DIY band saw mill

coyotebait · June 17, 2017, 07:44:23 AM

I need to decide sheaves or tires . Companies don't use tires . Is the only reason for tires ,to save money ? Because I find sheaves are not that much different , when they are the 18.75 inch sheaves.on line for 45 bucks apiece. I have found a outlet for everything else. about $1075.00. Has anyone had experience with both. I don't see why people use tires.

Den-Den · June 17, 2017, 12:18:07 PM

I am using tires, no experience with sheaves. The tires on my mill are 24" OD which in theory should give me better blade life. I have cut perhaps 10K bd ft and only broke one blade after being sharpened several times. I may have been lucky getting tires with the right amount of crown when fully inflated but am happy with the tracking and quality of cut (after a learning curve). I am sure you can build a mill using sheaves for wheels and agree that the cost difference is not significant.

TKehl · June 17, 2017, 11:18:30 PM

This is speculation and not in any way based on experience.

I'm betting tire mills are a bit easier to build as a first mill as the blade tension could mostly be adjusted by tire pressure (assuming it was close to start with) allowing for a fully welded head. Using sheaves would require fabricating a tensioning mechanism as the diameters are fixed.

Den-Den · June 18, 2017, 08:50:16 AM

Quote from: TKehl on June 17, 2017, 11:18:30 PM
This is speculation and not in any way based on experience.

I'm betting tire mills are a bit easier to build as a first mill as the blade tension could mostly be adjusted by tire pressure (assuming it was close to start with) allowing for a fully welded head. Using sheaves would require fabricating a tensioning mechanism as the diameters are fixed.

I don't think this would be a good way to build a mill. Getting the tire pressure right and getting the tension right are both important, the chances of getting both right without a tension adjustment is slim.

Joe Hillmann · June 19, 2017, 07:57:09 PM

I built mine with tires because I had them already. If I was buying everything new I would have gone with the 18 inch pulleys you are thinking of. With tires I am limited to how much tension I can put on the blade before the rubber of the tires starts to deform around the blade.

bandmiller2 · June 20, 2017, 07:19:27 AM

Yotebait, tires will work but you end up with a "bubba mill" thats is hard to put a guard on and fine adjust. Band wheels are the most critical part of a mill and money spent on them is money well spent. I don't mean to insult my brothers that mill with tire but you know what I mean. It can be done with tires but it can be done better and easier with at least belted "Vee" sheaves. Frank C.