Hi John:
I have a build up of fine sawdust imbeded into the tires on my bandsaw. This saw dust is really stuck to the tires. I was going to use mineral spirits to clean the tires but I’m not sure if it would hurt the eurothane tires. What is the best tire cleaner?
Dennis
Replies
Dennis,
YOu can also attach a small brush that brushes the wheel as it turns. You can get these on the Internet.
I like your approach of asking for John White. I always like to get competent advice too. But I like Knots even better than competent advice. Reading what my friends, the Knotheads, say, I am forced to think about what they said, and see who said what and what seems to make sense.
Have fun.
Mel
I have two brushes on the wheels and eventually saw-dust will accumulate under the blade and therefore it must be cleaned occassionally. Of course that's just my opinion! I cleaned my tires day before yesterday with a medium stiff nylon brush and a terry cloth towel but I won't mention what solvent I used as that might force someone to think about what I used and if it makes sense to use it.
So.. if anyone wants to use my BS with clean tires until the answer is given.. the welcome mat is out! Come to think of it.. I probably should have waited! ha.. ha... ha..ha...ha..
Thanks for the chuckle...
Sarge,
Glad to see you haven't lost your sense of humor. You are getting pretty old. I would guess you are in you late fourties now.
I didn't mention how I clean my tires for the same reason that you didn't. But now that people have been warned to THINK before they just copy what someone said on a website, I can let you know. I use sulphuric acid, but be sure to keep the window open, and wear gloves, eye protection and breathing protection. Also, be sure your bandsaw tires are compatible with sulphuric acid. MANY ARE NOT!
Sarge, the Washington Woodworking Guild had a meeting last THursday night. We had a speaker who is well known in the woodworking world, and who has written a number of books. I couldn't wait to get some good advice from this person, who must remain nameless.
My first impression, just a half sentence into his talk, based on the sound of his voice, was: Wow, this guy is pompous. But that is irrelevant if he knows some good stuff. Then I noticed that his talk was proceeding at the pace of global warming. But that is irrelevant if he imparts some good stuff.
Then he said that you only need one smoother, set up correctly, to take care of ALL of your smoothing needs, regardless of the type of wood you are using or the direction of the grain. WOW, HE GOT MY ATTENTION.
THen someone asked him about Bevel Up smoothers, and he told them that was a BIG MISTAKE. Someone came up which this wrong idea, and it just can't work. I whispered to the president of our club " I think he just said that your Lee Valley BU smoother, which you love dearly, is a piece of junk. Why don't you just give it to me." I watched for him to smile, but I could see that he was thinking the same thing I was thinking about this FAMOUS speaker.
Then the speaker moved to wooden planes, and held up a moulding plane. He pointed to a line on the plane and asked "Does anyone know what this line is?" By now, no one was answering his questions, so he answered himself "It is a spring line." Then it got interesting. He said "All moulding planes have spring lines." Well, I have lots of old wooden moulding planes. Some of them have spring lines, and some don't. Some just don't need them.
Much of this man's sermon was just downright incorrect. Yet after he finished, he said that he had copies of his books for sale, and a number of members without much experience in hand tools went up and bought his books.
The moral of this story is very obvious. When you take someone else's advice, it is your problem when you find out it was bad advice. You should have checked first. Just because a person has a big name, doesn't mean that they are giving you good advice.
This is a true story. The thing I said about cleaning my bandsaw tires with sulphuric acid was meant to help people understand that they need to think before taking advice.
I have been going to WWG meetings for years. I have heard things that I disagree with, and that I do differently. No problem with that. But the last talk was the only one I ever heard which was just plain bad. Actually, that is a pretty good record. The WWG is a very good club.
Good talking to you again. Have fun. Thanks for writing.
Mel
the sad part of this is that someone will use this info and won't understand it
""This is a true story. The thing I said about cleaning my bandsaw tires with sulphuric acid was meant to help people understand that they need to think before taking advice.""
sometimes people don't read the full item. they say . "oh this guys hands out lots of info, must be true" and go ahead and use sulphuric acid.
ron
Yep.. and the reason some will get there shorts in a wad when they find that a 48" rip cut varied .0004 over the length when they measured it (probably the wrong way) with their digital readie thingy. Better get that corrected before another cut is made on the saw or more inferior results might ruin the project. ha.. ha...
Off to change those planer blades.... without a digital readie outty thingy. :>)
Ron,
"the sad part of this
Ron,
"the sad part of this is that someone will use this info and won't understand it"
Actually, when someone jumps off a bridge, someone else hears about it, and jumps off of one too. I guess the government should have stopped the first guy from jumping.
I remember when I was a wee tyke, one of my mom's favorite sayings was "Just because someone jumped off of the Brooklyn Bridge, doesn't mean that you should too.
Ron, some people can't be saved from themselves. If we followed your line of thinking, we would have to ban saws, knifes, toasters, words, and just about everything else, because they could result (notice I didn't say "cause") in other people doing harm to themselves.
Are you saying that the Knots police should read every message, and remove all humor, all errors, all statements that are not backed up by something in one of Tage Frid's books???????
Have you ever watched any of the videos of Sam Maloof making parts for rocking chairs by carving them on a band saw. That is downright dangerous. Why didn't someone stop him from making those chairs that way? Why don't you personally take responsibility for insuring that the videos of him doing that are not allowed to be shown to anyone who might misuse the info and hurt themselves on a bandsaw, .
I just got my latest FWW magazine. In it, there is a letter to the editor, pointing out that they failed to remove two photos of unsafe practices in woodworking. One of those involved was Jeff Headley. I gotta tell ya. Jeff Headley is one GOOD woodworker. I am more interested in what he does and how he does it, than I am in some self-proclaimed protector of woodworkers who is going to say that you can't show photos of Jeff Headley doing woodwork the way HE DOES IT.
I believe in the central tenet of the great Woerner Erhard, who begat "EST" or Erhardt Seminar Training. His tenet was: If you don't take control of your own life, someone else will." If someone wants to do something stupid, they cannot be stopped. Maybe you should ask Knots to put up a sign on all Knots screens, saying "Words in these messages may be incorrect, and they may be dangerous. Check out the veracity of each statement before you use it."
The more I think about what you said, the sillier I think it is. In the message you responded to, I had just pointed out that a famous woodworker, who is widely published, gave a talk at a Guild meeting, and said a number of things that were incorrect, and then people bought his books." Why didn't you comment on that. Instead you comment on my making a statement which was patently absurd, and later saying that is was not true.
You know, Ron, you sound dangerous to me. :-)
I believe I have put more warnings in my mesages, than everyone else combined, about watching out for advice given on Knots or anywhere else. It is the responsibility of the "opinion taker" to check out advice before taking it. There is an old saying about getting a second opinion on medical opinions. It holds true in all fields.
Have fun. Don't take anything I say too seriously. If you do, you will be the first.
You know, we could insure that FWW does not let any more "unsafe" photos show up in their magazine, just be shutting it down. We could make sure that no one takes any thing said in Knots and hurts themselves, just be shutting down Knots. Maybe we should just all lock ourselves in your homes, and not interact with anyone who might say or do anything which we might copy and hurt ourselves by. Actually, I wouldn't recommend that. OH NO. I hope someone else doesn't go and do that just because I said it.
GO OUT AND FIND CURES FOR ALL DISEASES.
OK, I hope someone reads that and goes out and does it. But I guarantee that they will not find a cure for stupidity.
Mel
What kinda acid you on?
9619,
I hope you have a REALLY good lawyer! I took your advice and used sulphuric acid to clean my bandsaw tires and it worked fine. It worked so well it ate the tires and wheels, got all over the lower frame and pitted it, an I may need skin grafts because it splashed on me when I poured it on. It's easier to get coverage when it's running. That's what I thought you meant.
If it weren't for people like you handing out stupid advice, woodworking might be safer. I'm sending you the bills, and if you don't pay up, I'm taking you to Juge Judy!
Does that mean the 34 work-benches I have built for myself and re-sale over the course of 39 years "might" have a chance of survival even though I didn't read Chris Schwarz's Work-bench book before I built them? ha.. ha...
Interesting case about the Expert the Guild had.. and yeah I have seen similar but perhaps not that bad as speakers in seminars and the WW Guild of Georgia. I knew what you were implying but was just in a fiesty mood before I go down to the shop and change some 20" planer blades.. not my favorite thing to do so any way I can kill some time with hopes someone did it for me before I get there. :>)
Regards...
Sarge
Don't you have any good faries in your shop that does those mundane chores for you?
wot
With my bad reputation Wotnow... even the tooth farie won't show his or her head around my joint. Sad.. as with that farie alone steering clear I could have racked up some big $$ since I turned 60 several years ago. ha... ha....
Ron,
I told you not to take me too seriously.
Then you went and did it. :-)
Have fun.
Mel
PS my favorite cartoon is an old one in which two dogs are talking to one another. One is typing at a computer and saying to the other "The thing I like about the internet is that nobody knows that I am a dog."
Dennis:
You might search the Internet on urethane band saw tires to find a manufacturer, and submit your question there. I don't know the answer.
sid,
He's extremely defensive. I didn't answer a question for him once in the vein expected and he whined loudly about it. I wondered allowed how he worked at NASA with such thin skin. How he did so without getting a nickname like Melanie would be surprising. Who knows, maybe he did.
Without hearing the speaker he is tossing under the bus, I can't comment on the presentation. I will tell you from experience that no matter what, there are always people that will not be pleased. As any arm chair quarterback will do, everything is nitpicked as they unquestionably know better.
I did a seminar at a national show and afterwards was sent a copy of the critiques. Out of a possible score of 5, my total was 4.11. Not bad but obvious room for improvement. Some of the comments really made me stop, think and alter some aspects of my presentation. That's just what a good critique should do. One person gave me a 0 and said I had no idea what I was talking about and was unprepared. I spent six weeks and countless hours preparing text and samples for a three hour seminar. That really ticked me off...... that's the PC version.
I challenge Melanie to put together a seminar and present it at a major show or guild. With all the excess displayed in his posts, I'm sure it will be a foot race to the espresso bar just to stay awake.
Peter
Mr G,
You must realise that the fellow "socializes" in order to be anti-social, his main hobby. I often think he should have been a minor member of the British aristocracy, as he has the korrect degree of disdain and arrogance concerning the many peasants he seems to find hisself amongst. Unfortunately he lacks troo-haughty and cannot help grinning like that kid from MAD comik as he makes his "jokes" (or "sneers" as they are rightly named).
However, if you find the sneering too irritating, I recommend the large "I" button. It's like shutting a double-glazed window when there is a fishwife bawling the odds next door. You can still see the effects outside but needn't put up with the tedious caws and hoots. In fact, seeing the antics without having to hear the noise makes such episodes quite comical-like. Lookit that fishwife gurn! HAw haw!
Lataxe, wondering how to make a cyber ducking stool.
Lataxe,
Thank you for the advice on how to eliminate "caws and hoots" My mental well being does not hang by a Knot.
It was an observation, a critique as it were.
Is this by chance Peter G.. if so howdy and I enjoyed the e-mail you sent to me a while back on WW Guild of Georgia!
Regards...
Roger that Sarge. The Georgia Woodworkers Guild is a class act.
Regarding 9619's reference to "spring lines" on a wooden plane, I was curious to find out more since this was all new to me. At any rate, Google led me to an interesting article I thought I'd pass along. If anyone else doesn't know what a spring line is, google "Spring Marked Planes" by Herbert P. Kean. It was pretty interesting.
I googled "spring marked planes", and
I googled, know less about "spring marked planes" than I did before (and I had never heard of them until this post).
It is late, and I will try again tomorrow.
Pete
I can't tell if you ever got an answer to your query.
Urethane bandsaw tires are impervious to just about any chemical. So you can use mineral spirits, naphtha, or even lacquer thinner without damaging the tires.
Elbow grease
Dennis,
I've seen tires so badly caked I was sure somebody had spread glue on them. The resins in some woods, especially pine and other resinous softwoods, can adhere tenaciously to band saw tires.
It is probably best not to use a strong solvent on the tires, some plastic and rubber compounds can be damaged by the chemicals, and there is no way to tell just what the tires on your machine are made of.
I have found that the embedded dust can usually be scrubbed off with a fresh dry Scotchbrite type of pad, one of the green or coarser maroon color ones. It will probably require a moderate effort and take a bit of time, scrubbing a four to six inch section of the rim at a time. If you have a Delta style 14" machine, with the type of tires that just sit in a groove on the rim without being glued on, you might find it easier to take the tires off and work on them looped around the end of your bench or a plank.
If scrubbing with a dry pad doesn't work well, then letting the tires soak in a water based solvent like Simple Green will soften the resins without risking damage to the tires. It will take a few hours for the cleaner to work, so removing the tires from the rims so they can soak in a bucket would be the best way to do this.
Thank you John
Your suggestion of a scotchbrite pad and Simple Green is a great idea. I already use Simple Green to clean my table saw blades I'm not sure why it didn't occur to use it on the band saw.
In answer to some of the other comments on this thread, my saw is a Grizzly 17" which does have brushes on the wheels. The sawdust I was talking about it the fine dust ground into the tire be the blade.
I did call Grizzly before posting this thread. The gentleman I spoke to said he "thought mineral spirits might work" He did not imspire confidence.
Anyway, thank you for your advice, I'm new to urethane tires and dont want to ruin them.
Dennis
Now that Simple Green has been suggested I can disclose that I use it also with a medium stiff nylon brush. But... I do like (great idea)John's use of the green scotch-brite pad as you can cup it in your palm against the tire and simply turn the wheel just as I do with a terry cloth towel to dry it. That would save me about 10-15 minutes probably and I intend to use it next time around. I will say that I don't think soaking is really necessary if.. if.. you clean them often enough/ The same applies to TS blades IMO.
I clean my BS tires and TS blades after every project before I start another.. just part of my shop routine. That usually is about every two months and sooner if you are working with soft-wood which I rarely do anymore. A simple quick glance will reveal if you are getting excessive accumulation. I think the key is not letting it build to the point of "having to soak" as I have never had to soak either blades or tires to get them clean. But again.. that is just the opinion of an amateur who is in the shop daily 5 days a week and sometimes six.
I have used naptha.. mineral spirits.. acetone as Howie suggested but have found the Simple Green will cut sawdust and resin quicker than any of those so.... to each his own I suppose as there is no one way.
Thank you John
Your suggestion of a scotchbrite pad and Simple Green is a great idea. I already use Simple Green to clean my table saw blades I'm not sure why it didn't occur to use it on the band saw.
In answer to some of the other comments on this thread, my saw is a Grizzly 17" which does have brushes on the wheels. The sawdust I was talking about it the fine dust ground into the tire be the blade.
I did call Grizzly before posting this thread. The gentleman I spoke to said he "thought mineral spirits might work" He did not imspire confidence.
Anyway, thank you for your advice, I'm new to urethane tires and dont want to ruin them.
Dennis
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled