Bandsaw Chip Brush

dlane said:
I could be wrong but looks like the guide bearings are ridding on the teeth,
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They're fine, just camera angle.

Bob Korves said:
See the chips on the guide bearings? Keeping them off of there, and off the faces of the the drive and driven gears, is what this is all about.
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Thanks Bob. I was under the impression that the point was to clear chips from the teeth so it doesn't pack up, stop cutting, and get dull from rubbing.

Not that this is gospel, but every commercial bandsaw photo I could find has the brush or wiper after the guide bearings or block. In my case there is essentially zero clearance for a brush between the bottom of the table and the guide bearings due to the vertical-mode table.

I don't run coolant so have no good way to flush chips short of an irritating air-blast arrangement. And I've not experienced any issues to date with chips getting on the bearings or drive wheels. That is to say yes, chips get on everything but they don't seem to cause issues.
 
I’m assuming most metal cutting bandsaws have steel drive and idler wheels? Ellis has rubber tired wheels and really aren’t conducive to coolant and chips.

IMO they are better being run dry with chip brush or compressed air.


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I've not needed a brush on my 4x6, but my 14" vert bandsaw is another deal. Mostly I wanted to keep stuff off the tires so they wouldn't get a bunch of swarf mashed into them. So I finally found a use for our old SoniCare brushes. It's always rankled to just toss them until the light went on. They have really strong magnets in the base so it makes them easy to mount. It just takes a little cutting and carving and then superglue.

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I just ordered 2 pair of brushes for my Kalamazoo 8CW. $5/pair plus shipping.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/152623965449

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Of course, the saw doesn't have the holders, so I'll probably spend about $200 in labor to make my own. They will, however, be MUCH nicer than OEM.
 
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Had a little time earlier today and this is where I am with the mock up of air cooling/chip removal on my Ellis bandsaw.

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My Grob 4v-18 vertical has an air blower on the blade teeth and a basic wooden handle wire brush that's been shortened to keep the drive wheel clean. If you're cutting soft metals buildup on the wheels can tighten up your blade tension over time possibly breaking the blade. Anything you can do to keep the chips off is a help.
 
My vertical band saw accumulates chips in the rubber tires on the saw. The wooden handled mill cleaning brushes cleans them up prtty good. Haven't done so but need to figure a way to mount them .
Have a good day
Ray
 
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