Wheels for a bandsaw mill

[BigZ La]

Can the wheels off a metal cutting bandmill be used to make a wood mill. Just asking as I may be able to get some wheels at a good price. Thanks for any info.

[york]

Hi,

How big are they???Some metal cutting band wheels have a flange that the band rides back against,best check that out....

[BigZ La]

The wheels are about 21" if I read correctly.

[Kbeitz]

If they have enough meat on them so you could cut off the
flange and put on a crown I think they would work great.
How does the drive wheel mount to a shaft?

[ozarkgem]

Be sure you can get a big enough shaft to support the tension of a  1 1/4 blade. Not sure how small you can go. I think mine are 1 1/2" shafts.

[BigZ La]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm going to check them out close and see what ya'll have told me. Thanks again.

[Kbeitz]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm going to check them out close and see what ya'll have told me. Thanks again.

If the shaft is small look to see if the hub has enough meat to bore for a larger shaft.

[larrydown60]

You get reasonable priced band wheels at surplus center. I got mine there 18.75 cast iron pulleys with hubs for 1 1 /2 shaft

[DeerMeadowFarm]

You get reasonable priced band wheels at surplus center. I got mine there 18.75 cast iron pulleys with hubs for 1 1 /2 shaft

You used a pulley for a band wheel? How did you make that work?

[KirkD]

You get reasonable priced band wheels at surplus center. I got mine there 18.75 cast iron pulleys with hubs for 1 1 /2 shaft

You used a pulley for a band wheel? How did you make that work?

I think they are all pulleys that is how you can put a belt in the grove for the blade to ride on.

[DeerMeadowFarm]

Bandsaw "tires" are flat, no? How would you use a v-pulley?

[Magicman]

Cooks and probably some other manufacturers use solid steel bandwheels.  Wood-Mizer and some other manufacturers use pulley style bandwheels and a B57, etc. V belt for the tire.


 


 
The above pictures were not taken to show the bandwheel/belt, but you can see blade riding on the belt that is in the V groove.  The B57 belt arrangement is designed to run loose on the bandwheel. 

[DeerMeadowFarm]

Ahhh....OK. So, is the v-belt "loose" on the pulleys when the blade is not tensioned?

[fishfighter]

On my Woodland 126, one wheel uses the B57 and is loose. The other wheel uses a B71 or something like that, but it is tight. That belt is direct to a clutch.

[Kbeitz]

I used wheels from Grizzly tools. It's a cast steel flat wheel with band saw tires on it.
What they call tires is a thin rubber band that fits tight over the wheels.



 

[Magicman]

Ahhh....OK. So, is the v-belt "loose" on the pulleys when the blade is not tensioned?

Different sawmills are set up differently.  Both of my bandwheels take a B57 belt and both are loose at all times, whether tensioned or not.  I looked but I do not have a clear picture showing the slack in the belts when the blade is tenioned.  The belts only serve as bandwheel tires.

[thecfarm]

I have a Thomas and the belts on the bandwheels are tight.

[bandmiller2]

Most band mills use large "V" sheaves (belt pulleys) for wheels. You can go ether tightie or loosie on the belts. Most pulleys take a B-57 for a loose belt or a B-56 for a tight, both work. I have tried both and personally prefer tight as there seems to be less damage when a band breaks or comes off the wheels. Shop band saws use a crowned flat pulley with a thin flat glued on rubber tire. Others use a crowned steel/cast iron wheel. They all work if you have a sharp well set band. Of all the wheels probably automotive tires are the least desirable but will work. Frank C.