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Belt driven buzz saw advice needed

Z

Zachary Hoyt

Well-known Member
I have never used a flat belt before, so I am not sure if I have this set up right. The belt has two problem areas, I could cut about 3 feet out of the belt and if there is a way to re-join the ends I would be in business, or I can look for a better belt. The belt moves from edge to edge of the pulley on the tractor when running with no load, I am not sure if that is because of the damaged belt or for some other reason. When I push a piece of wood of any size into the saw and it slows down the belt tends to jump off the tractor pulley. Small pieces seem to cut fine since the blade does not slow, or at least not as much. I am guessing that if I sharpen the saw blade I will have less trouble with this. I am not sure if I have the tension right on the belt, or if my chain hung on the axle is enough to ground the tractor and dissipate static electricity. I have also heard of using a crowbar leaned against the tractor. Any advice will be much appreciated, I have no experience with flat belt equipment.
Zach
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Get a better belt, that one is done. Your blade needs to be sharpened correctly, the set and angle of the teeth need to be right or it won't cut right. If it's angle is way off it will try to push the wood out rather than sucking it in. Yours looks to be backfiled quite a bit. Hang the blade by the center on something and lightly rap it with something, it should ring. If it makes a thud the blade is cracked, and done in my book. With that much power it will cut effortlessly if you get set up right. And above all, BE CAREFUL with that thing, they are not the kind of tool you should get real comfortable around.
 
The splice needs to be replaced. Only cut the belt back far enough to get into good belting. Repair splices should be available online if you can't find them locally.

Belt dressing should also help the belt transmit poer to the saw blade - but the saw blade needs to be sharpened real good too. A flat file in good condition should sharpen the blade; just file on the same angle as original.
 
i use baler belt from TSC on my buck saw works good and also be careful, i like my saw better than my chainsaw
its on a ford 9n tractor
also the joints are called lacing




http://tsc.external_link/search#w=baler%20belt&asug=
 
I have not so much advice about the belt or saw but safety. Any clothing worn should closely conform to the outline of the body and attention should be paid to clothing that is fraying apart. I can remember old timers describing accidents involving power equipment such as you are using that could have been avoided if proper clothing that is in good condition was worn. Half torn or falling apart overalls or chore coats should be left on the hook back at the house.
 
That blade is really bad. Do like the other poster said and check it to see if it rings. IF it does, put this into your search engine

how to sharpen a buzz saw blade
or find a pro to sharpen it.
 
Hi, saw blade requires sharpening and "gumming".
See: http://www.carbideprocessors.com/pages/saw-blades/gumming-saws.html
If the blade has small cracks, you can drill small holes at end of crack to prevent it from spreading.
Re belt slipping, normally on a long belt you would run with a crossed belt but in your case the saw would be turning wrong direction with crossed belt. You require a stick of belt dressing to add traction to the belt. The joint in your belt is called "Alligator Belt Lacing" and can be purchased in various sizes. Lots of youtube videos on how to do it.

JimB
 
I was just a kid, over 50 years ago, when I saw my dad use a buzz saw. I remember the belt had a twist and dad used belt dressing. I'm sure you checked the direction of rotation. Not sure what tractor we used either an IH or JD.

Dad would use a flat file to sharpen the blade.

I always thought buzz saws were an accident waiting to happen. Only dad used it. Us kids were human skidders. We drug the branches to the buzz saw.

There is a place in Terre Haute, Coldwell bearing, that can make new flat belts. If you need phone # I left my email open.

George
 
If you cannot get a stick of belt dressing, trickle brown sugar on the belt as it begins to pass over the PtO pulley. It will crush and soften and become sticky enough to make the belt grip.
 
the saw was made for a three point hitch but some one took it apart and made what you have the way it is you will never get the belt tight so it will stay on when you are trying to cut anything your saw blade is beyond repair and would cost more to make it right then getting a different one. not the best set up to be cutting with. take some time and mount it to the front of the tractor so it has no chance of tipping over or the belt pulling it over. have the same saw on the back of my ferguson to-20 and have cut wood with it for 40+ years
 
The saw need to be secured to the ground with stakes to help keep the belt tight and also to keep the saw from jiggleing loose. Also make sure to let the saw blade stop before trying to clear ANYTHING from around the saw blade. A good friend lost his leg when he was 16 trying to kick a chunk of wood out from under the blade while it was still turning
 
my Uncle Joe had a buzz saw setup, saw frame bolted directly to those holes in the front of the Farmall, used a short belt

his little finger went thru the saw teeth, he never felt the cut but it sure bled good
 
I'd guess the belt weaving back and forth means you don't have the 2 pullies parrallel to each other? Tho that tear by the splice could be affecting it.....

Spray on belt dressing does help for the belt coming off.

You need to feed the wood slower, when it lugs the tractor down back off - the belt coming off is it's way of getting relief from working too hard. (Unless problem #1 - the weaving - is causing most of this...)

Your blade is a work in progress, it is terrible rusty which will improve as it is used, but is causing a lot of drag right now. It sure could use a sharpening, and as one mentioned looks like it's been used and sharpened a lot in the past to where the teeth are pretty far used.

Mine mounts on the frame of the H, can drive around to the piles of wood much easier.

--->Paul
 
Teeth need a little more set you can do it with a Cresent wrenck and sharpened with a file add a new splice then it will work better. Wouldnt hurt to shine up it blade either. I had on mounted on the back of a B and it worked good belt is running off because of the blade needing attention. Sawing slabs would then be easy.
 
When I was a kid we had one of thoses widow makers on a M farmall! My dad ran the chain saw to cut the logs in sizes us kids could handle and we would saw them in about 15" lengths. Not the good old days! We have Amish about 15 mi. south of us and it is hard to find a older one with all his fingers.-----GOOD LUCK!!
 
If you look at the pullies, they are a bit cup shaped. Thicker in the middle than on either side. As a belt wants to wander off to one side, this cup shape will naturally make the belt want to return to the middle of the pulley.

The tear on your belt affects this some, perhaps, and is why I qurestion if it is causing the weaving of the belt. One side of your belt is not as tight as the other side with the torn splice.

As to cutting out 3 feet, that is a puzzle.

A long belt was used to give the belt enough weight to not need an idler pulley. Just the weight of the belt keeps it on the pulleys heavy enough to keep friction up.

On a short belt like my setup with the saw mounted on the front of the tractor, their is a big heavy idle pulley to take up the belt slack when it pulls hard.

You belt looks kind in between on the length as it is, donno what to say on that?

--->Paul
 
Zack your blade needs to be rebuilt. You have no place for the sawdust to collect when it is sawing. Here is a picture of what the blade is suppose to look like. You see the deep openings between the teeth. Find a old timer that does that kind of work and he can fix you up.

Bob
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Looks like a good poroject. If I had one I would probably try to use it. Problem with the wood here is, most of it is not straight, and hard to handle. I use my chain saw, and can accomplish about the same results. As for the splice it is real easy. Just cut your belt square, and the splice is hammered together on each side, and a pin goes through the center. It does look like the blade could use some help. Stay safe. Stan
 
put two twists in your belt and it will stay on better. you never file on the back side of the blade only the top side. your blade needs gummed out to give the teeth the proper shape to cut well.
 
Hoo Boy, does that take me back! When I was a kid we could cut trees into 4 to 6 foot lengths and split them small enough to handle, haul them to the house and saw them up on a "buzz" or circle saw. We didn't have a chain saw at the time, we used a two man crosscut. Dad put me on one end of the danged thing when I was about ten years old. Dad had a model A Ford coupe that he had cut off the "rumble seat and built a wooden pickup bed on it. When we finally got something a little more modern he took the bed off, and would jack up one rear wheel, put the belt around it and run it in reverse. We cut many a cord of firewood with that thing. I have the mandrels and blade now. I guess we were just lucky, but no one ever got hurt. I wouldn't say that one should be afraid of them, but they do require a lot of respect.
 
If you have a lazy 100 or a little more. you can get that blade cut down to 11 tungsten carbide tips and never have to sharpen. good for 50 ton of hardwood,so I was told. mine measures 30.5 " dia.

Incidentally don't work that sawbench with rubbish around where you stand.
 
The face and top of the tooth have to be sharpened.I have sharpened cord wood saws since the mid 50s.You have to machine sharpen to get the angles right and get the blade round.You can hand file for a touch up but the teeth will get out of shape.The gullet has to be round to prevent cracks.
 
There is no reason to have fingers near the blade.A new cordwood saw has a much better guard than the old saws.
 
Look for a belt lacing tool on ebay. I have a small one that is a bit bigger than my hand I got with my John Deere LA sickle mower. That uses a small leather belt to run the mower. I bought new lacing at a tractor show as well as the leather belting. The guy there was nice enough to show me how to use a lacing tool he had which was just like mine. Very simple to do with new lacing and the tool.
 
For once I have to agree with 36 Coupe. The blade needs serious attention. If you'll check this link you'll get an idea of what it's supposed to look like- http://www.crosscutsaw.com/16.html That's a different style of tooth than you'll get if that one is gummed (gullets re ground) but you get the idea. That's why it doesn't want to cut. The belt needs attention too. Round baler lacing will work but flat belt lacing is better. Removing the grease from the belt will help, but you need to secure the rig to the ground with a short belt like that. With a longer belt there's more weight and you can add a half or full twist to help it run straight.

As for the "accident waiting to happen", this is the same thing I hear every time a buzz saw gets mentioned. Honestly, if you ever actually spent some time running one you'd see it's really no more dangerous, maybe less so, than a chainsaw. How people allegedly lose legs, fingers. etc. is simply due to carelessness.
 

As at least one other poster mentioned the two pulleys need to be higher in the center than at each side, shaped like a barrel. The higher center is what pulls the belt to the center of the pulleys as it runs. If the belt slips this effect goes away and the belt can fall off the pulley. Also, I believe the centering effect is reduced when the belt splice is broken at the edges as your pictures shows.

Sharpen the blade to reduce the load, repair the belt, maybe some belt dressing to elminate slipping and you chould be good to go.
 
I came close to quitting the forum after your remarks and those from the Texas half wit.I know cordwood saws and know how to sharpen them.I use a shaft drive saw and am working on a small cordwood saw my dad bought in 1954.We used it for many years with an electric motor in MA and Maine.I am willing to help any one who asks for help on cordwood saws.Think about that next time you insult some one.I have sharpened cordwood saw blades for 45 years in Maine and know a bit about them..A new 30 inch blade will cost 300 bucks now.
 
That's all well and good, but you get back what you give in life, here is the same as elsewhere. When you come across as wanting to fight you stand a good chance of getting one. Calling people stupid and bragging that you're rich doesn't help.

I've been using my saw for 15-20 years now. I haven't managed to mess the blade up too bad so far. I got most of my info from an old Audels book and s Disston book. I just take it slow steady. I did luck into a Disston saw set for the big saws some years back by accident, so at least I'm good there.

Now my crosscuts, sharpening them I'm still working on!
 
As I remember Texas said I was poor ,no assets. I proved him wrong.You said I was constipated so I offered to send you the daily product.A lot of you jokers on here like to pick on old folks.Some posters are stupid and they seem to like to remain that way.B&D just posted the contents of Seafoam and I said you could save 70 bucks a gallon mixing your own.Go look at your responses.I can sharpen the 1 and 2 man crosscut saws and carpenters saws.Not much demand now.In any case,these skills are about gone.You will have a hard time finding anyone that can bring a beat up cordwood saw back to good condition.
 
We've used these style saws for years.

I would either send that blade out or just get a new one. I would also cut and relace the belt.

Honestly though, one of the best thing we did was upgrade from a belt driven job on the back of our Farmall A to a 3 point PTO driven model.

The new guards are nice, but no having to deal with the big belt is really nice.

I would still use a buzz saw over a chain saw any day.

K
 
Table saws do that.not so with cordwood saws.My table saw has a splitter and anti kick back pawls.Cordwood saws cut a kerf that is twice the thickness of the blade if the set is right.
 
most cordwood saws on Farm Alls mounted directley on the tractor and had a roller table.If the belt drifts to one side you have an alighment problem.Flat belts will jump off in a hard pull.Your saw blade needs a complete overhaul by a good saw doctor.I would not cut wood with that saw until it has been shaped, sharpened and set.The rust has to come off.I take my blade off once a year and machine sharpen.
 
If I ever reach the point where I buy a gallon of Sea Foam, you might be right. But since I can buy Sea Foam for about $45.00 a gallon, I'm not sure how I'd save $80.00 a gallon. Personally, I much prefer a good dose of ATF which I can get for about $18-20.00 gallon, which is pretty shocking IMO!. Sea Foam is fine, I like Berrymans better. I used to be able to mix up a batch of ATF and Acetone for 6-7 dollars. Those days are gone. Now it costs more to mix up a batch than a new carb on a lot of saws costs!

BTW- you aren't all that much older than me. I don't pick on my elders, but I don't take guff from them either. Being older doesn't mean you're necessarily smarter, just older.

I've never had a cordwood buzz saw kick back at all. I think anyone claiming they did has a maladjusted saw that's also duller than dirt.That or they have some ho'made rig that puts the wood into the saw way to high.
 
(quoted from post at 15:24:49 11/07/12) I came close to quitting the forum after your remarks and those from the Texas half wit.I know cordwood saws and know how to sharpen them.I use a shaft drive saw and am working on a small cordwood saw my dad bought in 1954.We used it for many years with an electric motor in MA and Maine.I am willing to help any one who asks for help on cordwood saws.Think about that next time you insult some one.I have sharpened cordwood saw blades for 45 years in Maine and know a bit about them..A new 30 inch blade will cost 300 bucks now.
Click to expand...

I have may dad's buzz saw that mounted on the back of our 8N. It is in good shape however I am sure the blade needs attention. I plan to get it out this winter and will seeking your advice concerning the blade.
 
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