# Powermatic 2415 Bandsaw Problem



## rbhandcrafted (Jan 15, 2014)

Hi guys, I thought I would try my luck here since a lot of you mill & resaw.

I have a 24" Powermatic with a resawking blade. (doesn't matter which blade is on it, it still does it.
The saw was new when I bought it, but I am the second owner. The first received it as an insurance replacement. He never put power to it.
My problem is the blade wobbles. if you are looking at the blade from the front resawing position, the blade looks fine but when you move to the side, you see the blade moving front to back, quite a bit 3/8" or more. 
What would cause this? The saw resaws fine and tracks good in the bearing guides, neither bumping the thrush bearing or the side rollers. It just isn't silky smoothe like you see any others on youtube. 

I am hoping I get a "ohhhh that's a simple adjustment" answer ...

Thank you in advance.


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## DKMD (Jan 15, 2014)

Are the wheels co-planer? I seem to remember a thread on another forum where that turned out to be the fix for a similar problem. Does the blade move that far just advancing it by hand( no power)?

Not a source of the trouble, but how can the blade not hit the thrust bearing if it's moving back and forth that far? I was under the impression that the bearing should be closer to the blade than 3/8".

Reactions: Like 2


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## rbhandcrafted (Jan 15, 2014)

DKMD said:


> Are the wheels co-planer? I seem to remember a thread on another forum where that turned out to be the fix for a similar problem. Does the blade move that far just advancing it by hand( no power)?
> 
> Not a source of the trouble, but how can the blade not hit the thrust bearing if it's moving back and forth that far? I was under the impression that the bearing should be closer to the blade than 3/8".


 David,
I keep the rear bearing a hairs thickness or less from the spine of the blade , the blade when under power doesn't hit the rear bearing but it slides forward between the 2 roller guides and then back...over n over. About the co planer thing...I do remember once when I firsat got the saw, I or we, moved the very top adjustment bolts (later found out I was to NEVER touch those ones) so I think that would be the co planer adjustment. The lower two knobs are for blade in/blade out adjustments. Would not being co/planer cause a reaction like what I explained? Ive read that coplanar or not doesn't matter but everyones got an opinion. I guess it wont hurt to try and adjust it. I cant actually measure for co planer without removing a whiole bunch of stuff and rigging up a straightedge.
Thank you for replying David


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## Mike1950 (Jan 15, 2014)

I think Kevin had this or similar problem a little while ago. You might ask him, m


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## DKMD (Jan 15, 2014)

Actually, my first thought was a bad weld or bent blade, but you said it doesn't matter which blade you use. I'm not sure than the wheels being in or out of plane would cause the kind of bouncing that your describing, but I couldn't think of anything else at the time. The other thing to check would be the tires... I suppose an area of damage or irregularity on the tire could make the blade hop around.


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## rbhandcrafted (Jan 16, 2014)

DKMD said:


> Actually, my first thought was a bad weld or bent blade, but you said it doesn't matter which blade you use. I'm not sure than the wheels being in or out of plane would cause the kind of bouncing that your describing, but I couldn't think of anything else at the time. The other thing to check would be the tires... I suppose an area of damage or irregularity on the tire could make the blade hop around.


 Put brand new tires on it as a fix. Did nothing. Im just going to live with it but try a adjustment I haven't tried yet. Its as though the blade isn't straightening out once tracked. If you spin it by hand, you cant notice anything wrong. Once I have all the guides snugged up and ive tracked it by hand..it seems perfect..but once its up to speed..its bouncing..but only forward and back to original position, not hitting the rear thrust bearing.
Thanks for you tip & trying to help. I just thought I would ask...I've been stressed over this since I got the saw.


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## barry richardson (Jan 16, 2014)

Ron, I've never encountered this problem, but I would try playing with the tracking adjustment and/or tension while up to speed. It could be the coplanar wheel thing, but I've seen some bandsaws that were pretty far out of plane and you could still get them to track steady. FWIW My work got a new Laguna a while back and it came with a resaw king. It was a nice blade but it didn't cut silky smooth either, and the saw tracked perfectly. Or it could be that the 14 carrot gold in the Powermatic paint is creating a pulsating magnetic vortex...... just sayin


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## rbhandcrafted (Jan 16, 2014)

barry richardson said:


> Ron, I've never encountered this problem, but I would try playing with the tracking adjustment and/or tension while up to speed. It could be the coplanar wheel thing, but I've seen some bandsaws that were pretty far out of plane and you could still get them to track steady. FWIW My work got a new Laguna a while back and it came with a resaw king. It was a nice blade but it didn't cut silky smooth either, and the saw tracked perfectly. Or it could be that the 14 carrot gold in the Powermatic paint is creating a pulsating magnetic vortex...... just sayin


 I promise it isn't me being overly critical of a machines performance expectations... it rocks, lol I will get a video of it and post it in this thread.
maybe that will clarify. (when you see it, you too will be amazed it still resaws straight!)


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## Kevin (Jan 16, 2014)

Coplanar can be overrated in my view because once you get there you almost can never stay there. But it can obviously cause problems if it's out bad enough so I do advise doing that first. Just don't get stuck on trying to stay there.

A little back and forth is okay but 3/8" is not acceptable. Like Doc says you need to be able to use those thrust bearings that's what they're there for. I still have about 1/16" on mine but Louis Iturra told me that was fine just take that out with the thrust bearings which did. Why don't you give a call to Louis his number is 904 642 2802 - he doesn't mind his number being puit out here he has it all over the web. He may not answer but he returns calls - just leave him a short message. He may actually answer too if you catch him just right. 

Update us on what the problem was once you get it fixed but please get your wheels in alignment before calling him because that's probably what he'll tell you to do first.


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## rbhandcrafted (Jan 16, 2014)

Thank you Kevin,
1st, Wheels in alignment. got it.

forgot to mention. once I start to push anything through, the thrust bearing is contacted right away. This just happens when the saw is idle.

Thank you for Louis phone number :)


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## Kevin (Jan 16, 2014)

If pushing wood through the blade makes it move 3/8" and stay there you don't have near enough tension IMO but do the coplanar thing if that don't help then call Louis.


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## rbhandcrafted (Jan 16, 2014)

I am so sorry. I feel we are close to figuring this out so here goes,
I start out,
Everything is tuned by hand..guides snugged up, thrush bearing is a dollar bill thickness from the baldes spine. Now, I spin the blade by hand..several revolutions and it doesn't seem to deviate at all..poker strait.. Now when I turn the saw on.. the blade is moving forward 3/8" or more up between the roller guides..back and forth back and forth..ect.. on its return, it doesn't hit the push bearing. THis is in idle mode. When I am sawing..everything seems fine. I have the tension gauge up to 1 1/4" and I can push the blade with my finger about 1/2"

Im going to video it..it wil be so much clearer. I have a rerrible way of putting imagination to writing! Very sorry.
One video will say it all :)


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## Kevin (Jan 16, 2014)

Check out *post #12* to see how to get your wheels aligned . . . . .


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## rbhandcrafted (Jan 16, 2014)

Thanks Kevin.. I think I might know what I did. I will update when I get somewhere!


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## rbhandcrafted (Jan 27, 2014)

Thank you everyone for your tips and giving me the time to answer my long time problem.

We figured it out! I adjusted the alignment knob...the one they tell you never to touch... So we will fix this soon!

Reactions: Like 1


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## barry richardson (Jan 27, 2014)

Great! is that the same thing as the tracking knob?


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## rbhandcrafted (Jan 27, 2014)

barry richardson said:


> Great! is that the same thing as the tracking knob?



nope, its different. it pushes the wheel from the 9 & 3 position.


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## barry richardson (Jan 27, 2014)

Hmmm, never seen a band saw with that feature.....


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## barry richardson (Jan 27, 2014)

Where is it located at? I'm not familiar with it...


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## rbhandcrafted (Jan 28, 2014)

barry richardson said:


> Where is it located at? I'm not familiar with it...



They are above the tracking knob.. My friends saw I seen yesterday has the same adjustment.. Maybe its for larger saws? ours are 24"


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## barry richardson (Jan 28, 2014)

Yea, that could be it. I looked in your saws manual and could find no mention of it, but it's probably in there somewhere...


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