Bandsaw Urethane Tire Replacments - Anyone Done this?

[Onorbit]

I am consider replacing my Delta 14" tires with urethane tires. I have tuned up the saw a number of times, wheel alignment, balance, planer alignments, etc. But recently it has started to vibrate more. I don't see how the mass of the wheel or imbalance on the wheels would change, the bearing seems tight with no play, so I am thinking it's the tires. FWW had an article on Tire Replacement in 92, but seems like it was before Urethane tires. That article goes into extensive detail about the pain of properly crowning and stressing and balancing new tires, seems very excessive to me. All the ads on the Urethane Tires suggest they are plug and play.

Has anyone used the Urethane replacements? How well did the go on and how well do they work?

[DonkeyHody]

I put urethane tires on my Grizzly bandsaw a few years ago. As I remember, I had to heat the tires in a pot of water on the stove to get them soft enough to stretch onto the wheels, but it was a fairly painless process. Nothing to it really.

DonkeyHody "Every man is my superior in that I can learn from him." - Thomas Carlyle

[patrick mitchel]

I bought some urethane replacements for the chiwanese 14" bs and the tires were half the thickness (like 1/8" vs the rubber tires 1/4")(not width) of the existing rubber tires. That created 2 problems for me- moving the blade in, in relation to the bearings and effectively shortening the blade needed for the saw. Seeing as the blade was close to being too long to begin with, caused me to have to shorten the blades. I said the hell with it, put one urethane tire over the other on the top wheel and put the rubber tire back on the bottom wheel(added some contact cement to finalize the positioning). Works fine. Try to verify the dimensions of the urethane replacement are close to the existing tire before you buy. Pat

[marc rosen]

Hey Orbit, I have replaced the tires on three Delta/Rockwell 14 inch bandsaws and the procedure is simple yet it is important to heat the tires in water (not boiling, but as hot as you can get it without hurting your hands) and stretch them on the wheel. Having the wheel off the saw is the best way to do it so don't hinder your operation by trying to do it while mounted- you won't be saving any time. I think you will be happy with their performance too. I got my tires from Iturra design in Florida. Lois Ituura makes his own tires from stock and he does a great job fabricating them. When I checked tire prices Iturra was charging more for neoprene tires than urethane. I ithink the cost of neo is on the rise.

Here are a few contact numbers off the cover of the 2007 catalogue; toll free 866-883-8064 Office 904-371-3998 Fax [phone]

Your saw may be suffering from tire wearout. On one of my saws I was able to see daylight between the lower tire and its wheel (at the topmost portion) when it was under power. Cut off the power and the tire returned to the wheel. It was loose, but I did not realize how loose it could be. Obviously the blade kept the tire presed against the wheel but with no blade contact directly below the table the tire was able to float away. Repost if you have any difficulty, or better still, ask Louis for advice on mounting the tires. He's a wealth of information. Marc

[Onorbit]

Good comments from all. It sounds like from these posts it is worth the investment. I just hate to spend the bucks and it still vibrate the ones I have aren't showing any grooves or cracks, they see fine. I will look at the Iturra's.

[Frank Boettcher]

Was it like that from the start? There was a short period during 1989 when bandsaws left the factory with tires that were off durometer spec. and would "lift" at operating RPM. Issued a tech service notice, thought they were all replaced.

A close friend (Chemist who worked for Cooper Tire in Tupelo), helped me to resolve the problem, changing the chemistry of the rubber. Not many years later, the tire changed from natural blend to full synthetic.

How come they tested good before leaving the factory? Maintenance guy changed the pulley at the test station when the set screw would not hold. He thought it was the same size, but slightly different. Changed the rpm by 5%. That apparently was the threshold, good at the test station, lifting in the field. just goes to show you that a little mistake can create a big problem.

Frank

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Did your wife complain when you dragged the bandsaw into the kitchen?

[marc rosen]

Hello Frank, Thanks for the comment about tires off spec. No, this was not from the start. The saw I noted "tire lift" was a Rockwell unit from the

50's. I do not know if they were the original tires but they sure looked old. Hey by the way, do you know if the older Rockwell 20 inch bandsaws ever used rubber tires? I got one with TEXIN tires and was thinking about rubber when it comes time to replace those. Thanks in advance for any comments, Marc

[Frank Boettcher]

I'm not entirely sure. During my tenure the wheels were sent to a local fab/machine shop (Transport Trailer) where the tires were bonded to the wheel without flanges and the wheels were machined and balanced. I believe during that time they were always synthetic. That goes back to the mid eighties through when the units were discontinued, around 2000. I'll probably see some "oldtimers" at the end of the month, I ask them.

Frank

[lorentzhoppyguy]

I just purchased 3 of the tires and have not put them on yet. Mine are only 6in. in dia. However I rec'd a pamphlet from the company and it said that some vibes are caused from the drive belts. Check this Co. out as I find them to be very helpfull and cost effictive. Sulpher Grove Tool Co. 1225 Lightner Rd. Tipp City, OH 4537 Phone#

1-800-657-5064 Email [e-mail] Ash about the powertwistplus V belts Hope this helps. JIm