wide blade on 3/4" wide wheel

[Mike Lozinski]

I may buy a an old Craftsman band saw to modify it into a small sawmill project. :eek: it has 12" wheels, actually 12 3/4". no tires, and a lip on the wheel. How wide of a belt can I put on these wheels? can it overhang the the wheels?

[Lee Schierer]

The problem is not how wide a blade you can place on the wheels, but how wide a blade can the saw properly tension. If a blade isn't tensioned properly it won't cut very well. I would suspect that anything over a 3/8" wide blade might be too much for a 12" saw to tension properly. The folks at Suffolk Machine (http://www.suffolkmachinery.com/silicon_steel_selection.asp) can get you the proper tires for your wheels.