Bandsaw blade rec's

[ric]

I just bought a Wilton metal cutting vertical bandsaw. It came with a blade that is 14 tpi. It cuts thru light gauge sheet metal very well but does not even make a dent in anything else. I have been working with 1/8" - 1/4" mild steel. I think I need a blade with less teeth per inch. Any recommendations for blade choice for general cutting of mild steel in the sizes mentioned ?

 

[enterprise lathe]

What speeds are you trying to cut at? Is this saw only a vertical or is it a horizontal/vertical bandsaw?

 

[ric]

Saw is only vertical, speed is variable. I have been playing around with speed, anywhere from 80 to 300 fpm. Nothing seems to make any difference. I do have an old horizontal bandsaw with a blade that is about 10 tpi, fairly slow blade speed and it cuts right thru the various metal stock I have. So I was thinking somewhere in the 10-12 tpi range.

 

[enterprise lathe]

If you run the blade speed to fast the teeth on the 14 tpi will dull right out this may have happen, I have a vertical metal bandsaw and 5 horizontal bandsaws and 6 power hacksaws. My experience is that the less teeth on the blade the slower the speed and feed, now this also depends on the thickness and how hard the material is.

 

[Jack Olsen]

How are you clamping the stock down? I might just be having a hard time picturing it, but a vertical saw seems like it would only be useful for thin metal. With no pressure from the weight of the blade and the saw, what's pushing it through the steel?

 

[ric]

If you run the blade speed to fast the teeth on the 14 tpi will dull right out this may have happen, I have a vertical metal bandsaw and 5 horizontal bandsaws and 6 power hacksaws. My experience is that the less teeth on the blade the slower the speed and feed, now this also depends on the thickness and how hard the material is.

I agree with you, I may have dulled the 14 tpi, I've got a new blade coming, 10tpi and I am going to try that.....carefully at first.

I have just been feeding the stock in manually, applying firm, steady pressure. My experience using other peoples bandsaws in the past is that they should cut heavier stock without any problem.

 

[A_Pmech]

Ric,

I wouldn't place much value in the "stock" likely Chinese blade that came with the machine. It wouldn't surprise me a bit if it was completely useless.

The tooth count of the blade will be directly related to the thickness and machineability of the material. Thicker material and material that cuts faster needs a lower pitch blade.

To provide a baseline, a carbon steel 14 TPI blade should be run in 1/4" mild steel at around 225 FPM.

As far as feed, begin sawing with a new blade using light pressure. The teeth are very sharp and need time to dull slightly, otherwise the cutting forces can build to the point that the teeth are stripped from the band. As the blade breaks in you can increase the feed pressure. Proper feed pressure should provide a Hisssssss sound from the cutting zone. If the blade is chattering, apply more feed pressure. If the blade starts making grinding noises the feed pressure is too heavy.

 

[Jim Stabe]

I have an old Walker Turner adjustable speed saw that I run at 220 FPM with a 10-14 bimetal blade from Enco and it cuts really well. It is a little aggressive on very thin sheet metal if you don't feed slowly.

 

[bimmer1980]

Jim--That is a tank of a bandsaw!!! I like it!!!!

 

[mjozefow]

I have an old Walker Turner adjustable speed saw that I run at 220 FPM with a 10-14 bimetal blade from Enco and it cuts really well. It is a little aggressive on very thin sheet metal if you don't feed slowly.

Dude, we could be twins. I picked one up just like it with my mill!

 

[Jim Stabe]

Dude, we could be twins. I picked one up just like it with my mill!

The world gets smaller every day. The way I got by bandsaw was by helping a friend move machines out of his father-in-law's basement shop. I wanted the mill but he also had a 15" lathe, a smaller mill and a smaller South Bend lathe. It was an epic move but that is another story. The bandsaw was left and nobody wanted it so I took it - for free!!! I also got a killer deal on the Kondia 3hp variable speed mill and an unbelievable cabinet full of tooling.



All days above ground are good, some are downright spectacular!

Jim

 

[mjozefow]

Better pic. I'm going to PM you with a few ?'s on maintenance.

 

[Theo]

Here are some tips. I have a pretty serious bias toward Bahco Band Saw Blades, but there are other good ones out there too.

1) Make sure the blade is Bi Metal. It cuts faster, stays sharper, and will stand up to more abuse.

2) Use a variable pitch blade. They cut faster, smoother and will jsut a greater variety of sizes. In you application I'd keep a couple of 10/14 TPI and 8/12 TPI blades on hand.

3) Break in your blades. Use a piece of clean solid steel (not a rusty bed frame) and do a couple of cuts at about 1/2 the feed rate you'd usually use. Remember band speed stays the sames, feed rate drops. You're trying to hond the teeth on the blade. If you round them off slightly they'll last a heck of a lot longer.