Here's a thought

[DragonsBane]

 Since single groove pulleys are being used to built bandsaws, why can't a double grovve pulley be used to run a two inch wide blade? If a band saw is set up to run a two inch blade then it should be able to run smaller blades without a problem then,  right?

[Tom]

I don't know, could be.  I doubt it though.

A band rides on a wheel by finding the highest spot (crown) on the wheel.

The teeth need to be kept off of the wheel.

I think that two tracks would be hard to follow.

'course I don't know and am just supposing based on things I've been told about band alighnment.

[mike_van]

I used Browning Poly V 24" dia sheaves for bandwheels. The  "tire" is a Poly V  belt cut to fit &  glued to the sheaves with bandsaw tire cement. No crown, the face is 1 1/4" wide & flat.   I have no tracking problems, it's rare that I have to change anything, Red Streak blades.   

[KILROY]

DragonsBane,
A friend of mine built a bandsaw and used double groove pulleys. It works fo 2", 1 1/2" and 1 1/4" blades. He built it in 1987. 
If you are building or refurbishing an older saw what you are proposing has been done and works. 

[Fla._Deadheader]

  A "Powerband" belt has more than 1 "V", but is joined as 1 belt. That might keep the blade tracking ???

[Tom]

I used a power band as a drive-belt at Wood Mizer's recommendation and found that the center would split and I would end up with two belts anyway.

[isawlogs]

Tom .
I use them on mine and get 1000 hrs on it and only minor wear between the two belts .

[Tom]

I'm sure that was  the plan.  But, for some reason mine would split in half.  It took a while but they ended up being two belts.    They still worked so I didn't care.

[isawlogs]

  Tom
I do remember having to take the grinder to the belt covers ... they where hitting it while the mill was idling , After polishing that up  the belts did not touch , maybe that would of been the reason for your belts to wear prematurly ...

[Tom]

To get the power belt to slip, it had to be adjusted very loose.   When it was so loose, it would jump off of the engine pulley.   I had to devise a piece of bent metal that would, without touching, keep the belt on the pulley.   Wood mizer was thinking the same thing because, after I made mine, they sent me a sheet of paper saying that they had a solution to the problem.  It lookied just like mine.  :D

Actually, the only benefit I found to the powerbelt was the ability to adjust both belts to almost the same tension.  With matched belts, I didnt' have to much problem anyway.

I'm sure that the slapping around helped to split the belts.  I took the belt guard off of my mill to keep from being driven crazy by the slapping sounds.  Because the belt was on top of the mill, I saw no safety problems with doing so.

I don't think the belt was being cut from underneath. I had new pulleys and they rode pretty high in the grooves.  It had to be an outside/on-top type problem.  That's OK.  When they split, I just kept right on sawing. ;D

[wiam]

I read some where, I think it might have been on Browning's site that belts are made standard enough now that "matched belts" are amost obsolete.  I don't think I would mix brands though.

Will