My bandsaw wants to kill me

[SimeonTurner]

I think my bandsaw wants to kill me, or at least make me crazy. I have a Ridgid 14" bandsaw and it has been a great tool, but of late, I have ha some serious issues with the tire on the upper wheel slipping off the wheel (which is seriously uncool while the blade is spinning). I can find no reason that is obviously contributing to this issue, so I thought I'd bring it here.

Anyone have a thought as to why the tire is slipping out of place? I belive my blade tension is appropriately adjusted. The tires I'm using are the standard ones that came with the machine.

Thanks for your input!

[sethile]

Could be the tires are just worn out, or defective. I had the same issue with my 14" band saw a couple of years ago and replaced both of the old rubber tires with the new urethane ones, which are much better all the way around!

Most of the 14" saws are Rockwell knock offs. If yours is, these folks have the right tires, as well as a lot of other handy parts:

http://www.sawcenter.com/bandsaw_parts.htm

[SimeonTurner]

I kind of wondered if perhaps it was just a replacement tire issue. I'll try the urethane ones and see if that fixes it.

Man, those little buggers are EXPENSIVE! 30 bucks for a rubber ring...ouch.

[FredS]

If your tire is smooth on both sides, you might try turning it inside out to see if you can extend the life.

[sethile]

These guys have them too:
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=5838

You get the set of Two for $30. And if you check the reviews a guy mentions using them on a Rigid 14".

[smokindawg]

I had bad rubbers on my 12" craftsman, one of them breaking completely. I bought small innertubes and cut one new one, then used spray adhesive to hold both the new and old one in place. Bandsaw works a charm now and I've not had any problems with it at all.

Good luck in your search.