bandsaw vibration

[elk killer]

my 30 year old 14 inch band saw
has developed a horrid vibration
its flat and level
and it dosent matter what size blade i use
both wheels are tight
and it doesnt vibrate with no blade in it
any ideas?

[Randall Steffy]

elk killer,
I would examine closely the drive belt if it has one, as well as the pulleys. A new belt will be supple with no hard or disformed areas from old age. Are the pulleys badly worn, bent or loose on their shafts? Also look closely at the tires on the wheels. I suggest the rubber parts as culprits first, assuming you would have noticed loose, badly worn bearings. Check wheel bearing condition with no blade in place, tension off wheel. Further thoughts to follow by others...

[Longshot]

I too, suspect the belt [assuming the bearings are good and the pulleys are secure].  Try a link belt.
Also, some companies put balance weights on the wheels to help true things up.  You might have thrown one of the counterweights.  Look for it inside the saw body.  Take the blade off,  loosen the drive wheel and make sure both wheels spin freely.  Then set each wheel at various compass points to see if either has an out of balance situation, causing it to rotate to the bottom.  If so, you know where to replace the weight clip -or some such counter measure.

[Acer Saccharum]

Depending on the kind of sound, I would look into the above suggestions: or these:

take the motor belt and blade off and turn each of the wheels by hand. If they run smooth, no vibration, then your bearings are OK.

If you have been running pine or other resinous wood, the tires can get bits of built up lumps of pitch/sawdust, which can set up an awful growly noise.

Tom

[oldiemkr]

If you find out that you have problems with the belt and not the bearings I have a suggestion.

I read a couple of items a long time ago about replacing belts on smaller home shop type machine tools. A number of them replaced with those adjustable type belts. Those belts are just flexible links that can be made shorter or longer.

ALL of the responders said that when they replaced with those belts the machines ran smoother with much less vibration and noise than before. i can't remember the trade name for these belts but Grizzly has them in their catalog in 4 ft lengths.

I have not purchased any "name brand " belts for awhile but some of the belts I have seen that came on new equipment leave alot to be desired.

[Benedict]

You might also check that the tires on both wheels are true and smooth.

There are a number of good books on bandsaws out there and they usually have sections on tuning the saw.  The one I have is the Bandsaw Handbook by Mark Duginske.

Bruce

[Trkdriver99]

I have a friend who replaced the belt on his with one of the adjustable belts and his saw now is as smooth as silk. He is sold on them, says he is going to replace all the belts on all his equipment with them.

Ronnie

[T*O*F]

I have a friend who replaced the belt on his with one of the adjustable belts

Pardon my ignorance.  What is an adjustable belt?  Belts are usually tightened by slotted mountings or an adjustable idler pulley.

[Randall Steffy]

Griptwist or Power Twist are sort of layered interlocking links which can be twisted to uncouple and create a belt of any length. Pg 3667-3668 MSC big catalog.

[Acer Saccharum]

Elk, the wheels might not make noise when the belt is off, but when they are under tension, a bad bearing will growl, and get worse as heat develops. When you say 'it developed' a vibration, that means something has gone bad. Bearings are cheap and usually pretty easy to replace. Use a puller/or a pusher to remove/replace bearings. Don't spring those wheels by banging on them!

[elk killer]

its always worked like a dream,,i was cutting some rock hard birdseye maple and it just started vibrating  out of the blue

[Acer Saccharum]

Could be a harmonic with the set of the teeth and the wood. Maybe try another pitch of blade? If you are using six teeth per inch, try a 4 tpi. Does it make this sound with other maple/pine/oak? Or is it just this piece of wood?

[elk killer]

it does it on anything now even soft pine

[Acer Saccharum]

OK, Elk, how about just running it, with no cutting?  If it sounds fine when not cutting wood, then it could be the blade. Have you tried switching to a different blade?

[KY Shinner]

With the speed of a band saw balancing should not be a issue with the pulleys......misalignment could be a problem.  You might run a string across both pulleys to make sure they are aligned.  You should have 4 points of contact, 2 on each sheave.  This is not extremely accurate but should be sufficient.  The adjustable belts are a good thing but I much prefer the standard endless belts, they transmit more horsepower and do not slip as much.  You also might check the tightness of your belt, you do not want it banjo string tight, nor to lose.  Depending on the belt and the distance there is a calculation for belt deflection which will give the the tightness of the belt.  If need be I might be able to help you with that.  I would check the bearings and the motor.  You might have dropped a bearing in the motor and will cause a egg shaped ratation instead of running true.  Good Luck

Ed Griffin

[Gunnermike]

I have a friend who replaced the belt on his with one of the adjustable belts

  What is an adjustable belt?  Belts are usually tightened by slotted mountings or an adjustable idler pulley.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/Power-Twist-V-Belt-3-8-x-5-/H9816

I've used these type of belts on 2 table saws, one a sears contractor saw use to vibrate 6 feet across the garage floor in 20 minutes and on an old Inca (swiss) table saw with a harden belt.  The link belt cured vibration on both saws, I'm sold on there usefulness.  Mike

[Acer Saccharum]

its always worked like a dream,,i was cutting some rock hard birdseye maple and it just started vibrating  out of the blue

This means it started making the noise suddenly. Now it does it all the time. The noise started in that one cut, so maybe something happened to the blade.


Try switching the blade.

[elk killer]

it doesnt make any noise at all
i tryed 2 different blades..same result
i checked the pullys and the belt,,the belt is old and worn
it does not vibrate when there is no blade on it
ill buy a different belt today and see what happins

[Acer Saccharum]

ELk, if the belt is old, it may be able to make the wheels turn, but when loading up, say cutting wood, the belt can slip. It's probably glazed, too, and does not grip the flanges of the pulley, but rides at the bottom of the groove. A glazed belt can make some strange noises.

Keep us posted.
Tom

[T*O*F]

ill buy a different belt today and see what happins

Don't go to Autozone and buy an automotive belt.  You need a fractional horsepower belt which is a different profile and composition than an auto belt.

[Bill of the 45th]

Stopped by the local Sears store this morning, and gave the guy your symptoms.  He recommends a new 14" band saw.   Hope that helps.  Actually, Ace, and Tractor supply have the correct belts.  Those link belts really work exceptionally well, and solve a number of problems, as well as cut vibration, reduce glazing, and build up.  Try the simple first.

Bill

[westerner]

My old Delta Rockwell vibrates all the time. It has a two horse Briggs and Stratton motor on it.  I'm used to it. 

     Joe.

[Acer Saccharum]

Bunch of funny guys on the forum. 

[westerner]

 

[California Kid]

Acer he wasn't kidding! HA HA