BS wheel bearing not snug enough

[cgallery]

When tensioning the blade on my "new to me" 21400 bandsaw, I turn the wheels by hand. Each 1/2 revolution there is a "thud" sound that resonates through the saw's frame.

When under motor power, no thud. The noise only happens at low speed.

I think I traced it down to the bottom wheel's rear bearing. I've included a picture.

The bearing doesn't seem to fit into the wheel snugly. Once pressed into the wheel, it will allow me to pull/push it approx. 1/32". I can't pull it out with just finger pressure, but I can push it onto the axel and get it to pop right out.

I tried a Rikon 10" bandsaw at Woodcraft (which I think is basically the same design) and it doesn't make this thunking sound.

I think the key to getting rid of the noise is to seat the bearing into the wheel better. But I'd like to be able to remove the bearing some day if necessary.

Any suggestions?

[dbhost]

I am no bandsaw expert. BUT... those bearings look an awful lot like automobile axle bearings...

IF it's doing what I think, which is the socket / seat area in the wheel that the bearing is supposed to be pressed into is worn, and in turn allowing this bearing to slap around...

You may need to take that wheel / bearing into a machine shop and see about backfilling and remachining the seat for a proper fit... But that is a GUESS...

[cgallery]

Thanks dbhost.

I was checking the McMaster and Loctite sites and Loctite has a product #609 which they refer to as "Retaining Compound Press Fit." Have you ever tried anything like that?

For $2 I could get a small sample I suppose and try that first. This is just a little $100 on-sale bandsaw, so I'd be more inclined to order a new bottom wheel before having this one machined.

[Tom Slick]

loctite 609 is designed specifically for your problem. I'd certainly replace the bearings along with using the loctite, you don't want to glue your bearings in and have the problem end up being the bearings.

There will be numbers on the side of the bearing, i.e. 6009 zz, those are standardized numbers that you will be able to find at you local bearing supply, auto parts store, etc. I recommend that you replace them with a bearing ending in 2RS. zz is shielded (not sealed) on both sides, which is what you have, 2RS is rubber sealed on both sides. 2RS is slightly more expensive but I think they have a longer service life.

What does the belt look like? are you having tracking issues?

[cgallery]

loctite 609 is designed specifically for your problem. I'd certainly replace the bearings along with using the loctite, you don't want to glue your bearings in and have the problem end up being the bearings.

There will be numbers on the side of the bearing, i.e. 6009 zz, those are standardized numbers that you will be able to find at you local bearing supply, auto parts store, etc. I recommend that you replace them with a bearing ending in 2RS. zz is shielded (not sealed) on both sides, which is what you have, 2RS is rubber sealed on both sides. 2RS is slightly more expensive but I think they have a longer service life.

What does the belt look like? are you having tracking issues?

Any idea where I can purchase 609 locally? I found that Checkers auto-parts sells 640, which is a high-temp. version. But I found it on the Checkers web site, I don't know if the stores carry it.

The TDS for both the 609 and 640 both say to use 250-degrees (Celcius) to remove. I don't need high-temperature resistance, and don't think I'd want it if I do neeed to remove it some day. It seems to me that a product with high heat resistance would need more heat to remove it, but who knows...

This is, for all intents and purposes, a brand-new saw. The previous owner had just cut a little hickory on it. The current bearings are in very good shape. It is an inexpensive little saw so I'd just sorta like to put it back together as inexpensively as possible.

The tires are like new, the saw tracks perfectly, and is a joy to use. The knocking bearing noise goes away while running, I just can't stand to hear a noise like that when tensioning, figured something had to be wrong.

[shoottx]

B D I - Bearing Distributors Inc
Building Customer Loyalty One Promise at a Time.
www.bdi-usa.com

(608) 782-6747
more info phonephone


Alfa Machine CO
2425 W Purdue Street, Milwaukee, WI 53209
http://www.alfalube.com

(414) 445-8180
(414) 445-8181 (fax)


Allied Bearing CO
3525 W Lincoln Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53215

(414) 672-3111

Applied Industrial Tech Inc
11701 W Bradley Road, Milwaukee, WI 53224

(414) 535-2660
(800) 236-7331 (toll-free)


Applied Industrial Technologies - Milwaukee
Products: Bearings

11701 West Bradley Road, Milwaukee, WI 53224
http://www.applied.com

(414) 535-2660

Bearing Distributors
Milwaukee, WI 53210
(262) 521-1500


Bearings Inc
Products: Bearings
4801 West Center Street, Milwaukee, WI 53210
http://www.bearingsinc.net

(414) 447-5353

Fall River MFG CO
4160 S 13th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53221

(414) 282-5868
(414) 282-4612 (fax)


Fusion Babbitting CO
4540 W Burnham Street, Milwaukee, WI 53219

(414) 645-5800
(414) 645-6606 (fax)
(800) 613-5118 (toll-free)


Fusion Bearing CO Inc
4540 West Burnham Street, Milwaukee, WI 53219
http://www.lifestylesalon.com

(414) 645-5800


Interstate Bearing
Milwaukee, WI 53201

(800) 729-0543

Krueger Bearings Inc
8811 W Dean Road, Milwaukee, WI 53224
http://www.kruegerbearings.com

(414) 357-7292
(414) 357-7415 (fax)

Motion Industries Inc
1310 S 43rd Street, Milwaukee, WI 53214
http://www.motionindustries.com

(414) 649-2400
(414) 649-2423 (fax)

[Black wallnut]

Is the hub out of round or just oversize? If it is out of round you could build up the bearing seat with epoxy or JB Weld. Use a good quality paste wax on the bearing to act as a release agent.

If the hub is just oversize you can buy shim stock to shim the bearing. There are other methods but I'll not go into those.

It is also possible that the saw came with a bad bearing.

[cgallery]

Thanks everyone, I found 609 at Grainger and tried some this morning.

After I cleaned the wheel hub out w/ lacquer thinner and q-tips, and then put some of the 609 in the wheel and on the bearing, it was much tougher to press the bearing into the wheel.

So the bearing is setting-up today and I will check it tonight. The fit was so tight that I do have concerns that any of the 609 stayed between the wheel and bearing. But it is pretty thin stuff and I did actually see it moving around and saw a tiny bubble come out the top a couple minutes after pressing the bearing, which is encouraging.

The replacement wheels are only $11, and the bearings can be had for $5 or $6 each. So it isn't like I'm gonna break the bank if this doesn't work.

It would have probably been wiser to buy a new bandsaw. It seems whenever I purchase a piece of machinery I end up finding problems and spending almost my entire savings correcting the problems. OTOH, I've been pretty disappointed with new machines and I suppose I woulda just returned it and given up which would have been a mistake because it is actually a pretty nice little bandsaw.

[Tom Slick]

I've had brand new bearings defective right out of the box, they are always a suspect! I doubt the thud is coming from a bearing loose in the bore, especially if you have to press them in. when you have tension on the blade it is putting force on the assembly and taking out any slack.

[cgallery]

I doubt the thud is coming from a bearing loose in the bore, especially if you have to press them in.

But, when I press the bearing it requires no pressure to move the last .125" into the bore. It is recessed in the bore, and the initial press takes a decent amount of force, but then the last .125" the bearing simply falls right in.

Once the bearing is in the bore, I can move it back and forth with my little finger by approx. 1/32". The noise it makes (sort of a clinking) when I do this correlates to the noise the bandsaw made when turning the wheel (except I think the bandsaw body amplified the noise). So I'm kinda hoping that I got it right but leaving open the possibility that the bearing could be bad.

The test will come tonight after the 609 has cured for eight hours.

[cgallery]

Just a follow-up that the seating compound fixed the problem.

You learn something new every day. This information will absolutely be handy if I ever have to replace another bearing and find a worn bore.

[Tom Slick]

I'm glad that fixed it. I'm a "worst case scenario" kinda guy so I don't mind being "wrong".

[cgallery]

I'm glad that fixed it. I'm a "worst case scenario" kinda guy so I don't mind being "wrong".

I don't think suggesting to replace the bearing as long as it is out anyway even comes close to being "wrong."

More like prudent.

And if this wasn't nearly a brand-new $100 bandsaw and replacement wheels weren't $11, I woulda followed your advice.