Re: Rikon Bandsaw Drive Belt Problem
It seems the belt is unusually sensitive and prone to coming loose regardless of how loose or tight to which it was adjusted, although I can occasionally adjust the tension so it will only run for a couple of minutes before failure. I did wonder if the belt needed to be replaced again. The belt that came with the unit ran until it shredded. The grooves in the HASMX 4-rib belt I have on it now measure the same depth as a spare, so it seems unlikely that a new belt with solve the problem. So I watched what videos there were on replacing the belt and noticed they all did something I had not done, that being removal of the lower wheel. After removal I ran an awl through all the grooves (there was little or nothing to remove) and then touched it up for good measure with a wire brush with the motor going. I then reassembled everything and turned it on. Lo and behold that did the trick. What I actually did I'll never know. Maybe it was the shop gremlins playing tricks on me.
