Delta 14" bandsaw wheel removal (top)

[RickJ]

First, I've had this bandsaw for about 30 years, never had to remove a wheel. A blade broke, the upper wheel was jammed, would not move. I removed the wheel. I discovered I could remove the wheel nut with my fingers. Is this right? Does the upper wheel adjustment to keep it in plane push it against the nut, thus uts loose? I can't find any info on this and would like to get it back as best I can. Right now, it's trial and error. Any positive words appreciated.

[Axl]

Mine isn't finger tight, but it isn't cranked down either.
See if there's a shim washer behind the wheel.

[RickJ]

thanks on replay. no shim, just bearing on the wheel. I believe what I may have to do is just get it right through trial and arror as I cannont find any proper procedure.

[ed kerns]

Mine also is only snugged, but certainly more than finger tight.
There is a shim washer behind my wheel, which is needed to keep it from rubbing on the shroud when it spins.

[jteneyck]

The nut doesn't need to be very tight because the wheel tends to tighten it as it rotates. That said, I snugged mine with a wrench when I put the wheel back on. As long as you have the wheel off, it would be good to check that the wheels are coplaner when you put it back on, and shim it and/or adjust the frame if it's not. If your saw has never been able to cut straight and parallel with the miter slot, you definitely need to check it. I had to add a couple more shims behind my upper wheel, as well as pivot the upper half of the frame a little, to get them coplaner. Cuts very nice and straight now, which it never did prior.

John

[Bob Vaughan]

That nut compresses the inner races of the bearings against a sleeve on the inside and the shaft yoke on the other. Finger tight will hold well enough, but tightening with a wrench to keep it from loosening is better form. The inner sleeve between the two inner races keeps things from collapsing and binding the bearings. Too tight and things get crammed into that aluminum bracket.

[RickJ]

so discovered - thanks

[RickJ]

Thanks John... this is the first time had to remove wheel and have not been able to find info on the tightening of the wheel nut. Coplane check all the time, cuts straight - until wheel removed. tks again

[RickJ]

Thanks... on the coplaner.. I have found that it usally gets out of plane easily. I've never paid attention to the nut and perhaps that is why it was finger loose, got out of plane easy. Making it very tight- nope. So it's a little "tweak" with socket until the right adjustment found. thanks again. there is a shim on the back of the wheel.

[jteneyck]

The wheels should stay in plane once you get them adjusted and tighten the nut holding the two halves of the frame together very tightly. If you have no riser block there should be locator pins between the two halves which align them correctly, so all you should have to do is really tighten the nut. I put a Powermatic riser block on my Delta and the locator pins didn't align properly so I ground them off. That actually allowed me to better adjust the wheels. Tightening the nut not only holds the two halves of the frame in alignment but also reduces flex when you tension the spring. I found that out the hard way. You want that nut really, really tight. By pre-tensioning the bolt you reduce the amount of strain it will experience when the spring is tensioned.

If you don't have a riser block you should be able to align the wheels just by adding/subtracting shims on the upper wheel. If the wheels are out of alignment from the left vs. right side, when you put a straight edge on them from top to bottom, then something else is wrong. I was able to rotate the upper frame member enough to bring them into alignment, because I ground the pins off. With those pins in place there must be another adjustment possible where the wheels are mounted to the upper and/or lower frame member.

It's worth the effort to get the wheels aligned. My saw would never cut straight or parallel with the miter slot until I finally got them aligned. Now with a sharp blade it's a pleasure to use.

John