How far do you expect to have to stretch new bandsaw tires?

[Josiah Bartlett]

I bought new rubber tires to put on my 16" Walker Turner saw and found that they are probably 1.5" smaller in diameter than the wheels. Is this to be expected? How far can you safely stretch a tire?

[Bruce Wrenn]

What did your supplier tell you? Did you ask them? That would be my first choice.

[Van Huskey]

In general rubber tires are 15-20% undersized. You sound well within the "correct" range and likely are a tad smaller than you even think.

[Bob Wingard]

HOT water is your friend.

[Jim Sebring]

And mebbe a little dishwashing soap in that hot water.

[Lee Schierer]

When I put new tires on my Father's 16" band saw, they were about the same amount under size as those you have. I had them in a pan of hot water right up to the moment I went to install them. I felt like I needed four hands. I chased the last few inches around the wheel several times and had to start over several times. You'll need to figure out how to lock the wheels from turning without getting in the way of your hands to get the tires on. Oh, and the urethane starts to cool the second it touches the metal wheels so the longer you struggle the harder it gets. They worked well once they were in place.

[Cody Colston]

New bandsaw tires should appear to be too small for the wheels. They need to fit extemely snug.

The last ones I installed was in the summer and I just hung the tires on the doorknob of the outside door to my shop which faces South. After about an hour, they were pretty easy to stretch over the wheels.

[Bobby Knourek]

Tires are made 20% smaller than the diameter of your wheel.
go to www.woodworkerstoolworks.com and there is a video on how to install without heating or stressing the tire with clamps.

Bobby.

[Pete Bradley]

That sounds fine. If you're not challenging the strength of your thumbs with black rubber tires, something's wrong. There are several good methods on the internet for band saw tire mounting, I use Bob Vaughan's. Don't use the hot water method on black rubber.

[Mikail Khan]

The tires for my 19" BS came with a 16" diameter.

Instructions from grizzly said to heat tires in 150 deg F water before installing. I used my wife's candy thermometor to check the temp. Even though I heated the tires they weren't easy to stretch. I removed the wheels to make the installation easier.

MK

[Van Huskey]

Don't use the hot water method on black rubber.

Make sure one heeds Pete's point, 140-150 degree water is for poly urethane tires NOT black rubber ones!

[Jerome Hanby]

For my Shopsmith bandsaw, I soaked them in hot water for 30 minutes, but stretching them onto the wheels was still challenging. Good side, I'm pretty sure they aren't going anywhere.

[Josiah Bartlett]

Thanks for all the advice. I'm pretty sure I'm going to pull the wheels off before trying to put new tires on them. Otherwise I'll end up with too many cuts and bruises and swearing trying to get leverage on them.