I'm about to punch a wall. Help. Bandsaw question/rant.

[threedee]

Oh. My. God.

I nearly punched a wall just now. Typing this here just to calm down.

I have a small hobby bandsaw, three wheeled. For the past hour i have been trying to replace the blade, put a new one. Not the first time but this time its just made me go berserk. I'm fairly hard to anger, but there is one thing in particular that absolutely does my head in - THIS BLOODY BANDSAW.

Anyone got a pro-tip or hack to make this thing work ? How do you put blades on your saws ?

I need three hands there, no clamps fit anywhere in the housing. Everytime i put a new blade in, at great effort and lots of fuming, i wonder how is it so difficult. Or, wth i'm doing wrong...

Woof... i hate that thing. And yet its most useful tool in my rc workshop...

GAH... save me...

 

[Burnerman]

Is the blade just springing off the pulleys?
How about using cable ties - if the pulley wheel is spoked - or maybe using sprung clothes pegs to hold it in place temporarily?
John

 

[threedee]

Not spoked, solid. Thats actually a great idea. I might make some holes in the wheels, drilling symmetrically for balance i'd assume. Hm...

 

[Burnerman]

It wouldn't be the first time I've jammed things in place with timber wedges.....I must confess I haven't had any particular problems though.
John

 

[threedee]

Its a black&decker 339, a very small saw. just maneuvering the blade between the guides is a bit of a fiddly job.

 

[mattylad]

Could this help?

 

[chappers]

I feel your pain, it took me 20 minutes to get a new belt on the planer today

 

[^woody^]

If all else fails, post on the plastering forum for the wall repair