Any of you guys use one for cutting metal ... and admit to it?
I've got one that has done a fantastic job for custom wood parts, flooring, etc. I was wondering if it would be a stupid idea to pick up some bi metal blades for some metal cutting that might be easier than some other tools?
I guess my biggest concern might be driving metal particles into the bicycle tire on the pulleys and messing them up.
You can use one to cut aluminum, nothing else. And the tires do pick up a lot of aluminum chips.
A good wood bandsaw runs 2000 to 3000 feet per m> Any of you guys use one for cutting metal ... and admit to it?
Ok... I'll probably pass then. It is a good band saw, and I have all the little block and roller adjustments all figured out too. Thanks.
As I am sure none of my colleagues at work read this group...
Standard (skip-tooth, IIRC) wood-cutting blade which, incidentally, seemed to cut better after cutting the brass, due to the brass removing gum and resin build-up.
Aluminium I cut routinely - absolutely trouble-free. Brass (this job) was a one-off, but I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.
-- Jeff R.
OK, I'll admit to it. But not ferrous metals. I've cut bronze on a small benchtop woodworking bandsaw, to trim 5/16 and 3/8 bronze carriage bolts to specific and individual lengths, about a hundred of them. And yes, I used a fine-tooth wood-cutting blade, for lack of anything else at hand. And went through about three of them while I was doing it. But, you know what, it worked out OK.
I was working down on the dock where the boat was, and I got it done a hell of a lot faster than I would have if I'd used a hacksaw. And, yes, it took me a while to get the wheel tires back in shape after the project was over.
No big surprises here. Sometimes the best tool for the job is the one you have on hand. But I wouldn't do it with a shop saw.
Tom
I have a 10" Delta vertical bandsaw that I have been using to cut steel for over 20 years. It's a light duty home version. The big issue is that you have to slow it down a LOT for steel. To do that, I simply mounted a second, slow speed motor in the stand, right above the "wood speed" motor. To change from wood to metal, I just install a shorter belt to the slow motor, instead of the longer belt to the "wood" motor. The slow motor I used is a gearmotor that runs about
105 rpm and used to run a copy machine. It has a 1 1/2" diameter pulley, so I get about 125 sfm on the blade. I have other metal cutting tools now, so I don't use it for heavy metal cutting anymore, but I used to cut stock as thick as 1". Slow, but got the job done. I even had blades made that were as wide as 1/2" and as narrow as 1/8". You'd be surprised at how long the 1/8" blades lasted!Pete Stanaitis
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Bob La L> Any of you guys use one for cutting metal ... and admit to it?
I've got 1/8 wood blades for detail work. They take forever to wear out, but only a few seconds of ham handedness to break.
Yes..they cut aluminum very well. And they also do a damned fine job when butchering deer and pigs. One should wipe off the blade and run it a bit before cutting meat, and of course afterwards.
If you only cut aluminum, any that stick in the rubber..and its pretty damned tough stuff...will simply get bent over and not bother things. Even metal cutting bandsaws have rubber tires.
Gunner
The current Democratic party has lost its ideological basis for existence.
- It is NOT fiscally responsible.
- It is NOT ethically honorable.
- It has started wars based on lies.
- It does not support the well-being of americans - only billionaires.
- It has suppresed constitutional guaranteed liberties.
- It has foisted a liar as president upon America.
- It has violated US national sovereignty in trade treaties.
- It has refused to enforce the national borders.
...It no longer has valid reasons to exist. Lorad474
I've used mine for aluminium (no issues) and brass (marginal). The worst stuff I've tried to cut was cement bonded particle board. That is _very_ bad for the blades. Frozen meat is simple, but needs cleanup afterwards.
Mark Rand RTFM
I have a 10" Delta wood bandsaw with yellow covers that I rebuilt and then modified as needed, first with a tablesaw table to add the rip and crosscut guides, then to cut metal, finally as a sawmill. It really wasn't very good for the other jobs but it's so simple that the changes were easy.
As a sawmill it ran up to 3/4" wide x 0.030" blades, though the 10" wheels reduced their life considerably.
The local industrial distributor couldn't order new rubber wheel tires for it so I made some out of slices of truck inner tubes. Their irregular thickness didn't cause any trouble, You could make a set for steel and use the originals for wood.
Even if you do get it to cut steel you'll be limited by the throat depth. Upright bandsaws are specialized tools that won't cut long stock to length. Even for wood you need another saw for that, I returned the 10" Delta to its original configuration and bought a 4x6 like this:
It works quite well on framing timbers, it's not as fast as a wood saw but more precise and doesn't slip. It can cut up to a 6x6 by turning it. I balance the wood on the saw table first and set up roller stands under the ends.
jsw
I prefer cleaning both before and after cutting meat.
I'm not too worried about the odd bit of sawdust. Adds interest :-)
Mark Rand RTFM
Ive always considered that cutting meat on a bandsaw not sold for the purpose..was like offering regular sacrifices to the gods. This means they get a regular taste of blood, they dont wonder about it and on impluse, take a chunk out of me..
Gunner
The current Democratic party has lost its ideological basis for existence.
- It is NOT fiscally responsible.
- It is NOT ethically honorable.
- It has started wars based on lies.
- It does not support the well-being of americans - only billionaires.
- It has suppresed constitutional guaranteed liberties.
- It has foisted a liar as president upon America.
- It has violated US national sovereignty in trade treaties.
- It has refused to enforce the national borders.
...It no longer has valid reasons to exist. Lorad474
They tend to go too fast. Aluminum you can get away with. I'm wondering how mine would do with a 7/8" pitch 1 1/4 wide band. I think I'll stick to wood though.
Wes
-- "Additionally as a security officer, I carry a gun to protect government officials but my life isn't worth protecting at home in their eyes." Dick Anthony Heller
ring how mine would
Bob, cutting steel at wood speed dulls the blade in seconds. When someone did that I hid the good blades and left the dull one on until I needed the saw, then I put the dull one back on afterwards. When they complained I asked them what they needed to cut, often revealing the perp. I couldn't stop them, they were engineers and I was only the lab tech, but at least they had to sit through an explanation.
Wes, Suffolk Saw told me that those blades should run at 5000 feet per minute. I think they said to set the guides about 1/8" outside the straight line between the tires and use rollers on the inside only. I did that, skate bearings in and generic Cool Blocks out, and it worked fine.
jsw
You must have worked at NASA. LOL. I remember my grandfather making the same kinds of comments about scientists when he was working at Lewis Research Center. That and having the new eggheads asking for mechanical and tool up for a bunch of new experiments. 2/3 of which had been done a decade earlier and nothing new was introduced. They were just repeating history.
jsw
What metal? For aluminum, you should be fine. For steel or many others, it is way too fast and you will burn the balde.
That can be a problem only when you subsequently use it for wood, as you will get chips embedded in the wood unless you take the time to clean it all.
Good Luck, DoN.
Wood saws run far to fast for metal.
I have a 14" extended Delta for wood work and a 11x7 Horizontal bandsaw for metal. The surface speed is so much different.
Mart> Any of you guys use one for cutting metal ... and admit to it?
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