Small bandsaw blade and the blocks

[elwoodblues]

x

[wilburpan]

There are three ways I can think of to deal with this. If you have metal guide blocks, the only thing you can do is be careful as to how you place them relative to the blade.

The second is to replace the guide blocks with something softer, like Cool Blocks, or even make some replacement guide blocks out of wood. (Scrap pieces of rosewood or cocobolo work great for this.) That way you don't have to worry about the teeth dulling themselves on the guide blocks, as the blade will cut a kerf into the blocks, much like a zero clearance insert on a table saw.

The third is to get a Carter Stabilizer. This is a special guide that supports narrow bandsaw blades only from the back, and makes scroll work on a bandsaw really easy to do. They are pricey, though. I don't have these because I don't use a narrow blade on my bandsaw often enough for it to be worthwhile.

I use the first method. It isn't as hard to adjust guide blocks on a narrow bandsaw blade as you think.

[TonyV]

You're supposed to bury 1/8" blades inside the blocks. That is, for larger blades, you set the blocks so that the edge of the block closes to the operator is even with the bottom of the gullets; with a 1/8" blade, you want the entire blade surrounded by the block.

You obviously want to use cool blocks or wood when you do this.

Tony