Thump, Thump, Thump, WHAM!

If I were somehow told to restrict myself to just one standing/stationary power machine in the shop I would almost certainly refuse to play that False Dilemma scenario.  Instead, I would opt for two bench top units, a drill press (probably using my Jet mortiser as it is just an extra-stout  drill press with some specialized features) and a bandsaw.  Of the latter I would further refine the choice to not one but two, my little Delta 9″ which I find integral to milling veneer, and my Rikon 12″ which is adequate for just about everything else (as long as I keep it tuned and outfitted with a variety of sharp blades).  I’ve checked, and even combined they do not nearly occupy the volume of one venerable Delta 14″ bandsaw or similar, probably the standard by which — aside from the near-mandatory table saw clogging the center of the work space — almost any woodworking shop in the US is measured.  Plus, to confound the meta-Prisoner’s Dilemma variation even further, the little Delta 9″ is light enough to move easily for use or storage under a bench or table.  So, I won’t play that game.

What does this to do with the title?

Well, I recently installed a new blade on the Rikon and as I was adjusting it I noticed a little bitty thump-thump-thump as I turned the wheels by hand, centering the blade on the tire crowns and got the guide blocks where they needed to be.  I closed it up thinking I would touch the weld joint sides and rear with a stone when at full speed to smooth out the little thumping sound.  It almost always does.  Not entirely correct.  It ALWAYS has resolved the problem before on any of my bandsaws.

But this time, under power the thump-thump thump almost instantly became THUMP-THUMP-THUMP followed by a WHAM! and the sound of the blade becoming a weird piece of modern sculpture.

Short and sweet — the original tire on the wheel had finished coming apart and in so doing tore up the blade in the lower wheel box.  There was no real damage to the saw, fortunately.

I ordered and installed two pairs of new tires (second pair is backup for if/when the phenomenon reprises).  The lower tire needed nothing to get it off, it was already in pieces.  The upper tire actually broke as soon as I started removing it, revealing a pre-existing split that was well along the path to destruction of its own.

All back together and tuned up now.