replacing bandsaw tires

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sbwertz

sbwertz

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Joined
May 11, 2010
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Phoenix, AZ
My husband and I were having a really hard time getting the new tires on my old 1946 Delta bandsaw. We both have arthritic hands, so neither of us have much strength in our fingers. We soaked the tire in hot water and using a dowel, began to stretch it around the wheel. I was trying to hold the wheel and keep the tire from lifting off the wheel as he drew a dowel around the wheel, but it kept slipping out of my fingers and coming loose.

Finally I took a wooden tongue depressor (popsicle stick would work, too) and slipped it between the tire and the wheel. With the stick in place I was able to prevent what we already had stretched around the wheel from coming off. Success.
 
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Yup, just did mine, its a 3 hand job almost. Hot water soak for a long time helps. That, and I found starting at the top of the wheel and stretching the tire down worked better for me. PITA either way.
 
We had to dismount the wheels because the old tires had to be scraped off with a chisel. So we were doing it with the wheel flat on the workbench.
 
Boil some water and hang them over the steam. They'll shrink back to wheel size when they cool. Urethane? Works best with them and they don't wear out in a year or two. I like a long thin screwdriver to pry them on with...lot's of leverage
 
Just cut the tire, wrap on wheel, tape over cut with duct tape. Reposition wheel so you do not have to view unsightly taped area. I figure on letting it sit overnight prior to use to allow for a really good bond with the tape.


(do not try this at home, closed course-professional Duct Taper)
 
Installing tires is sometimes more PITA than installing a blade on the saw. Are you using urethane or rubber tires? Did you glue them on?
 
sbwertz said:
We had to dismount the wheels because the old tires had to be scraped off with a chisel. So we were doing it with the wheel flat on the workbench.
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I clamped the wheel and tire in a bench vise as my "third hand" It kept the tire from slipping off the wheel. A hand clamp and 2 or 3 screwdrivers allowed me to fit the tires by myself.
 
Had no problem changing tires on my bandsaw several years ago. Spent more time taking wheels off machine for cleaning, laying out tools for the task and remounting and putting gear away did not need. Worried a bit when did not see a crown initially tires were flat, but about twenty minutes later wa-la!

Only advice can offer is buy in sets vice individual tires. My orange urethane tires cost me less than $4.00 more with shipping than buying OEM rubber wheels.
 
We put on the urethane tires. It probably wouldn't have been a problem for us either if we both didn't have arthritis!

Sharon

Wildman said:
Had no problem changing tires on my bandsaw several years ago. Spent more time taking wheels off machine for cleaning, laying out tools for the task and remounting and putting gear away did not need. Worried a bit when did not see a crown initially tires were flat, but about twenty minutes later wa-la!

Only advice can offer is buy in sets vice individual tires. My orange urethane tires cost me less than $4.00 more with shipping than buying OEM rubber wheels.
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I put aftermarket blue urethane tires on my saw. Way cheaper than the OEM but I could tell that the quality matches.
Sharon, you should not eat corn, beans, dairy food and even meat. :)
 
What I have is Rheumatoid Arthritis, which is an autoimmune disease, unlike osteoarthritis. Diet is not as effective for RA, unfortunately. I don't eat corn or beans because I also have severe hypoglycemia and don't tolerate carbohydrates. For the same reason, I don't eat much dairy. But I do eat a lot of meat. My RA is pretty much under control, most of the time, but it affects the my strength, especially in my hands.

hobbyist2013 said:
Sharon, you should not eat corn, beans, dairy food and even meat. :)
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Sharon understood your post and arduous task for both you and husband. Some other folks without arthritis found the task difficult too! My experience installing urethane tires was just the opposite could not believe how easy turned out.

Like everyone that has never installed band saw tires before dreaded the process! I did a lot of research on line, down loaded instructions for installing rubber tires. More research found urethane self-crowning tires a better op, so that is what ordered and installed. Instruction for installing tires I bought not very detailed.

I laid out everything under the sun to make the task easier prior to install. My tires went on easy with no tools or equipment required. Tires wheels initially flat, (no crown) ran back into house looking for information more detailed online. Not finding anything went back to shop ready to take those tires off and send them back. Lo-n-behold tires had a crown.
 
I did mine by myself. It took about 8-10 4 letter words, 2 cigarettes, and 2 shots of shine, and some hot water. Don't really remember the order that ended up working.
 
My meds work really well. I have basically been in remission for almost nine years with only occasional flares. I don't have much joint pain, but I don't have much strength in my hands. Part of that is because I REALLY dislocated my left thumb some years ago...tore the tendon. It really limits my grasping strength in my left hand.

hobbyist2013 said:
Don't do a lot of activity in your shop. RA will make you really weak.
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