Sawmill Throwing Blades Off

Advice for maintenance on a bandsaw that has started throwing the blade off. June 18, 2012

Question
My LT 40 started throwing blades off recently. I put new bearings in the blade wheel and adjusted the cant control and it still throws blades. Has anyone had the same problem?

Forum Responses
(Sawing and Drying Forum)
From contributor M:
You did not say whether you were actually sawing when your sawmill threw blades. Assuming that you do not have a bad/worn bearing in either the drive or driven bandwheels, I would install new B57's, a new blade, and start from scratch with your alignment procedure.

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From contributor A:
Most of the time if it throws the blade when the power is applied it is the adjustment on the idle side. If it walks off while the blade is just running it is often a bad B57 belt, crap under it, or lube like diesel/too much soap. There is a tiny bit of play in the bearings but they should turn very smooth.

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From contributor B:
If it worked fine then all of a sudden started throwing the blades, then something has failed. I would recommend checking all of the welds, bolts, etc. for cracks or play when the blade is tensioned. Check all your alignment points both with no blade and with a blade under tension and look for differences. Most problems like this are easy to fix but difficult to find. Remember the fact that it did work at one point; so your adjustments shouldn't be the problem.