Specifications

SHOPSMITH 11” BANDSAW 555943
Page 38
Maintenance Schedule
The maintenance intervals shown here are based on normal operation and assume that you
will be careful not to abuse your Bandsaw. If you work the machine unusually hard or use it
to cut metals and other hard materials, you’ll need to maintain it more often. If an unusual
noise or vibration develops, stop the machine immediately and check the blade, blade guides,
roller bearings, tension, needle bearings and other parts or adjustments. Do not operate the
Bandsaw until you have located and corrected the cause of the noise or vibration.
As needed File or sharpen dull blades, replace worn-out blades. Resurface
scored blade guide blocks.
When you change blades Adjust the blade tension and blade guides. Check roller bearing
position.
Every 5 hours of running
time*
Brush off and blow out the Bandsaw completely.
Every 10 hours of running
time*
Repeat the previous step, plus clean the pitch from the blades,
blade guides, and tires. Lubricate the trunnions, blade tension
screw, blade guide post, and blade guide adjusting screws. Wax
the table, miter gauge slots, and table insert. Check all alignments
and adjustments.
Every 100 hours of run-
ning time*
Repeat the previous steps, plus lubricate the needle bearings.
Check all guide blocks, roller bearings, tires and needle bearings
for wear.
*To estimate running time, use this rule: you will run your
power tools only 10% of the total time you spend in your shop.
And the time you spend running power tools will be split
between your bandsaw and other machines. So, if you work
in your shop for 25 hours, you have probably logged 1 hour
on your bandsaw. If you use the Bandsaw less often, main-
tenance cycles may be less frequent, but the 100-hour proce-
dure should be performed once a year as a matter of practice.
Troubleshooting
Bandsaw problems usually have simple solutions-un-
der normal use, you should rarely have to service the
machine. Most problems can be corrected by mainte-
nance, realignment, readjustment, or a change in work
habits. To help diagnose and remedy any problem that
may arise with your Shopsmith Bandsaw, use the fol-
lowing Troubleshooting Guide.
Correcting Blade Lead
If the blade guides are worn or improperly ad-
justed, or if the blade teeth are improperly set, the
blade may “lead” while you’re working - wan-
der off the pattern line to one side or the other.
This can ruin your cut, particularly when you’re
ripping or resawing. You may be able to com-
pensate for this lead by simply changing the
angle you feed the work into the blade. If the
blade lead is excessive and interferes with your
work, check the blade guides, and then:
• If the gaps between the guide blocks are too wide or the
guide blocks are set too far back behind the gullets,
readjust the blade guides as described in Steps 13-15
of the Adjust the Roller Bearings section.
• If the guide blocks are worn, grind a new face on the
guide blocks as in Resurfacing the Guide Blocks.
• If the blade guides are correctly adjusted and not worn,
the blade lead is probably caused by the uneven set of
the teeth. One clue that the teeth may be improperly set
is when the blade always leads to one side or the other.
If the blade lead is strong, you can only correct it by
having the blade reset and resharpened at a saw shop-
or replace the blade.
WARNING
Use extreme caution when correcting for blade
lead, since more of the running blade is exposed
than on any other Bandsaw operation. Also,
remember to wear eye protection.