Can band mill blades be run "backwards"?

[Joe Hillmann]

I am building a band mill and I am wondering if the blades can be run backwards ?

By that I mean can a blade that is meant to be run clockwise be flipped inside out and run counter clockwise or are there specific blades for clockwise and specific blades for counter clockwise?

I have read a little bit about rolling blades and it would seem as though it would make a difference on which way the blades are run.  If it maters I am running the blade on trailer tires not V-belts.

[Nomad]

     Joe, bands don't really have an "inside" or "outside."  If your mill is set up to run in the opposite direction, you simply twist the band inside out.  It'll work just fine.

[Brad_S.]

Like nomad said, there is no "inside" or "outside".
A new blade starts out flat which is optimal for performance and can be run in either direction.
As the band rolls around crowned wheels, it supposededly develops a dish in the band that some claim needs to be rolled out to return it to being flat again.
(I ran my mill for nearly 2 decades and never had an issue so I don't buy into the theory.)
Since you run on tires and not crowned wheels, I don't believe it will be an issue for you.

[longtime lurker]

I have ZERO experience with narrow bands, but do have a little with wide ones.
Wide bands definately do "dish" out from the crown of the wheels when running, and definately do need to be benched to bring them back to true. Wide bands run hard and fast and under an extremely high amount of tension though, far more so then the old generation of small bandmills.

Steel is steel... it's going to conform to the laws of physics every time. If you put a narrow band under similar levels of strain it's going to "dish". The newer generation of narrow band equipment is starting to approach those strain levels and is going to need benching (or rolling) for optimium performance too.

How much performance you'll gain though is subjective: if the band is running on trailer tyres I doubt you'll get anywhere near that level of pressure on it, so it's probably a non issue in this case.... or more correctly a "not big enough to worry about" issue.

[board]

I have to turn all my new blade inside out for my ezboardwalk, it runs counter clockwise.

[36 coupe]

I am building a band mill and I am wondering if the blades can be run backwards ?

By that I mean can a blade that is meant to be run clockwise be flipped inside out and run counter clockwise or are there specific blades for clockwise and specific blades for counter clockwise?

I have read a little bit about rolling blades and it would seem as though it would make a difference on which way the blades are run.  If it maters I am running the blade on trailer tires not V-belts.

You can run blades backward but you wont cut much wood.

[bandmiller2]

Joe there are bandmills designed to run clockwise (looking from the front) they claim you only cut bark on your first cut after that your cutting into clean wood. But you have to contend with sawdust on your side of the mill. It works both ways, which ever pleases you. Frank C.

[barbender]

Some manufacturers ship their blades for clockwise, some counter clockwise. If they aren't the right way for my WM mill, I turn them inside out. WM always ships them the way they go on my mill ;)