Thank you thank you thank you

I just cut the remaining gnarly edge off my laminate.  I did it with a little 1/8" wide many-tooth blade that was probably included with the saw - it has teeth like a hacksaw blade.  I did it without any modifications to the unit.

I had to put on a new bottom "tire"- that's the thing that goes around the 12" band wheel - because the existing one was flapping away from the band wheel at full RPM, which was a disaster waiting to happen.  New saws have flat tires of urethane on uncrowned, flat wheels.  This old Craftsman has a rubber tire stretched over a crowned wheel.  I order the tire from Sears Parts.  Getting the tire on was far less difficult than I imagined from reading internet accounts.  The perennial (to people who talk about band saws on the internet) "glue or no glue" question remains unanswered.  I didn't glue my new tire on for two reasons:

1. The top tire (original, AFAIK) stays on without any glue
2. The bottom tire may not be properly trimmed or tensioned yet.

Here's the gnarly bit, with the cut side facing right:

I have a new Lenox 3/8" 14TPI Neo-Type blade coming from the internet.  The little 1/8" blade has probably given about all it can to the effort, and the wider blade will "clamp in" to the blade guides far better.

Cost to date:

• Bandsaw = free
• 2x rubber replacement tires from sears = $33 with shipping
• 1x (80 in.) 6 ft. 8 in. x 3/8 in. x .025 x 14TPI Standard, NEO-TYPE, Metal Cutting = $20 with shipping

Total cost so far:   $53 (this step) + $209 (previous steps) = $262 

Oh my.