Rikon bandsaw guides

[Mark Paavola]

Ok, I have an apparent problem. I have a Rikon 18" bandsaw that the lower blade guide bearings have a short life. They don't wear out, they collect sawdust and seize up. The last set made it through about 10 hours of resawing some oak and now they are locked up. I removed the metal covers near the bearings to see if that would disperse the sawdust better but it didn't help. Does any one else have this issue or is it just normal operation for bandsaws with roller bearings for guides. The upper bearings have not been an issue. Also I tried cleaning the bearing but that has proven to be ineffective so far. Any ideas?

[John Lanciani]

Are the last digits of the bearing number "ZZ"? If so, switching to "2RS" bearings (ZZ is shielded, 2RS is sealed) will gain a significant improvement in life for this application.

[Terry Beadle]

Dust collection blockage on guides can be reduced by installing a ( a piece or whole depending on space ) stiff brush to knock off the dust as the wheels spin.
Cleaning every 2 ~ 3 hours of use by hand will also help.

Just a suggestion.

[Wade Lippman]

The Rikon 18" has a brush on the bottom wheel.

I don't use mine much, but after 3 years they are fine. I couldn't begin to estimate how many hours it has.

[glenn bradley]

Dust collection is your friend.

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You can see that I have sealed off the lower port with a piece of sheet magnet. I don't need it anymore, nothing gets down there.

[Bill White]

+1 on the sealed bearings.
Bill

[Art Mann]

I have a Craftsman brand Rikon 15 inch bandsaw and I have had the same trouble. I tried different kinds of bearings and none hold up well. I finally discovered that the bearings are the same size as those used on expensive skate boards. They last as long as any and they are dirt cheap in tubes of 10. I have just accepted the fact that these bearings are a consumable item. The real problem is that the adjustment mechanism is built so sloppy that it is extremely hard to adjust the position is a precise way.

[Curt Harms]

I'm not familiar with the guides on the 18" Rikon. I have a 14" Rikon and replaced the bearings with guide blocks. Wear was not so much an issue (sealed bearings) but I didn't find bearings to work that well with blades narrower than 3/8". I hesitated because I thought the blocks would want to rotate but so far so good.

[Mark Paavola]

A lot of good ideas. I wasn't sure about using sealed bearings due to their higher drag on startup. I will give them a try. I am not sure I want to go the route of making another sawdust collector but I will keep it in mind. I had thought about using guide blocks, that would definitely solve the bearing problem. Everyone, thanks for the help.