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bobkro
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 28 Mill Spring, NC
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2009-04-22          162245

I know this is a tractor forum, but . . .

I am having a problem with my 20 year old Sears 12 inch band saw. The saw contains an upper and a lower wheel, which the saw blade passes over. On each of the wheels is rubber “tire” that fits in a groove of the wheel, and the saw blade rests on tire as the wheel as the saw operates. Two problems have recently developed, and they are probably related.

The rubber tire on the upper wheel tends to ride out of its groove and off the wheel in the direction of the operator (me). The blade remains on the tire, but the tire is certainly not centered on the wheel, and I am concerned the blade will slip of the tire when the saw is operating, with the potential for injury (me). Can I re-affix the rubber tire to the wheel using rubber cement (or somesuch adhesive), or should I just replace the tire and hope the problem disappears?

My second problem is that the shaft for the lower wheel tends to ride toward the operator (me) during operation, causing the V-belt on the back side of the saw to contact the belt guard and stall the motor. I can smack the shaft with a mallet back toward the back of the machine (it moves about ¼ inch), but it continues to ride toward the operator, stalling the saw.

I have adjusted the cant of the upper wheel, and the blade tracks in the middle of both wheels for a short time, but soon enough the top tire begins to ride off the wheel, and soon the lower shaft begins to ride forward as well. Any ideas on fixes?

b


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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2009-04-22          162247

Sounds to me sort of like the shaft bearings are worn. ....

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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3583 iowa
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2009-04-23          162255

Bob; Sears probably can get you a new tire. What kind of bearings are on the lower wheel shaft, sleeve, sealed ball, or don't be suprised if they are plastic. Most Sears homeowner type power tools are designed with a very minimal lifespan projection. Frank. ....

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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2009-04-23          162266

My Sears bandsaw about like yours has had an easy life but sure not a high quality machine. Some of the plastic screws with snap in caps popped off just opening the cover for the wheels.
By chance does your bottom wheel have a set screw in the belt pully that could be lose allowing it to walk as running? Also could you remove and reinstall the top wheel the opposite direction? That may give it a little more life. But Sears was good about replacement parts. No idea in last few years. Then you may find a good used one for about same price as wheels and/or bearings. ....

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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2009-04-23          162270

The rubber tie band will probably require using what is called Super Weatherstrip Adhesive made by 3M. I would turn the strip around before reattaching it. ....

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2009-04-23          162274

Adhesive may fix the immediate problem but it doesn't seem like it will fix the root cause. The pulleys aren't running true which is why the belt keeps wandering to one side. ....

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bobkro
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 28 Mill Spring, NC
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2009-04-23          162275

Ken Schumm and Hardwood--

The bearings on the lower wheel are of the sleeve variety. There is no noticeable play in the bearings when I takd the tension off the blade, and wiggle the wheel.

Saw is more than 40 years old, so maybe its time to replace something?

I glued the tire to the upper wheel using rubber cement. That seems to have worked, but I haven't been able to run the saw for more than 30 seconds before the shaft in the lower wheel begins to ride toward me again, jamming the belt on the back side of the saw against the belt guard, and stalling the motor.

Replace the lower shaft bearings?

b ....

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2009-04-23          162278

Is the shaft wandering out or is the wheel wandering back on the shaft? I'm having a hard time picturing exactly what is occuring.

If the wheel is sliding back on the shaft it might expose more of the shaft making it look like the shaft is coming out. If that's the case then maybe there is a set screw that is supposed to lock the wheel to the shaft and it's come loose.

If the shaft is sliding out then there must be a retaining clip of some type that has come off. ....

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bobkro
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 28 Mill Spring, NC
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2009-04-24          162284

Ken--

the entire shaft moves foward to the operator, "pulling" with it the lower wheel on the operator side, and the V groove pulley on the back side. When that happens, the V groove pulley on the back side comes in contact with the belt guard support, and the motor stalls.

I have removed the lower wheel and the pulley, re-installed them according to spec, and re-tightened the set screw. I get no indication when the machine is running that either the wheel or the pulley slide on the shaft (indicating a loose set screw).

Perhaps the rubber tires are worn on one side, causing the saw blade to pull on the wheel in one direction, thereby causing the shaft to ride toward the operator. Possible?

b ....

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kwschumm
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Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2009-04-24          162285

There should probably be a retaining device of some kind on the shaft to keep it from sliding in/out through the bearing. Seems like it would be a poor design to allow the shaft to move freely. It would need a little play to prevent binding but it doesn't make sense that it should be allowed to move very far. Is there a groove on the back end of the shaft that should have an E-clip installed? ....

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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3583 iowa
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2009-04-24          162286

Bob; OK a light bulb just came on here. I had a Sears table saw long time ago that the "V" pulley would walk off the end of the arbor shaft. Turned out that the shaft was steel and the pulley was pot metal type soft casting. Over time the hole in the pulley wore its'self a bit bigger and the shaft remained the same size. The pulley did have a square key with a set screw pushing down on the squarw key to hold things in place. So I'm wondering if your bottom wheel is fastened to the shaft in the same manner as my belt pulley was, and maybe the hole thru the wheel has worked it'self a bit out of size? I replaced the pulley and things went fine. Frank. ....

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bobkro
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 28 Mill Spring, NC
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2009-04-24          162296

Hardwood--

My band saw is of the same construction as yours of old. solid steel shaft, with a keyway on each end. Pulley (of "pot metal" quality) slides on shaft, you insert the square key, and tighten down the pulley in place using a set screw. Both pulley end and lower wheel end of the shaft use this arrangement.

Parts manual shows, on the pulley side and in this order starting from the outermost part, a 5/8 retaining ring, a spring washer, 1 11/16 internal retaining ring, and lastly, a ball bearing. I need to check to determine if the two retaining rings and the spring washer are intact. That may be the source of my problem.

Stay tuned, and I appreciate your sticking with me on this one.

b ....

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auerbach
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 2168 West of Toronto
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2009-04-26          162322

About rubber cement, there's an old product made for kids to glue paper, called that because when they get it on their hands or in their hair, it balls up into what feels like rubber. You don't want that here. There are some sophisticated new adhesives that will lock a belt to a metal wheel, but I doubt they'd be known as rubber cement. ....

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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3583 iowa
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2009-04-26          162326

How about weatherstrip adhesive, like for car door gaskets? ....

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auerbach
Join Date: Sep 2007
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2009-04-26          162334

Sounds like it should work well, but I'm not on top of adhesives, and as I said, there are some pretty special ones out now. ....

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bobkro
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 28 Mill Spring, NC
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2009-05-02          162463

Kschumm, Earthwrks, Kthompson, Hardwood, Auerbach--

Success!!!

I removed the shaft from the lower wheel housing. I found all the pieces intact (External C clip, spring, interior C clip, etc.) but the external C clip that holds the shaft tight against the spring clip and face of the sleeve bearing had either slipped from its place in a groove on the shaft (doubtful), or (more likely) had never been seated fully in the groove when the C clip was installed, and had finnaly just worked its way down the shaft, allowing the shaft to ride 1/4 inch toward the operator, and pulling with it the pulley into the blade guard at the rear of the saw housing.

Since I never had reason to fiddle with the shaft in the twenty plus years that I have had the saw, I guess that my father-in-law, who owned the saw before me, was the guilty party for not installing the C clip fully. Easy to do--the groove on the shaft is quite thin, and the C clip is difficult to slide along the shaft--very tight fit.

Anyway, problem solved, and thanks to all who offered good advice.

b ....

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2009-05-02          162465

Bob, glad you got to the bottom of it and thanks for posting back. It's good to hear the "problem solved" posts. ....

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