BLADE IS DULL - If the bandsaw blade is dull, just like with the steak, the operator will have to push the workpiece with more force to feed it into the blade.
2. BLADE IS INSTALLED INCORRECTLY - The next step is to make sure the blade is installed correctly. On a typical wood or metal cutting blade the hook or of point of the blade should be pointing down for a vertical blade bandsaw, or for a horizontal blade saw the hook of the teeth should be pointed such that they enter the workpiece first as the blade moves.
3. BLADE IS RUNNING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION - Make sure the blade is running in the correct direction. On machines powered by three phases of power so it is common to get the wiring reversed and have the blade running in the wrong direction. On all vertical blade bandsaws, the working portion of the blade should go down.
4. INCORRECT BLADE TENSION - Industrial bandsaws generally have one of two blade tensioning mechanisms: screw over spring or pneumatic. Hydraulic tension mechanisms work basically the same as pneumatic systems, just with higher pressures and more messy oil leaks. Screw-over spring mechanisms generally do not have a way to directly set or read the blade tension.
5. BANDSAW WHEELS ALIGNED INCORRECTLY OR WORN - If the blade is tensioned correctly the next thing to look at is how the blade is tracking on the wheels. High-speed machines generally have a crown or rounded surface on the blade support wheels. The blade should run at or near the center of the crown and not excessively close to the front or rear edge of the wheel.
6. BANDSAW BLADE GUIDES ARE MISALIGNED - If the blade is tensioned correctly the next thing to look at is how the blade is tracking on the wheels. High-speed machines generally have a crown or rounded surface on the blade support wheels, the same way a bicycle tire has a round cross-section. The blade should run at or near the center of the crown and not excessively close to the front or rear edge of the wheel.