Bandsaw Blade Tension

[Woodworking_Hobby]

Does anyone have any recommendations on a good video or read on setting the tension on a bandsaw blade?  I have tried a few different ways but not really sure I am getting it right. Is there a way to tell from the saws performance how good the tension is on the blade? 

[wtnhighlander]

Try this:

 

If tension (and other aspects of setup) are right, the saw will perform much better. One thing many users fail to grasp is that not all bandsaw frames are stiff enough to properly tension a wide blade, also that wide blades are not strictly necessary.

[RichardA]

Here's another one that works for me.  On Youtube look up "Alex Snodgrass bandsaw clinic".

[Chestnut]

I bought this guy and it's helped me get good results on smaller blades. I'm not sure i trust it for 3/4" blades. There i still use the blind guess method.

https://www.eztension.com/buy-one-now/eztension-bandsaw-tension-gauge

If your using carbide tipped bandsaw blades stay away from Alex Snodgrass's method and use the manufactures method. I have 5 broken carbide tipped blades from using that method.

[Mick S]

One thing to keep in mind when "trying" to use the tension gauge on your saw is that it's relative to the thickness of the blade. My big bandsaw has a note on the bottom of the gauge that says .019". That means that the gauge is set for blade stock .019" thick. Since I use it almost exclusively for resawing, I keep a 1" blade on it that's .035" thick. That means the gauge is way off for what I normally do with the saw. I have an Iturra blade tension gauge and properly tensioned, the gauge reads almost twice as high as the marks indicate.

[dailydovetail]

Hi Folks, my name is Mark and I'm the maker of the EZtension gauge.

On blade thickness, Mick S. is right that blade thickness changes the amount of pressure required to reach "proper" tension. The EZtension gauge was designed for .025 blades for the 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2-inch wide blades and .30 for the 5/8 and .035 for the 3/4.

-mj