Truing band saw tires

[Andrew Howe]

Hi all

I am trying to finish my band saw restoration and the neoprene band saw tires I bought need truing.
I have seen some pictures and comments to sand them using a lathe with a sanding disk on it.
I made a simple jig that sits on my band saw table to help sand it, but it is not the best.
Does anyone have any good solutions via jigs to help or do I just use urethane tires and trim them down?
also how do you keep them from rusting the wheels as you put them on just out of the soapy water?

Thanks

[Carroll Courtney]

Andrew,for rust prevention use alittle acetone and wipe down the wheel.For as making the wheel perfectly round I watch an episode of David Marks where he had made an adjustable sanding block and clamp it in place inside of the bandsaw.He would then adjust the block up to where it would make contact w/the wheel and turn it by hand.He also use a black magic marker and drawn a continues line around the wheel so he could tell when he had sanded the wheel enought removing the line.This is just one way,there are lots of others as well.Here's a pic of how I sanded mine,which I use rubber tires.I also crown mine tilting the disc 2.5 degrees which also trued the tires.Moving the fence by just a hair,lowering the wheel while the sanding disc is turning.Good Luck----Carroll

[Chris Fournier]

I'd be inclined to sand them in situ if at all possible. A very simply jig that has a pivot at one end and a bolt and nut affair to advance the feed at the other end clamped to the saw cabinet (well many but perhaps not all) and you have a lot of control and precision for the task at hand.

[Andrew Howe]

Carroll,

Thanks for the pictures., how did you make the sanding disc for your saw? it looks like plain 1/2" plywood drilled with a hole to fit the arbor... Is that correct?

Andrew

Andrew,for rust prevention use alittle acetone and wipe down the wheel.For as making the wheel perfectly round I watch an episode of David Marks where he had made an adjustable sanding block and clamp it in place inside of the bandsaw.He would then adjust the block up to where it would make contact w/the wheel and turn it by hand.He also use a black magic marker and drawn a continues line around the wheel so he could tell when he had sanded the wheel enought removing the line.This is just one way,there are lots of others as well.Here's a pic of how I sanded mine,which I use rubber tires.I also crown mine tilting the disc 2.5 degrees which also trued the tires.Moving the fence by just a hair,lowering the wheel while the sanding disc is turning.Good Luck----Carroll

[Carroll Courtney]

That's it Andrew,just a piece of 1/2 baltic birch and 10" 80grit(I think)disc.Here's another pic using the disc sander doing another set of tires for another bandsaw.I have to admit,I did not care for it doing it this way.Just not enought support under the jig to help keep it on the money.Using the table saw,I have done aset of 14" tires and 20" tires putting a crown on them.
I do think that doing tires on a lathe is easier at slower rpms,but doing it on the TS works for me.If you should visit http://wiki.owwm.com/Tire%20Crowning.ashx there is lots of reading material on how others crown tires.While your there,take the time to sign up and become a member.Between Sawmill Creek and OWWM we all can learn more and pass it on.----Carroll

[Andrew Howe]

Carroll I followed your jig design after considering using my disk sander. However I did not have a wide enough table either,
So I followed your design.
Am waiting to try it out in the AM after the epoxy holding the bot dries

I will post some pics
Thanks

A

[Myk Rian]

Here are several ways to do it.
http://wiki.owwm.com/Tire%20Crowning.ashx

[Andrew Howe]

200910
Above was my first attempt and it did not work well.
Thanks to Carroll for posting some ideas and links. Here is what I ended up with.


200911

[Andrew Howe]

Here is a before I trued the tired


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rVuc7o0P_4

And finally, here is a video of after I trued the tires.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcR1liC8YfE