Bandsaw question

[jeff oldham]

I just put new tires and a new blade on my bandsaw tonight and after starting it up...there was so much dust on the tires and blade ...I was cutting pine..but the dust just stuck like glue on the tires and blade...the original tires I had I never had this problem..any help would be appreciated

[John K Jordan]

I just put new tires and a new blade on my bandsaw tonight and after starting it up...there was so much dust on the tires and blade ...I was cutting pine..but the dust just stuck like glue on the tires and blade...the original tires I had I never had this problem..any help would be appreciated

Does your bandsaw have brushes inside to clean off the tires and blade? They can help a lot. Mine came with them but I added them to my first bandsaw by cutting up a stiff scrub brush.

Could that pine have had more resin than usual? I know certain types of green wood can build up gummy junk on things even with brushes but I don't see that often. When cutting green pine on my sawmill I have to regularly clean the blades (I use a big screwdriver while it's running - sounds dangerous but it's not.)

I cut a lot of green wood on my shop bandsaw. I keep a length of 3/16" brass square tubing (from a hobby shop) near the bandsaw to clean off buildup when needed. If I get junk building up on the blade I hold the end of the tubing against the sides of the blade while the saw is running and it scrapes most of it off. The brass can't hurt the teeth if contacted. Again, this may sound dangerous but it's not, with reasonable care, of course.

JKJ

[jeff oldham]

thank you john,,yes it does have brushes inside but it didnt seem like they were doing much good,,im going to try your method using some brass rod,,and like i said,,,maybe it was the pine i was cutting,,

[Jim Becker]

Aside from the normal static cling that can happen with dust and chips, species like pines are resenous which helps things stick even more. The new tires may be more susceptible to that for a bit, too, because of the squeeky clean surface.

[lowell holmes]

I would try cleaning the tires with paint thinner and then apply Johnson floor wax to the tire. It works for me.

[jeff oldham]

thank you,,i will try that

[John K Jordan]

...,im going to try your method using some brass rod,...

Just to be clear, I use a thin-wall piece of square brass tubing, not a brass rod. Works better if the end is a bit rough so it cut into it occasionally with the bandsaw teeth. I fastened a short piece of steel wire to the end and hang it on a magnet on the bansaw support column so it is always within reach. As mentioned, I don't need it much but when needed works well.

I also lube the blade occasionally with a big stick of Lenox Lube Tube, a "Multi-purpose lubricating wax for industrial use." States it's good for sawing, drilling grinding, threading, tapping. For use on the bandsaw blades I ignore the instructions to apply only to non-moving surfaces and hold it lightly against the sides of the moving blade. https://www.amazon.com/LENOX-14-5-Ounce-Multi-Purpose-Lubricant There are other brands that are essentially the same.

If squeeky clean tires are the problem a bit of 220 sandpaper while spinning the wheel might change that (with the blade removed!)

PERHAPS MORE IMPORTANT:
I completely forgot to mention my buildup problem got FAR better when I added good dust collection to the bandsaw. I constructed a shroud that fit below the table which pulls most of the dust from the gullets before it ever gets to the bottom cabinet and wheel so it can't accumulate on the wheel! When I came up with the idea I made a prototype from cardboard which worked so well I used it for years before making one from clear plastic. It's open on the far side which allows a good cross airflow. I hold it in place with two magnets on the bottom and several stuck the the bottom of the table.

451494 451495

I run three ducts to the Rikon 18" bandsaw, one just under the table, one in the bottom of the cabinet, and a flexible one I hold into position with a magnet to pick up dust on the table from skimming cuts. The DC is a 5hp ClearVue cyclone. With this setup I get no dust in the lower cabinet where I used to have to clean it out regularly.

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BTW, the prototype from cardboard: 451497 451498

JKJ