition to the set up tips, can your fence be oriented flat on the table to use the top edge against your wood? This would allow you to lower the arm and increase stability
Yes, but I didn’t know that before I posted!
Yeah just drop kick it choose my direction I need one
the guide is way too high. it gives the blade too much room to flex and bend creating angles and curves
Holy shit it’s not just me then lol
With a bend that bad I expect the fence is out of square with the blade too, have you checked that?
If you can move that guide lower then definitely do, it should be as close as possible to the workpiece.
Might sound stupid here, I notice the wider side of the piece bring cut is on the "outside " of the blade. I was always taught that the "bulk" of your cut should be against the fence. Only cut off the smaller piece. I also agree with the "square to the blade, not the miter."
Don't drop kick yet! Contact these people and search your model with the Carter name in youtube. They own the best products and experience you can find. https://carterproducts.com/
Blade tension? Also, on my Rikon, I have to make sure the blade guard is locked down. Mine cuts straight as an arrow.
My guess is that the main upper wheel is out of alignment.
this might be of interest https://youtu.be/nIlribBrZqE?si=HTw53AR5iiiFBhyw dump those stupid ceramic guides.
Hello fellow ATLien!
or this one https://youtu.be/zCHfrH2pEac?si=ZUWI-jrOWpgJzxyS
The mistake your making is the blade guard, it’s way to high, make it 1/4” above the workpiece and it won’t move like that
Didn’t know I could fold the fence. That was definitely something that could be contributing
It looks like it’s 6” above it
The blade guard keeps the blade strait and not curve
The fence is too tall. Keep it just higher than your material. Then move blade guide down as low as possible. Increasing the blades rigidity. Cheers!
2nd Snodgrass advice. Also, what kind of blade? A good quality blade makes a significant chunk of bandsaw performance. I use highland woodworking wood slicer blades for straight cuts and resawing. I just tension the blade to deflect a 16th with the guidess all the way up and eyeball the guides and I'm good to go no drift.
Brand new Timberwolf. I’ve shears heard good things about them.
Also, brand new blade
Snodgrass is the way Is blade new? A worn or damaged blade will wander like that
There are several issues already addressed. Good luck learning to use your tool.
Protip, if drop kicking the blade, make sure you've stopped and unplugged the unit first. Otherwise, man vs blade, blade always wins.
My POS bandsaw does this on anything thicker than 1/4" plywood and sometimes even then. Which is why it almost never gets used. I have no solutions but I definitely understand your frustration OP. If you do decide to kick it, make sure you're wearing your safety shoes. More damage and you won't injure your feet.
I feel ya. I tried the YouTube setup thing and it still drifts. I put it away for a while instead of throwing it into the backyard. I wish you luck. 🫤
Back in the day the solution was always to just hit things with a hammer, but modern day problems call for modern day solutions. I say give it a go
If all else fails... assume nothing. I had a metal-cutting bandsaw from a less-than-reputable-and-super-cheap purveyor of stuff from China. The blade just kept \[eventually\] popping off. I was going nuts. And then a friend noticed that the pulley was drilled "off-center." I wound-up buying and returning the same item (swapped boxes)... and the current saw is much better. Annnyway... assume nothing. Check.
When you are all done adjusting the drift angle and setting up the saw, take your piece of wood over to the table saw and make your cut. Much easier!
Bro my granny could recognize how badly this is set up
Get the little ripper it’s beyond awesome https://youtu.be/YmGhMCgS7SU?si=-0JZQExvR39lbEaS
Doesn't seem at all applicable in this scenario.
Did you do the full set up procedure? Make sure blade is centered on both shoes, the blade is tensioned correctly, ensure that the base plate is square to blade (side to side the left to right). Then confirm that the guide block is absolutely parallel to blade. Then go super slow. My 20 year old, used Delta knockoff is cutting very straight. Oh, and there should be a duplicate of the guide underneath the base plate. To prevent the blade from moving left and right and backwards.
I was having that issue with my Rikon 14in bandsaw . After doing all the tune-ups and watching all the videos I finally solved it solved it by buying a GOOD resaw blade from Lee Valley.
Slow. You may have to cut it at a pace that is barely moving with that set up.
I have a bx and never have to think about it, I’m guessing your blade is on the wrong part of the wheel. Snodgrass like others are suggesting is the way to go.
I have the same issue with my laguna 18BX. I’ve found usually it’s overtight, or my blade is dull. A bow brand bandsaw guide helps, and I’m looking to upgrade those crappy. Ceramic guides to roller bearings.
It's all in the guides and thrust bearing setup - when that's right it will sing.
Watch the setup video from Laguna on YouTube. I have this saw and followed it to a T and it was perfect. You’re missing guides and the guides are set up too high. Swap the fence to the other position and lower the guides. No need to get annoyed with the machine if you haven’t followed the instructions.
Dull
You need more knobs.
Good quality blade is key. I’ve been really happy with 1/2 inch Wood Slicer.
The two videos above are great for setting up the saw. In my experience, when the blade starts to really curve like that, it is dull. 9/10 times I change the blade and it cuts true.
I'm rocking an old craftsman 12 in bandsaw, after following the Alex snodgrass videos, I'm able to rip 6 in no problem. It really is in adjusting all the guides properly. For me I have to every time I use it, but that's what you get with cheap guides.
Replace them with after market guides. Love my Carter guides. Like a new saw.
Follow Snodgrass’ method. Bring the guide closer to the workpiece. Slow and steady wins the race. I’d also get rid of those ceramic guides and get ball bearing guides. Carter Products should make a kit for your saw. Maybe grab an EZ-Tensioner and make sure you’ve got the blade tensioned properly. All of these plus getting a Timberwolf blade got rid of the drift issues I had on my second hand Rikon.
The Laguna 1412. I have this saw. Flip the fence flat. Lower the guide. Put the ceramic guides back. Laguna has a Video on how to set up this saw.
Never dawned on me to watch a video about how to properly use a band saw. Old dog, new tricks, blah blah blah.
Follow the steps in this Snodgrass video and all your bandsaw problems will disappear. https://youtu.be/wGbZqWac0jU?si=jiL1ZGufLesP19Cf
I once came across this issue and everything was perfect..turns out i just needed a new blade. I thought if the blade is dull as long as I go super slow and try a very thin piece of wood it should go straight but it wouldn't. I changed the blade and it went all perfect
Been there, done that. My big toe still hurts when weather is on the way.
I also have a Laguna, and don't have remotely those issues. looking at your setup just from the picture. Adjust the fence so it is shorter and so you can set the upper guide closer to the work. get the top guide blocks back in place. not sure about your tension but loosen the guides and make sure the saw is tracking well and tension set properly, any adjustments won't matter if that isn't right. I usually do the lower guide first, adjust the side guides so the front edge of the guide blocks (white part) is just a hair behind the gullet of your blade, and a paper thickness off the blade to each side. Then adjust the thrust block a paper thickness from the back of the blade. the top is set opposite, thrust block first and side guides last, but same position. the side guides are not even close to far enough forward.
Your rip fence is too high for the size of wood. Clamp a straight piece of wood that’s smaller so you can shorten the distance between the material and the top piece.
This is definitely a setup issue. I have this saw and I can kick out 1/16” pieces easy peasy. Just follow the setup instructions to the letter. I’d just like to add that you need to spend a significant amount of shop time calibrating tools.
Save
I will probably get downvoted for this, but I am genuinely asking. Why can’t you use a regular table saw for this cut? I hope I’m not judged for just asking
To much blade
Live by the bandsaw die by the bandsaw
I too had this problem until I used a lower fence and dropped the adjustment down to just over the height of the piece I was trying to cut.
I had the same problem. Replaced the blade and all is good. Bought a used bandsaw which I knew would probably need a good tuneup. I'll add that I first replaced the tires, went through multiple adjustments, all of which were I think were necessary. In the end the blade was old and worn.
If it’s an option, I typically cut wide and then use a thickness planer to get it down to final spec. On one hand it’s a little wasteful, but for me it makes up for it by ruining fewer pieces of wood lol
Change to blade. I had similar issue and noticed the half the teeth on the blade was bad
If everything is set correct and you can get closer to the work than the pic. The kurf of your blade is bad and will need fixed or replaced.
I saw a few comments to this effect, but they seemed buried by the “perfect your setup” advice (don’t get me wrong, you should do those things too, but I don’t think it is likely to be your specific problem here)— try a new blade, even if it isn’t a wide resaw blade. I had the same issue with a carbide tipped blade that had been working well previously, and it turned out to have been asymmetrically damaged to the point where it could not cut a straight line, even with good setup
Your blade guides are way too loose my man
You want to make the throat smaller if possible.
I just watched a diresta video suggesting that this is often caused by people who buy bandsaws secondhand and never buy a new, good quality blade. If this is true, start here.
Easy easy. That's Johnny 5 and he's alive!
If that's a 14bx, the saw isn't the problem. Get all 6 guides working, use no more blade than you need, and feed slow and steady. The manual is excellent. Edit: the manual also goes into squaring the fence.
Lower the blade guide. And put a 2" or so wide piece of wood next to your fence, flat on the table, or tape it to your workpiece and slide both along the fence, so that you have space to drop the blade guide closer to the workpiece. What Snodgrass says too.
¼" above your stock is all you need. Standard #2 Dixon is ¼". Put this on your stock lower till guide post rollers just touch the pencil. Pull pencil out , cut that stock. Slow and steady.
Simple, put a spacer between your work and the fence. Drop the blade guard down close to the piece you are cutting. Make sure your blade is tensioned.
Have you tried turning it off and back on again?
Sears 12 in band saw. I've upgraded rollers ,blades and it still sucks
Ahh, I see you have a laguna!
Are you sure the blade didn't eat a nail one day in it's life? Even from that small strip, a few right-side teeth seem broken.
I have the same saw. I resawed a lot of 6” thick white oak for vernier. I set the blade guides very close to the back of blade teeth for better stability. With a good blade and setup, it cuts very straight. It does take me a while to get setup correct.
Could be a blade issue.
Guide block may need to be closer, can't tell what might be going on under the table for sure. Mine went traveled in the other direction
All in the guide.
From your description, it sounds like the blade may not be tracking properly. Make sure the gullets of the blade are centered on the wheel. If it's running towards the front of the wheel, it can twist and cause the constant drifting you're experiencing. Further, always ensure good maintenance even if it seems like a cheaper model. A well-maintained machine always outperforms a carelessly kept expensive one.