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When I unpacked the box for this circa 1979 Rockwell band saw there was only one part missing: the V-belt that connected the pulley on the motor to the pulley on the lower wheel. But the missing part was not missed. I was going to chuck the V-belt anyway because I’m a big fan of the Powertwist link-belt system.
The first time you buy one of these cheery red segmented belts, you think you’re being taken for a ride. They can cost as much as $7 a foot (though I once scored some for $4 a foot at a farm supply catalog; and I’ve always wondered if the green one from Harbor Freight is the same). But once you work with them, you’re unlikely to turn back.
You can adjust a Powertwist to any size. They reduce vibration in your machine. They seem to last forever. And they never develop a flat spot when sitting idle.
But I was in a hurry to get the saw running on Wednesday night so I stopped at a local home center to buy a few neoprene washers and foam weatherstripping (also for reducing vibration) and asked the boys in the tool crib where they might have any V-belts in the store.
Blank looks all around.
“V-belts?” I said. “The belts that go between the pulleys of a machine.” I demonstrated a belt on a jointer in the tool crib. “Like the fan belt in your car. The belt on a washing machine?”
One of the men spoke up: “B-belt? That’s a new one. Never heard of a B-belt.”
I persisted until they fetched the oldest man I’ve ever seen working at a home center. We spoke the same language. He took me to the garden department and showed me a huge belt for a riding lawnmower.
“Thanks, but…¦” I had nothing more to add. “Well thanks.”
Next day I drive the 30 minutes up to Woodcraft and buy 48″ of Powertwist and a 93-1/2″-long band saw blade (1/4″, 4 tpi, skip tooth). And I even found a coupon in my Inbox at work for $15 off.
After dinner that evening I install the belt and blade and flip the band saw’s switch. I get four seconds of humming joy. Then the motor’s overload switch kicks the motor off. I reset it and try again. Same result.
Deep breath.
One of the links to the Powertwist belt has a loose tab that is hanging up on the pulley. A quick twist with a needlenose pliers puts the tab back in its hole. As of now it runs (and cuts) like a charm. There are still a few little clean-up items, such as installing a pulley cover). But the sucker cuts.
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