DIY Bandsaw Build / Wheel Question

[made2hack]

Hi All,

I'm in the planning stage of a DIY Band Saw build and wanted to ask a question as to the efficacy of using a rubber wheel (think wheelbarrow wheel)?

Originally, I planned to make the two discs of the band saw out of some type of engineered wood (melamine, osb, plywood) and just insert my own bearing and run some rubber on the edges.

However, I was browsing my local hardware store's website and found these rubber wheels which are the exact radius (albeit twice the width).


There are many benefits to going this route (the bearing is already inserted) and you don't have to cut and round a wheel.

However, I'm wondering if anyone used such a wheel before? Does it have a lot of "give" to it? Will it still be able to run the blade straight? Or will it buckle easily under load?

I've not yet had the chance to drop by the store and press the wheel to see if it is soft or not.

Thanks

[Frank S]

A lot is going to depend on how heavy duty your requirements are going to be. Since you are thinking rubber tire or a hard wood wheel with rubber bonded to it I am going to make the assumption this will be a wood cutting band saw I have several band saws both for cutting metal and for cutting wood I've never seen a metal cutting saw with rubber of any sort on the wheels except for the little hand held port a band variety . while 1 of my wood cutting band saw does have bonded rubber on the steel wheel the other does not, but all of them have a flange on the wheels wheels that the back of the blade runs against. I have been around a couple of huge band saw mills that used pneumatic tires as the wheels but they had a set of bearings mounted on them to serve as a guide keeping the blade running true on the saw so this would be an option for you. If you were to do something like that I can no reason not to use the wheels you described if you can figure out a way to mount a pulley drive one of them
Hope this helps

[olderdan]

I would certainly try those wheels as they will be hard rubber and probably slightly domed, the only problem I can see is that if it has a single bearing it may be insufficient. At work we had a large metal cutting bandsaw which had rubber faced wheels and were never a problem, indeed it will preserve the set on the blade. You will need tracking adjustment and most importantly proper sealed ball bearing blade guides at the cutting point. If it doesn't work out you are only back to making wheels anyway.
Good luck with it.

[Jon]

made2hack - nice YT channel. Feel free to link up your "Made 2 Hack YouTube Channel" signature text so that people can easily click through to see your work.

[made2hack]

Hi, thanks franks and olderdan. It will be used as a metal cutting saw, replicating as you mentioned a portaband. Originally, I planned to make the wheels same size as the blade width, in my case 1/2" (12.7mm). This of course meant only one bearing, with a max width of around 9mm (A 6000 or 6200). 10mm ID rod.

However, this rubber wheel is 35mm wide (approx 1 3/8"). And I believe the ID of the bearing is 15mm. So now the question is whether to go to a larger blade (27mm 1") industrial size.

I don't want the saw to be large, around 460mm (18") between centers of the wheels. A max cutting distance of 300mm (12") and if I factor in all the blade guides and holders, a real figure of cutting area should be maybe 150mm (6"). Which is plenty. I plan on cutting mild structural steel for the most part and the occasional alloy and stainless.

But I think I will stick to the smaller blade width, for the beginning. Unless there is benefit to going with a larger blade.

Thanks again,

[nhengineer]

Hi All,

I'm in the planning stage of a DIY Band Saw build and wanted to ask a question as to the efficacy of using a rubber wheel (think wheelbarrow wheel)?

Originally, I planned to make the two discs of the band saw out of some type of engineered wood (melamine, osb, plywood) and just insert my own bearing and run some rubber on the edges.

However, I was browsing my local hardware store's website and found these rubber wheels which are the exact radius (albeit twice the width).


There are many benefits to going this route (the bearing is already inserted) and you don't have to cut and round a wheel.

However, I'm wondering if anyone used such a wheel before? Does it have a lot of "give" to it? Will it still be able to run the blade straight? Or will it buckle easily under load?

I've not yet had the chance to drop by the store and press the wheel to see if it is soft or not.

Thanks

Interesting concept made2hack. It's like something I would try. I don't have any experience with making a band saw but the first thing I thought of is, it would seem to be suitable for the idler but how would you drive the drive wheel (the one that actually would benefit by a rubber surface)?

[Frank S]

1 of my band saws is aq 6" by 6" cut cap another is a 10" wide with 8" depth both use a 1/2" blade another is a 3 hp 3 ph saw 12" by 10" that uses a 3/4" blade My home made saw is 10x10 with a 1" blade

[Ralphxyz]

You could use the puncture proof tires, you could flatten the crown on a lathe.

Wish I had room I'd like to make a bandsaw.

Ralph

[made2hack]

Interesting concept made2hack. It's like something I would try. I don't have any experience with making a band saw but the first thing I thought of is, it would seem to be suitable for the idler but how would you drive the drive wheel (the one that actually would benefit by a rubber surface)?

Well, the drive wheel would have to be connected to the motor somehow, either by pulley & belt combination or gear, maybe direct drive. I was planning on having the shafts static and the wheel spin on the bearings.

Ralphxyz
You could use the puncture proof tires, you could flatten the crown on a lathe.
Wish I had room I'd like to make a bandsaw.
Ralph

Here's a picture Ralph of the approximate size so far.

[made2hack]

I ended up buying two of the wheels in the picture. I went to my hardware store, and held them. The rubber is dead stiff. Also, they were 5 Euros each, which is like the price of 2 bearings.

And each one has two bearings, Korean KBC, 6302Z. So, I now need a 15mm diameter shaft.