Erratic Cuts
| Description | Probable Cause | How to Correct |
| Material is cut in an irregular manner. Stock “snakes” through the machine. | Material is not held tightly. | Check the pressure bar height. Set the yield to 1/8″. |
| Check the pressure rolls for play. Repair or replace. | ||
| Check the tops of the feed chain for wear. There should be less than .040″ flat on top of Pyramid. | ||
| Check the pressure bar for level. The pressure bar should be parallel to the feed chains. | ||
| Material is being pushed. | Check for slivers in the machine. Clean the machine. | |
| Check all pressure rolls for turning. Repair or replace. | ||
| Feed chains are not tracking correctly. | Check for slivers in or under the feed chains. Clean the machine. | |
| Check the feed chains side to side for flat. Replace the feed chains and race. | ||
| Check for wear or alignment of the front cams of the chain race. Replace the feed chains and race. | ||
| Check the drive cam for wear or alignment. No more than a 1/16″ gap should be between the link and cam tooth. Align or replace. | ||
| Check the feed chain length. The chains should hang the same under the machine. Replace the feed chains and race. | ||
| Rough cut on stock. | Saw blades not running true. | Check blade for high teeth. Changing the saw blade should change the cut. |
| Check for dirt between the saw collars. Clean the saw collars and the saw blade. | ||
| Check for nicks in the saw collars. Repair or replace. | ||
| Check the inner saw collar with a dial indicator, a . 003″ maximum run out is recommended. Repair or replace the collar and bearings. | ||
| Check the outer saw collar for dish. There should be .005″ dish in the center of the collar. | ||
| Saw blade moving or being deflected. | Check for slivers or pitch build up around the saw blade. Clean the machine. | |
| Check the kerf of the saw blade. A 3/16″ kerf is recommended. Thinner blades can be deflected by the material. | ||
| Check for end play on the inner saw collar. The inner saw collar should not move in or out more than .001″. Replace arbor bearings. | ||
| Check the saw lead. Both sides of the material should only show saw marks from the leading side of the blade (no heal marks). Adjust the saw lead. |
No Glue Joint
| Description | Probable Cause | How to Correct |
| Cuts do not provide a concave cut down the length of the material. When setting the cut of the ripsaw, adjust each chain independently. Use two pieces of material 6″ wide and 4′ to 6′ long for setting chain race. Do not lock the stock guide when feeding material into the saw when checking the adjustment of the chain race. Edge both pieces on the same chain, and put the cut edges together. There should be .003″ to .006″ between the two pieces. Less for RF gluing applications. | Stress in the material. | Edge the material after it has been “busted down” to size. |
| Cut wide material into smaller sizes before edging. | ||
| Material not tracking on chains. | Check the machine for slivers. Clean the machine. | |
| Check the pressure rolls for play or not turning. Repair or replace. | ||
| See erratic cuts section. | ||
| Machine is worn. | Check the feed chains for wear (side to side and even length). Replace the feed chains and chain race. | |
| Check the front idle cams. Are the inside edges of the cams touching. Replace the feed chains and chain race. | ||
| Material being deflected. | Check sharpness of saw blade. Replace. | |
| Machine misaligned. | Check saw blade setting (lead). Adjust arbor. | |
| Check the adjustment of the front idle cams. Adjust front idle cams. |
Edges Not Square
| Description | Probable Cause | How to Correct |
| Entire edge of the material is out of square with the bottom. | Wear in the chain race. Both edges greater than 90 degrees from the bottom. | Check the feed chains side to side for flat. More than .018″ across chains will cut material un-square. Replace feed chains and race. |
| Saw blade is not parallel to feed chains. | Check saw lead. Adjust saw lead. | |
| Blade is not square with both feed chains. One side greater than 90 degrees, the other is less than 90 degrees, to the bottom. | Check the blade to both feed chains. Set the angle of the arbor assembly. Be certain of the need for this. This is an uncommon adjustment. | |
| Leaves a snipe on the trailing end of the material. | Wear in the chain race. Both edges greater than 90 degrees from the bottom. | Check the feed chains side to side for flat. More than .018″ across chains will cut material un-square. Replace feed chains and race. |
Wedges
| Description | Probable Cause | How to Correct |
| When sizing the material, the saw cuts one end wider than the other. | The stock guide rail is out of adjustment. | Leading end is wider than the trailing end. Adjust the left end of the guide rail away from the machine. |
| Leading end is narrower than the trailing end. Adjust the right end of the guide rail away from the machine. | ||
| Material is being pushed sideways. | Check for slivers in the machine. Clean the machine. | |
| Check the feed rolls for not turning. Repair or replace. | ||
| Check the infeed conveyor or roller stand (if used) for square to the feed chains. Normally only affects long material. | ||
| Stock guide is not locked to the guide rail as material is fed into the machine. | ||
| Operator is not holding stock against the stock guide when feeding it into the machine. |