Finding Band Saw Wheels

[Rich Riddle]

Do any of you have a place where you know to purchase old band saw wheels? I have a friend who wants to make his own sawmill and wants wheels at least 16" but he says he cannot locate them. He wants it to look something like the photograph:

20130705_145449.jpg

Thanks for your help. I do NOT want him to use the homemade version that uses old car tires. Even from Kentucky, that's a bit too hillbilly.

[Joe Hillmann]

Even though you don't want to go with car tires I would suggest going with trailer tires. With 16 inch wheels you will have to run thinner bands and even then they will break prematurely. And if they steel wheels have the slightest bit of out of round the bands will break even sooner due to them being stretched every time the wheel spins. If you go with 12 inch trailer tires you have a 21 inch diameter and if you go with 13 inch trailer tires you get a 24 inch diameter. Also an out of round on a rubber tire doesn't matter nearly as much as it would on steel tires.

With that said, Cooks bandsaws sells wheels specifically meant to build your own band saw (they are expensive, starting at around $350 a piece.) http://www.cookssaw.com/

[Loren Woirhaye]

Gilliom Mfg. sells kits are components for building 18" band saws.

Consider though that for a mill he may want to use wider wheels to run wider Woodmizer type blades. Some people have used surplus industrial large diameter sheaves as sawmill wheels.

[Jim Matthews]

Sounds to me like you should haunt Craigslist for a donor upright.

I've seen very good wheels made from plywood, but they're heavy.
(You true them, running on the frame as shown - like turning a platter.)

FWIW - Running one of these without guards will lead to the blade whipping out at high speed.

If it was me experimenting, I would try the injection molded bicycle wheels meant for BMW.
http://www.jensonusa.com/!IhyVTw1asZ...Fe1QOgodIQsA7g

They'll be ready to accept a rubber "tire" but would limit the blade size.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Rich, when I built my mill I obtained 2 18" wheels and the tension assembly and lower arbour from a machinery supplier who had a damaged machine returned from a customer.

I suggest your friend contact a couple of large distributors, they'll have something...........Rod.

[Rich Riddle]

Hi Rod,

Thanks for that tip. Thanks to the others as well. He's not very happy with me not being willing to haul an 18" Parks from an auction yesterday. It was fully restored and went cheap, but I wouldn't let him break apart a restored old woodworking tool simply for the wheels when some other woodworker wanted the wood/metal band saw for use as it was intended.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Wheels on most portable band saw are just B groove sheaves with a loose belt on them. Check "Surplus Center" for sheaves. But tires are the cheapest way to go. To increase tension, increase the air pressure. Google "Home made band saw mills," for many illustrations. Carter will sell you a set of guides.

[Jim Andrew]

Cooks sells bandmill parts, as well as complete mills. Their wheels are crowned steel.

[Brett Robson]

Carter sells wheels too, although they're quite a bit larger than what your friend wants.

http://www.carterproducts.com/band-s...lacement-wheel

[Curt Harms]

Grizzly sells parts for their machines. Maybe look at wheels & tension mechanisms for something like a 19" or 24" upright. They also sell horizontal resaws and the parts for them. I have no idea about $. I'm sure a boneyard candidate would be cheaper if he can find one.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Surplus Center has 18.75 " pulleys in several bore diameters for less than $50 each. Double groove (drive wheel) is about $75. If you place motor where output shaft is between the sides of the horizontal band, you can use a single groove sheave to drive unit. Belt goes around clutch on output shaft, and then goes around drive wheel. But if you did drive as stated, and used double grooved pulley, you add a brake by using a section of belt and a lever