Bandsaw wheel runout

[Bill LaPointe]

I have a 20" 25 year old bandsaw. Upper wheel run out is .015 without blade on wheel. Mounting hub run out .003 without wheel. Blade run out hand rotating wheel .012 with guides clear of the blade. No vibration under power. Is this amount of run out acceptable? Will use primarily for resawing.

[Lee Schierer]

Is the run out lateral or vertical? Lateral run out of that amount doesn't mean anything. The blade will self center on the tire and will move against the thrust bearings during any cut.

If it is vertical run out, it may not matter either. Your blade tension will vary during each wheel rotation, which may or may not even be noticeable. The spring should be able to compensate for that amount of travel unless it is fully compressed.

YMMV

[Thom Porterfield]

I'm curious. In a rotating system, how do you manage to limit runout to just one direction? Isn't that reciprocating motion? :D

[Bill LaPointe]

Lee: Lateral run out.

The wheel run out is causing the blade to move front to back the .012. It does not seem to bother anything as far as cutting but is visible with the guides moved away from the blade.

[Josiah Bartlett]

Can't you just crown the tires on the machine to compensate for lateral runout?

[Pete Bradley]

I have a 20" 25 year old bandsaw. Upper wheel run out is .015 without blade on wheel. Mounting hub run out .003 without wheel. Blade run out hand rotating wheel .012 with guides clear of the blade. No vibration under power. Is this amount of run out acceptable? Will use primarily for resawing.

What you're describing really doesn't matter. If it's that close, the more important checks are whether the guide blocks are aligned with each other (use a metal ruler) and whether the table is perp to the band (measure in two directions 90 degrees from each other). If you want to get fancy you might get more out by crowning the tire on the machine, but it's not going to change how the machine works.

Put a good band on and start making chips! :D

Pete

[Russ Buddle]

How does it cut?? That is what really matters isn't it?? If it cuts well, and the blade tracks true, the runout should not be a factor.