Only one side of teeth has heavy wear markings.

Probable Cause :

1. Worn wheel flange, allowing side of teeth to contact wheel surface or improper tracking on flangeless wheel.
2. Loose or improperly positioned side guides.
3. Blade not perpendicular to cut.
4. Blade rubbing against cut surface on return stroke of machine head.
5. The teeth rubbing against a part of machine such as chip brush assembly, guards, etc.

“Long” on the tooth edge is a term used to describe the straightness of the band. The teeth are on the outside of the arc when the strip is lying on a flat surface.

Probable Cause:

1. Side guides are too tight – rubbing near gullets.
2. Excessive “preload” – band riding heavily against back-up guides.
3. Worn band wheels causing uneven tension.
4. Excessive feeding rate. (Learn More)
5. Guide arms are spread to maximum capacity.
6. Improper band tracking – back edge rubbing heavy on wheel flange.

The band does not retain its normal shape while holding the sides of loop together. This indicates the flatness has been altered during use.

Probable Cause:

1. Excessive band tension.
2. Any of the band conditions which cause the band to be long (#18​) or short (#19) on tooth edge.
3. Cutting a tight radius.

The origin of the fracture is indicated by a flat area on the fracture surface.

Probable Cause:

1. Excessive back-up guide “preload”.
2. Improper band tension.
3. Guide arms spread to maximum capacity.
4. Improper beam bar alignment.
5. Side guide adjustment is too tight.
6. Excessively worn teeth.

The fracture originates in the gullet and immediately travels in an angular direction into the backing of band.

Probable Cause:

1. An excessive twist type of stress existed.
2. Guide arms spread to capacity causing excessive twist from band wheel to guides.
3. Guide arms spread too wide while cutting small cross sections.
4. Excessive back-up guide “preload”.

Heavy wear in only the smallest gullets is an indication that there is a lack of gullet capacity for the chips being produced.

Probable Cause:

1. Excessive feeding rate. (Learn more)
2. Too slow of band speed. (Learn more)
3. Using too fine of a tooth pitch for the size of material being cut.

To determine if the band broke at the weld, inspect the sides at the fracture to see if there are grind markings from the weld finishing process.

Probable Cause :

1. Band saw is a wood cutting saw. Wood cutting saws will run an average of 800-3500 surface feet a min (sfm). Metal cutting saws are designed to run from 40-300 sfm. When running a Bi-Metal Blades at high speeds like a wood machine runs breaks can occur easily. These band saws designed for wood working run at high speeds and are running a carbon blade that has more flex.
2. Any of  the factors below can also cause body breaks and  butt weld breaks.

Probable Cause:

1. Excessive feed rate. (Learn More)
2. Excessive back-up guide “preload”.
3. Improper band tracking – back edge rubbing​ heavy on wheel flange.
4. Worn or defective back-up guides.

Heavy back edge wear will have a polished appearance or abnormal grooves worn into surface. Swaging of corners can also occur.

Wear patterns are near gullet area on one side and near back edge on opposite side.

Probable Cause:

1. Loose side guides.
2. Chipped, worn or defective side guides.
3. Band is rubbing on part of the machine.
4. Guide arms spread to maximum capacity. (Learn More)
5. Accumulation of chips in side guides.