Carter bearing Assemblies keep blowing up

Forum for Maintenance and Repair topics. Feel free to ask questions or contribute.

Moderators: HopefulSSer, admin

Post Reply
bainin
Platinum Member
Posts: 542
Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2019 11:09 pm
Location: NC

Carter bearing Assemblies keep blowing up

Post by bainin »

A couple years ago I switched the old SS style guide bearings out on my bandsaw for the dual bearing Carter guides.
After about a year of use, not particularly heavy use, I managed to damage one of the bearings.

I bought 2 replacement assemblies and now have managed to destroy them both in about 5 months time.

The interesting thing is - its always the same bearing and location that goes . Its in the upper guide, the inside bearing to the open side of the bandsaw.

Heres a couple of pics of the failure mode on/off the tool.
bearing1.jpg
bearing1.jpg (50.51 KiB) Viewed 593 times
bearing2.jpg
bearing2.jpg (81.24 KiB) Viewed 593 times
Carter provides the "assembly" ..I'm not pressing bearings on the bolt or anything.

The only thing I've noticed is that on this particular bearing , there is very little slop available compared to the other locations on the upper and lower guides. Normally, you can loosen the bolt and shift the bearing a bit left or right to adjust the gap to the blade. On this bearing I cant shift it very much off the blade. There is a tiny gap, but not much.

I'm tempted to open up that particular bolt hole a bit to allow a little more clearance but any other suggestions would be appreciated before I start drillin'

b
Last edited by bainin on Sat May 21, 2022 1:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
jsburger
Platinum Member
Posts: 6398
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2006 4:06 pm
Location: Hooper, UT

Re: Carter bearing Assemblies keep blowing up

Post by jsburger »

I don't have any thought as to the problem. However, if the bearing in question is not touching the blade I don't see how enlarging the bolt hole to make it not touching more will make a difference. If the gap is too big it is not doing anything to guide the blade.

FWIW, as another data point, I purchased the SS Carter guides within the first year after they were released. I don't remember exactly when that was but I will say it was at least 15 years ago. They are still working fine.
John & Mary Burger
Eagle's Lair Woodshop
Hooper, UT
bainin
Platinum Member
Posts: 542
Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2019 11:09 pm
Location: NC

Re: Carter bearing Assemblies keep blowing up

Post by bainin »

Thanks John for your experience- its an annoying problem. There is a small clearance when the blade is not turning. I have put a pencil against the bearing while the blade is turning and it is not spinning (so no contact with blade to bearing) ...but when something keeps happening, its time to do some detective work :)

b
garys
Platinum Member
Posts: 2075
Joined: Wed Mar 02, 2011 12:16 am
Location: Bismarck, ND

Re: Carter bearing Assemblies keep blowing up

Post by garys »

Without seeing these parts in action, I can't see the advantage to having them on the saw. I installed the Shopsmith bearing kit from Shopsmith some years ago and it works perfectly. I don't see any shortcomings to the Shopsmith setup that would ask for any kind of change.
edma194
Platinum Member
Posts: 1875
Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2020 4:08 pm

Re: Carter bearing Assemblies keep blowing up

Post by edma194 »

Perhaps the backing plate is forcing the bolt askew on that bearing because it's not drilled right. The bearings are pretty close to the teeth in that photo, if you can't adjust the bearing distance to blade properly then maybe you're up against the teeth. Even if the bearing isn't contacting the set angle of the teeth, contact with the gullet could still heat up the bearing.
Ed from Rhode Island

510 PowerPro Double Tilt:Greenie PowerPro Drill Press:500 Sanding Shorty w/Belt&Strip Sanders
Super Sawsmith 2000:Scroll Saw w/Stand:Joint-Matic:Power Station:Power Stand:Bandsaw:Joiner:Jigsaw
1961 Goldie:1960 Sawsmith RAS:10ER
User avatar
Ed in Tampa
Platinum Member
Posts: 5826
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2006 12:45 am
Location: North Tampa Bay area Florida

Re: Carter bearing Assemblies keep blowing up

Post by Ed in Tampa »

Are you possibly backing out of cuts with the blade moving? I can not imagine anything else putting lateral pressure on the bearing to pull off the outer race.
bainin
Platinum Member
Posts: 542
Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2019 11:09 pm
Location: NC

Re: Carter bearing Assemblies keep blowing up

Post by bainin »

Ed-

I don't back out of cuts too often anymore ...learned the hard way that this can disengage the blade from the guides :)

With this thin blade (i think its a 3/8" or a 1/4" ) I have to back out the guide as far as I can to get the teeth near the bearing front.

I sent Carter the pics and will await their response.
bainin
Platinum Member
Posts: 542
Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2019 11:09 pm
Location: NC

Re: Carter bearing Assemblies keep blowing up

Post by bainin »

Alright- fresh carter bearings have arrived.

While replacing, I did notice a blade offset from the center line of the guide bearing.

This offset was causing the right hand side upper guide bearing to be unable to adjust any further away
from the blade. This was the bearing I burned twice.

I went thru the various adjustments to center and did manage to improve it somewhat. however, it seems that if I align as described by the manual (with the guide adjusted down to about 1" off the table) ..I get a center align in that position, but if I then adjust up to an open position (like 5" opening) the guide starts to drift toward 1 bearing or the other. Its better than it was, but im wondering if the guide shaft itself may be bent, or if I just need to "fiddle" around - thats taken from the manual ..some more to get it better.

b
Attachments
bearing-align1.jpg
bearing-align1.jpg (57.95 KiB) Viewed 462 times
bearing-align2.jpg
bearing-align2.jpg (57.28 KiB) Viewed 462 times
bearing-align3.jpg
bearing-align3.jpg (75.7 KiB) Viewed 462 times
bearing-align4.jpg
bearing-align4.jpg (84.33 KiB) Viewed 462 times
Post Reply