Re-mounting bandsaw wheels, an adventure

[Mark Gibney]

I am concerned there might be a better way to put the cast iron wheels back on my 20" bandsaw than what we did - basically hit them on with a hammer, they were unbelievably tight.

I'm restoring a Davis & Wells 20" bandsaw, very very slowly.
I took the wheels off with a pulley with no issues, many months back.

Today I had some time, and so did my machinist buddy, so we decided it was time to put the new bearings on the shafts and re-mount the wheels.

I let him lead the work, it's his area of expertise, though he doesn't work on woodworking machines.

It was tough to get the wheels to go on the shafts. I rubbed a little oil on the shaft and on the wheel, and they went on about 1/8" and then stopped. My buddy picked up a dead blow hammer and tapped the center of the wheel. Nothing. He upped the strength of his blows until he was really beating on those wheels (we braced the other end of the shaft with a 2x4 and clamps to stop it from being pushed through), and I mean really beating. It took a while to get each wheel on.
There was no rust or any visible impediment on the shaft or the hub.

I've googled this and all I find is advice on how to install tires.
Is there a better way?

My buddy pointed out some obvious signs of the wheel hubs having been hit with a smooth hammer in the past, so this wasn't the first time for this poor bandsaw.

I figure I'm going to have to spend some time balancing these wheels.

[Robert Engel]

I would have either heated the wheel up or used emery cloth on the shaft.

You have to be careful beating on cast iron, but seemed like it worked.

Wouldn't you balance the wheels before installing them?

[roger wiegand]

I think you want an arbor press or bigger hydraulic press to install press-on bearings, Hitting them with a hammer seems like a bad idea. Reducing the shaft size with emery cloth or such will destroy the press-on fit. They're supposed to be tight!

[Mark Gibney]

Robert, I thought I'd crown the tires, then take them to Dan at D&W to have them balanced, but I don't want to take them off again.

I've viewed a video on balancing wheels while they are on the saw, using self-adhesive weights and a dial indicator, that I like, so I plan on trying that method.

[Mark Gibney]

Roger, we used a hydraulic press to install the bearings.
It was the wheels that were difficult to get on.

[John K Jordan]

I also use a hydraulic press. For a bandsaw I'd remove the shaft, freeze one part, heat the other, then press. Removing often takes a puller.

JKJ

[Bill Space]

Hi Mark,

I guess I am the lucky one as the wheels on my 20" Davis and wells bandsaw go on rather easily, with just a little encouragement and accurate initial alignment. I have had them on and off a number of times.

I measured my HF (cheap but functional) hydraulic press and it would take a 20" wheel. The lower bearing housing is removable, as is the top, so it would be possible to use the press to press the axle shaft into the wheel if needed.

Hopefully you supported the shaft well enough that the pounding on the wheel did not damage the bearings...

As mentioned above, heating the wheel and cooling the shaft may have helped.

How about a couple pictures of your saw?

I show you mine if you show me yours!

EDIT: I just realized you cannot press the bottom wheel onto the removable housing, as the way it bolts on would make it impossible to reinstall...

Bill

[Brian Holcombe]

Pressing is preferred, the machinist I worked for would not be happy to see someone beating a bearing into place. That said, if he used a tube or sleeve that was the same size as the inner bearing race and all of the pressure was applied to the inner bearing race while the shaft was supported....then it might be fine. Given that it was a machinist doing the beating he probably knows these things.

Check the run-out with a dial indicator and listen for noise in the bearing, that will tell you some of what you need to know. A bent stationary shaft won't cause a runout, but a bent wheel will run-out.

[Mark Gibney]

Brian, the bearing was not beaten into place. It was the wheel. The bearing were pressed on with a hydraulic press. But that said, I wasn't too happy to watch the wheel hub been beaten, believe me.

John, I know I read that before, probably on this forum, and possibly from you - to heat the wheel hub and freeze the shaft. Wish I had remembered that advice.

[Brian Holcombe]

Check it for runout.