Good vertical bandsaw?

Where are you at?

Ive got a 18" Walker Turner and an 18" DoAll that I might sell/swap/

Both have 2 speed gear boxes and variable speed drives for metal up through wood\

Btw....such saws normaly start off at $1800, used

Whatcha got to trade?

Gunner, Bakersfield, California

You might want to look at the Wilton saws. I know Wilton is good with the quality, and in my last Rutland Tool catalog, they had several smaller models alongside their larger floor models (I'd personally love to have a 20" roll-in, but alas, no more $$ in the budget nor room in the shop). Looking at their website, their smallest saw is a

14", 1HP, 110V, with both metal (39-278 SFM) and wood (3300 SFM) speeds. I think that you'll find that anything smaller than a 14" vertical bandsaw is going to be far too flimsy for serious metal cutting. You can stick it on a mobile base and it'd be plenty portable, much better, IMO, than heaving one on and off the bench. Also, Enco and others sell dedicated metalcutting blades for the 14" saws, unlike the smaller machines, for which you'll need to use woodworking blades or weld your own. At just under $1000 (Enco: it's probably going to be one of your best options.

Hope that helps ww88

I think you'll need to buy one of the inexpensive 14" wood cutting bandsaws and repower it with additional belts / gearing to a metal cutting compatible speed. I think all the "real" vertical metal bandsaws will be real $$$.

1/2 hp sounds miserable on a bandsaw lenox makes excellent blades, use the thickest one you can get away with personally i use carbide toothed blade in mine mist coolant

I seem to recall reading at least one magazine article on doing just that, and seeing a few web sites with the same.

I got one of these off ebay for $440 a couple years ago.

One lovely saw. If you've got time,start watching for one.

Karl

This subject comes up frequently. There are limits to the power that a belt/pulley can transmit - the data is in Machinery's Handbook.

Grant

Wilton 820x series.

Metal (SFPM) ....... 39, 57, 78, 107, 142, 196, 278 SFPM

Louis Ohland wrote:

I use a milwaukee "portaband" held in a vise when I need a small vertical metal cutting band saw

Jet, Powermatic, and Wilton are the same company. I also thought I saw a spare part for the Jet bandsaw that adds additional pulleys (making it a wood/metal bandsaw). However I cannot find the info on this...

Perhaps it was Delta. A few years ago I had a printed product manual. This was SOOOO much easier to use.

Please don't confuse the modern marketing term "wood/metal" on the Jet or Grizzly saws with a true metal cutting bandsaw. Those are wood cutting bandsaws with speeds something like 3000/2100/800, with the 800 sfm speed being for cutting hardwoods. Some sharp-eyed marketing puke said "Hey! At 800 cfm you can cut some aluminums - so let's say it also cuts metal!"

But you want one with several speeds in the range 30-300, as well as

750-3000 for wood.

GWE

Delta has the retro kit. I have the 14" wood saw and had considered the option - but I got a nice horizontal saw instead.

Why not put a 3 phase and a box to control it for speed.

The real issue is throat size - how large is a plate to be cut ? or how long a rod or channel is ? That might be the limiting factor.

Martin

Mart> Has anyone installed different pulleys to do that?

No..nor fit on the roof.

Bummer

Gunner

I did that with an old Craftsman and a speed reducer made with chains and sprockets. The frame wasn't stiff enough for metal cutting loads so it tossed blades frequently. It worked, but not well. Then the bearings wore out.

Someone here, GWE maybe, built a bandsaw and reported good results.