Dirt on my tires

[Aaron Rosenthal]

I’ve a relatively new Harvey bandsaw that has me pondering what’s going on.
I de-tension the blade every time I use the saw. Sometimes when I go to use it again the bottom of the blade is completely off the tire. Replace it and it works great. But I’ve also noticed I have a lot of debris built up on the crown of the tire, both upper and lower.
Is this normal? I’m sure I can clean it off with a mild cleaner but I never noticed this as much with my old Delta knockoff.

[Lee Schierer]

It would appear that your upper wheel adjustment is sticking where te tension is actually no longer present. Then later gravity causes it to drop down so the band drops off the wheel.

[Edward Weber]

The debris on the tires is caused by a few things.
IMO, dust collection, wheel brushes and wood species
Some species has sticky resin and just likes to gum things up, especially if it's green. If your dust collection isn't strong enough and the bruises don't clear it away, there's no other place to go but between the blade and the tire.
When I cut wet wood, I usually need to clean frequently

[Andrew Hughes]

Keep those tires clean they are almost as important as a good blade.
Clean them in a way that doesn’t change the shape.
Good Luck

[Richard Coers]

Dirt? What the heck are you cutting? Tree roots? Do you cut wet wood for turning? That's horrible on tires. So is cutting resinous wood like pine. I use a card scraper while I turn the wheel by hand. Only takes seconds to clean the tires. Dust stuck on tires is not normal. If you only cut dry wood, you need a better dust collector on the saw.

[Don Stephan]

I've found holding a damp sponge against the tire for 5 or 6 rotations softens the debris and it comes off easily.