Bandsaw belts

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Americanone

Americanone

Member
Joined
May 24, 2008
Messages
39
Location
Knoxville, TN, USA.
Yesterday I was cutting a blank on the bandsaw and the blade started going nuts. I found the rubber belt was drifting on the bottom wheel. Found out that this was called a tire. I would like any advise as to what kind and how to replace. Why will it not stay in place, and what causes it to fail?

Thanks for any help!
James Dean[:0]
 
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It won't stay in place because it is worn out. If the design of the band saw catches the ionized air (ozone) from the motor it can make this happen faster. A new tire should be tighter and stay in place better. Typically they are led in place simply by stretching them onto the wheel. Some folks use a little bit of contact cement to help them stay in place.

There are urethane tires available for a little more money for most common band saw sizes. They are supposed to last longer.
 
If you need it in a hurry, Woodcraft (at least our store does) usually has them for the common size wheels. It will cost a little more, but you will need to evaluate that versus waiting on USPS.
 
Always release the tension on the blade. Leaving the blade tight will also cause a flat spot on the tires and this eventually will cause problems. Depending on which bandsaw you have this may be easy to do or else you might want to invest in a tension release update to the unit. This also saves the blades ...

BTW, if anyone has not tried these adjustable v-link belt systems on a table saw as is being sold by these good folks at www.stores.ebay.com/SULPHUR-GROVE-TOOL (Thanks for the URL ahoiberg) then you definitely are in for a vast improvement in power transfer AND a great reduction in sound and vibration. These link belts also improve your car's engine performance. Expensive ... a bit, but these belts just do not wear out and do not stretch. If one EVER breaks simply replace a link and move on.

Be sure to know the size of your v-pulleys before ordering.

I am not aware of these belts being made to fit on any multi-grooved pulleys. That would also be a good item to have on hand. Hint, hint, hint. :D
 
Be careful not to overstretch your tires. Rubber (the cheapest and shortest-lived) tires are pretty elastic, but urethane (longer-lived) tires are not. If you stretch them too much, they may never recover. The last time I bought new tires, the manufacturer recommended putting the tires in hot water for several minutes prior to installation. This makes them more pliable and less damage-prone.

Regards,
Eric
 
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