The Forestry Forum
General Forestry => Sawmills and Milling => Topic started by: Woodpecker52 on August 10, 2019, 11:02:16 AM
I put on a 4degree band on my woodmizer Lt15 mill, It was a 1 1/2 inch wide instead of the 1 1/4 inch I normally use. I noticed that the blade guide roller next to the drive wheel was hotter than the tension wheel side roller. I think it was 190 degrees vs. 98 for other. I used the same tension I always use, and when I switched back to 1 1/4 inch the roller ran about the same at 98. My question is this normal for using a wider band all things staying the same without any adjustment to roller guides etc. The last thing I want to do is start monkeying with adjustments. I also do not want to damage the rollers by running a wider band if it causes the roller to heat up.
I am thinking the band was applying more stress towards the outside of the roller and the bearing was not happy, just a theory. How wide is your roller?
Would not the wider bands have more overhang when centering up and the band wheels and therefor possibly be scrubbing the back flange on the guide roller a little hard?
The rollers were made for the 1 1/4 band the 1 1/2 inch teeth stand out and the front of the roller is hotter than the rear and I noticed the bolt temps are the same normal temps for both, so it is exterior heating from band vs any interior problem.
I guess I could get larger guide rollers but I really do not want to do that, I was just shocked that there would be such a difference in adding 1/4 inch to a blade diameter. I do not like the wider bands so far.
Being the drive side roller is heating and not the tension side, have to lean towards what Southside mentioned, the distance from the drive side roller to the bandwheel is much closer then the tension side, seems the wider band is applying higher pressure at the front of the roller while the band is trying to stay centered on the bandwheel. The tension side bandwheel to the roller may have enough distance from wheel to roller to allow a more balanced pressure to the roller. Possible run the adjustment all the way out closest to the tension wheel side and test again to see if that roller heats up similar to the drive side roller?