bandsaw problems

[djmcheme]

I was setting up my new Ridgid bandsaw last weekend and I am having some problems. After I had set it up according to the manual and started doing some test cuts I noticed a burning rubber smell and I assumed it was the belt that links the motor to the saw. I took the belt off and re-aligned the motor again according to the manual and made sure the tension on the belt was OK and re-started the saw. I let it run and the smell came back and I watched the belt spinning and didn't see any smoke or anything. I then opened the bottom cabinet and saw that the bottom tire was half on and half off and it was shredding. There was a pile of black shredded rubber at the bottom of the cabinet so I knew I had found the source of the problem. I put the tire back on the wheel and made sure the two wheels were in alignment with a straight edge and then re-tensioned the blade. I started the machine up again and about 30 seconds later the tire came flying off of the wheel and the blade obviously fell off of the bottom wheel also. I am sure that I did something wrong in setting up the machine but since I followed the manual I am not sure what I did wrong. Has anyone ever seen this happen? Should I get a new set of tires?

Thanks.

dj

[Chris Carruth]

check the crown on the lower and upper wheels...too much and it may be pushing the belt off center

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Did you turn the wheels by hand to see if the blade was tracking properly? Could have been a defective tire or one not properly installed at the factory. They do not come off (or on) very easily.

[djmcheme]

Please explain what the "crown" is. I am new to the bandsaw.

I did track it by hand and the blade centered fine and didnt move off center. That was one of the steps in the manual.

[Andy]

You'll probably want a bandsaw book, like The Bandsaw Handbook, or something else like that by Duginske. Lots of info there on setting up and tuning. I found this book very helpful after I got my bandsaw. And if one of your tires shreded, yes, you'll definitely need new ones. I've heard that the urethane ones are nice, but haven't used them. Another good resource is a catalog from Iturra designs - they don't have a website yet, but searching google or the archives of this group will give you their phone number. It's a very thorough catalog of all kinds of bandsaw accessories, but it also has advice, stories, and tests by the owner. Definitely worth looking into. And the crown is the dome in the cross-section of your wheel - if you were to remove the tire and take the wheel off the machine, could you set it upright and have it rest on your bench, or would it wobble like a weeble (and then fall down)? Sorry - harder to explain than it would be to draw. Think of the crown in a road - the center line is higher than the shoulders. Now wrap the road around your wheel - that's crown on a wheel. Sorry if that was overkill. Good luck with the rest of your bandsaw setup, Andy

[djh7097]

This should not happen. It is most likely a problem with the tire or it's installation. Worst case mal-adjustment on your part will normally just throw the band off. I would return it for replacement.

[Leon]

I am guessing that the bottom wheel is way off co-planer with the top wheel. Call the tool company and describe the problem. They should be able to help you readjust.

[mac davis]

Did you buy it at Home Depot?? I'd take the saw back and get another one..

I have the same saw and it worked great right out of the box with minimal assembly (except for the hundreds of screw in the !*$&%%# stand) and has never had alignment or tire problems, even after adding a grizzly riser kit..

If you buy a new saw, even a lower level one like ours, you have the expectation that it will work... if it doesn't, take it back.. YMWV

Mac