John Anderson Posted January 5, 2011 Report Share Posted January 5, 2011 I just ordered a pair of urethane band saw tires to replace the recently chewed up ones that flew off my Delta 14" (thats a whole other story that has to do with trying to switch out my 1HP 1725 rpm motor out for a 2HP 3450 rpm after adjusting the pully size that was supposed to slow it down to 1750 rpm. it didnt work by the way, hence the tire issue). im sure the new tires will come with instructions, but you know how that goes. ive read that you are supposed to let them warm up for 20 min in warm soapy water then put them on. This sounds pretty easy, so im wondering why ive always heard it was a nightmare to change tires? Maybe that was when your only option was rubber tires that had to be glued, i dont know. Im just wondering if anyone has any tips on how i should go about this or if the warm soapy water is a bad idea. thanks for the help! John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilburpan Posted January 5, 2011 Report Share Posted January 5, 2011 I've used urethane tires once on my bandsaw, and the warm soapy water is a good idea. You'll want to have three sticks to help pry the tires onto the bandsaw wheels. If you've ever changed a tire on a bicycle, it's the same general approach. One thing to triple check is to make sure that the tire is well seated in the groove in the wheel. My bandsaw is an old Walker-Turner that has wheels with a flat profile and no side walls like the Delta bandsaw has. When I got it, it needed new tires badly, and I went with urethane tires based on everything I had read about bandsaw tires at the time. After a couple of years of use, I was making a cut when the bandsaw started shaking. I cut off the power and backed away, and then there was a loud BANG, and the orange urethane tire shot out of the top wheel compartment, having come off the wheel. Checking the lower wheel, I found that the urethane tire had loosened its grip on the bandsaw wheels, and could easily be slid from side to side. Since there wasn't a side wall on the wheel to help hold the tire in place, like on the 14" Deltas (and their clones), it was probably a matter of time before the tire came off. I've since replaced the urethane tires with the old style rubber tires that you have to glue on. The gluing process turned out not to be as hard or as obnoxious as I thought, and the rubber tire was much easier to get on the wheel than the urethane tire was. Plus, I can put a crown on the tire itself, which is essential for good tracking. I think urethane tires may be a great option for the ubiquitous 14" Delta-style bandsaws, which are crowned and have a groove for the tire to sit in. But make sure that the tire is within the grooves, as over time the side walls may be the only thing keeping the tire on the wheel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Anderson Posted January 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2011 Thanks Wilbur, my Delta has a 1/8" lip around both sides of the wheel where the tire sits. Mine is a US made one built in 1996, maybe it is the imports or really old models dont have them. i looked through the articles in FWW's archives and saw the dowel trick. i didnt know about the crowning though. thanks for the tip john Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nateswoodworks Posted January 6, 2011 Report Share Posted January 6, 2011 Yep just walk them on like Wilbur said, another set of hands might come in handy as well. I have an old Rockwell (same design as the Delta) and I put a set of the urethane tires several yrs ago, it is straight forward and you'll do just fine. As for the crowning, it just means that the center of the tire is thicker than the outside edges creating a crown that the tire rides on. Nate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulMarcel Posted January 6, 2011 Report Share Posted January 6, 2011 I haven't changed out my tires yet, but tonight I was flipping through a McFeely's catalog and saw this picture for their urethane tires. The key is the clamp to hold one part still. Maybe that's in those articles, I don't know, but it caught my attention. http://www.mcfeelys.com/product/UBT-0010/10quot-Diameter-x-1quot-Wide-Urethane-Band-Saw-Tires--Qty-2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilburpan Posted January 8, 2011 Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 Thanks Wilbur, my Delta has a 1/8" lip around both sides of the wheel where the tire sits. Mine is a US made one built in 1996, maybe it is the imports or really old models dont have them. i looked through the articles in FWW's archives and saw the dowel trick. i didnt know about the crowning though. thanks for the tip john Just to clarify, to my knowledge all Delta or Delta-type 14" bandsaws, USA made or import, old or new, have wheels that have a lip around the sides and a crown in the wheel itself. The tire will conform to the crown on the wheel. My old Walker-Turner bandsaw has no outside lip and no crown, but it's a much different bandsaw. It sounds like you're on the right track, though! Good luck with the new tires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Anderson Posted January 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 thanks everyone for the help. i got the tires yesterday and after letting them soak in the hot soapy water for a bit i used the clamp trick like Paul showed in his reply then seated the tire around the wheel with 2 1/4" thick pieces of scrap. the tire went on with ease in only a few minutes. it was really easy. i also replaced the guide blocks with graphite cool blocks. i havent run the bandsaw yet. you are supposed to let the tires cool for a while before so they will contract and get really tight around the wheel. thanks again john Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulMarcel Posted January 9, 2011 Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 Report back on what you think of those graphite cool blocks. I've considered getting those or the ceramic blocks instead of bearings for my saw. Since I just got the bearings, I'll use them a bit, but near zero play ceramics seem like Kublia Kahn's honeydew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Anderson Posted January 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 10-4 good buddy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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