Axminster SBW4300 17" Bandsaw tyre replacements.

Hmm, I ordered a new tyre from Axminster for my Trustee bandsaw. It has been excellent all the years I have owned it. I bought it secondhand from Axminster, as the previous owner decided it wasn't big enough for his work and bought a bigger one. I bought it cheaply from them many years ago; I have had no problem with it—until now.

Perished tyres- okay, ageing, we all can't escape that, can we. I went to use the bandsaw, and the tyre fell into a dozen or more perished pieces. Lack of use due to my health condition, it had just sat in the workshop doing nothing. I collapsed two years ago while on holiday in Palma Nova. We went there for a five-day holiday and stayed Six weeks; I collapsed within hours of arriving, totally out of breath and was rushed straight into hospital. On arrival, I was told that I was in heart failure and that my return aortic valve had to be replaced as it had totally collapsed, hence why there was very little oxygen in my blood. 

I'm okay now. I'm slowly doing the odd job now and again. When the surgeons opened me up, it suddenly got even more life-threatening; they also had to perform a triple heart bypass. All five ventricles were blocked. They managed to clear two but bypassed the other three as well as replaced my return valve; they took two veins from my chest and one each from both lower legs. Over a hundred sutures in both legs, alone, I hung in the balance in intensive care for 9 days as they dared not to move me till I began to show signs of recovery; I recovered slowly before  I was allowed to fly home with a medical doctor, escort back inside my home.

All in all, it took six weeks. (Thank goodness for Travel health insurance. They were brilliant and paid for everything, no questions asked.) The Spanish hospital was totally excellent. The Clinic Roger.

From the manual ordered from the parts list numbers from Axminster. Well, there was no way on earth that those tyres that turned up would fit on the wheels. I broke one trying. They had no elasticity. I tried gently warming them with a blow torch and hot water, but still, no stretch. I know what I think; you make your own minds up.

Well, I reordered a different type of tyre elsewhere, but without a vice, you would never be able to stretch them to get on the wheel. After a load of grunting and odd swear words, I finally got them on; I hope never again. 

Thankfully, that's done now; all that remains is to replace the bandsaw blade with a new one, which I have and apply the final coat of oil.

Now, I am sourcing some new springs for my AW106PT Planer Thicknesser from the Axminster web page. Well, I'm happy to report that they have them in stock. Wow. I ordered them on Christmas eye. Excellent. I also ordered a new V belt for my bandsaw.

I look forward to receiving them directly in the new year. Thanks. A very merry Christmas to you all, including Axminster Tools. Well done.  Many thanks, Martin.