Sawmill blade size

[Ken Malone]

Can the saw blade run directly in the steel pully?if so is the puppy surface flat or should it have ridges?

[DDW_OR]

my Timberking 2000 has belts, fan belt, encircling each wheel.
so a total of 2 belts, one for each wheel.

the blade is held inplace with blade guides that have a raised metal lip that rides on the back side of the blade



 

[Ken Malone]

The wheels I looked at from cooks supply don't have a groove for a v belt.I'm wondering if the blade can run on that flat steel surface.Thanks Ken

[barbender]

There's two ways to do it, either wheels that take a belt or crowned steel wheels like Cook's offers. I only have experience with the belted wheels on my Woodmizer, so I can't speak to the other type. The belted wheels work fine for me, I have no reason to look into the other option. 

[Gere Flewelling]

I have the Cook's steel wheels and have good luck with them. Having no belts on the wheels eliminates the need to cool the bands with water based products that can be an issue in winter months as well as being hard on guide roller bearings. I just use a small amount of diesel fuel mixed 50/50 with ATF to lubricate the band and eliminate heat issues. The diesel does not drip on the band, it drips onto a felt pad that wipes the fluid onto the band. Works great in my opinion.

[jpassardi]

Gere,
I retrofitted my woodmizer with a felt diesel dripper and I prefer it as well.

[scsmith42]

Can the saw blade run directly in the steel pully?if so is the puppy surface flat or should it have ridges?

The short answer is "yes", the blade can run directly on the metal, as long as it is crowned.  Baker's sawmills have solid metal wheels with slight crowns on them.

It is important to orientate the blade on the wheel so that the gullet is outside of the wheel.  That keeps it from losing it's set.

[CCCLLC]

Just as a perspective, a 10" wide steel bandwheel is happy with as little  as .007" off center crown. Running  a 10" wide band with  teeth and gullets off the front edge. My point is small amount  of crown is needed but very helpful in control of band location.