Aftermarket Bandsaw guides

I'd make my own :D

Various ones look good, but I've come to realize that if your saw is really tuned up, you don't need much in the way of guides. The only exception to this, in my honest opinion, is if you have a thin scrolling blade on the saw, and you are doing some really tight curves, but even then, if you are twisting the blade a lot, you need to look at your technique and your blade choice.

My two yen's worth!

Your Mileage May Vary :wave:
 
Todd beat me to it... I'm happy with the basic Euro-guides, but if I ever wanted something different, Paddock would be the first choice. I bought the Laguna guides 6 years ago, shortly after getting my new, at that time, Euro-saw. Used them for about two weeks and put them back in the drawer where they have sat ever since. Basically, too fussy, and I really didn't like the ceramic thrust bearing, as it was polishing and sharpening the backs of my blades. But like Stu said, once your bandsaw is really humming and you are comfortable with it, the guides are just that -- guides -- not tracking devices.
 
Stu is right, It is a misnomer that these devices are called guides as they are not intended to guide the blade but rather to keep the blade from wandering off track. The tracking is the guide. A well tuned BS is the answer. A BS is tuned with the guides either removed or moved out of the way, when the blade is tracking perfectly then the guides are moved in to limit the lateral movement and the rear thrust movement. They don't touch or control the blade in any way, simply stop movement should it occur. So. What difference does it make what guides you have, cool blocks, original equipment, rollers or ceramic...? Biggest concern is weather or not the guides get in the way or if they are adjusted correctly and do not contact the blade (especially the set).
 
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Yeah, I've been looking at the Carter and Laguna, but will check out the Paddock.

I don't like the idea of the guides polishing and sharpening the back of the bandsaw blade...

Maybe I should just focus more on getting the saw setup right in the first place! :)
 
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