minytrker
Well-known member
Is there such a thing? Or can you buy one for wood and change out the blade? Like would something like this be able to cut thin sheet metal?
Cheap Vertical Band Saw for Metal
- Thread starter minytrker
- Start date
rockettgpw
Well-known member
Generally band saws for wood run faster than those made to cut metal. There should be some google data on speed requirements (usually in feet per minute or feet per second?) for the material being cut and the pitch of blade required. There were some band saws made local to me that were fitted with back gears to slow them for metal.
Having said all that....My Dad uses a little 10" Ryobi hobby band saw to cut aluminium sheet up to 1/4".
Some of the smaller band saws were belt driven with 2 or 3 steps on the pulleys to change speeds.
I think yes, that saw will cut thin sheet metal, Just check your speeds and blade pitch.
Having said all that....My Dad uses a little 10" Ryobi hobby band saw to cut aluminium sheet up to 1/4".
Some of the smaller band saws were belt driven with 2 or 3 steps on the pulleys to change speeds.
I think yes, that saw will cut thin sheet metal, Just check your speeds and blade pitch.
matt_i
Well-known member
Cutting sheetmetal with a vertical saw is a good way to buy a lot of blades.
The typical recommendation is there should be 3 teeth in the material at all times (take blade pitch per inch, 1/x to get the actual pitch, then multiply by 3.) The problem with cutting sheetmetal is the teeth take too large of a bite and end up breaking teeth off, which leads to too large of a bite which leads to more teeth being broken off...
Personally, I'd look into something like a jump/stomp shear or a Beverly throatless shear to cut sheetmetal.
I'm referring to 16ga ~ 0.062" or thinner as sheetmetal..
The typical recommendation is there should be 3 teeth in the material at all times (take blade pitch per inch, 1/x to get the actual pitch, then multiply by 3.) The problem with cutting sheetmetal is the teeth take too large of a bite and end up breaking teeth off, which leads to too large of a bite which leads to more teeth being broken off...
Personally, I'd look into something like a jump/stomp shear or a Beverly throatless shear to cut sheetmetal.
I'm referring to 16ga ~ 0.062" or thinner as sheetmetal..
There were versions of the 14" Delta/Rockwell that had a selectable 20:1 gear reducer built in. It ran direct drive at 3100 ips for wood and when shifted to low speed it outputted to a pair of 4 step pulleys for a range of low speeds. The pulleys could be reversed for 3 more low speeds (one was a duplicate of the other set up). I have one.
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
MushCreek
Well-known member
If you're handy, you can make a speed reducer out of pulleys (or a surplus gearbox) to slow a 'wood' saw down enough for metals. There are tons of cheap 14" saws around now due to our friends in China.
67King
Well-known member
What I did. But it isn't all sunshine and rainbows. The metal blades are generally 3/4" and the wood ones generally 1/2". So the guides do a very poor job of keeping the blade straight, and it is really only good for rather rough cuts.
Attachments
Todd.Brock
Well-known member
A stationary set up for a portable bandsaw has always intrigued me. Here is a link to the Swag off road set up. They have versions for most saws, even HF model.
http://www.swagoffroad.com/SWAG-V30-Portaband-Table_p_55.html
http://www.swagoffroad.com/SWAG-V30-Portaband-Table_p_55.html
thickhead
Well-known member
My Old Tools
Well-known member
You can get appropriate blades in any width.
sberry
Banned
Yes you can fix anything but you want to work on it or work with it?
About the only time I use my little HF is flipped up.
About the only time I use my little HF is flipped up.
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
If you are only cutting sheet metal, get a foot operated sheet metal shear. Often you can find these on CL cheap.
If you need to make curved cuts, get beverly (throatless) shear.
If you need to make curved cuts, get beverly (throatless) shear.
astroracer
Well-known member
I have less then 200 dollars into my 14" vertical. An old Taiwanese wood saw I converted to metal with a few add-on pulleys. Look around at auctions and CL.
It has cut 1" steel plate with no whining...
Mark
It has cut 1" steel plate with no whining...
Mark
The speed is usually in ips, inches per second. My dual function Rockwell 14" cuts direct drive at 3100 ips for wood and with the gear reducer engaged, power goes to a set of 4 step pulleys that have speeds around 300- 500 ips. The manual has speed and blade tooth info for different solid and tubular metals. I think the reducer is 20:1. Craftsman used to sell an add on reducer for their band saws but that is ancient history.
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
I am surprised. Don't most band saws have adjustable guides to handle different blades within the range they can handle? I do remember something about a 3/4" blade being a bit stiff to make it around the wheels on a 14" saw but I could have the numbers wrong.
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
300 in/s would be way too fast for cutting metal. That's 1500 sfpm. Even for cutting aluminum you want 200-300 sfpm, unless you've got a carbide-tipped blade. I've seen those for jigsaws but not for bandsaws.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
crguy
Well-known member
This subject has pretty much been run into the ground. Bottom line is : you want a cheap metal cutting bandsaw - you get a cheap bandsaw that barely works and you will spend the rest of your life making excuses for it.
Reminds me of the guys that buy Harbor Freight tools.
Reminds me of the guys that buy Harbor Freight tools.
A29
Well-known member
DonkeyFluffer
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2016
- Messages
- 121
Oh...do tell. As if the fact that some of us don't just arbitrarily lump all tools into one category and call them fantastic or **** because of what name they happen to have makes us wrong. You buy what you want to and we will buy what we want to, but to call us wrong because we aren't buying what you buy? Not right and not accurate. Some of us have to balance providing for our loved ones with the BS stigma imposed by judgmental people that fret too much about what brand I have in my toolbox. We get things done, mostly without complaint, and spend far less than someone who blindly looks at brand first. The OP asked a question. Let's focus on answering that.
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
Sorry, I just pulled out the manual and it is feet per minute; 3000 for wood and 40 -335 for metal. HOWEVER, they recommend cutting aluminum of any thickness, with appropriate change of blade tooth count, at the full 3000 fpm. That was the latest info in 1977.
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
67King
Well-known member
The guides on the side are connected to the rear stop so it does not allow for thicker blades.
I guess I need to look harder for 1/2" blades given an above response, but I've not seen them.
As for "cheating out" and that response. As a cheap ******* in this case, I agree. If I did any measurable degree of fab work, I would invest appropriately. If I were a pro racer, I'd have my own scales. If I were a pro musician, I'd have $5000 guitars. But I'm not and it makes the most sense to spend accordingly.
MushCreek
Well-known member
Blades are available in a wide range of widths from industrial suppliers. If they don't stock the length you need, they'll make them for you. Check with McMaster-Carr to see what they have.
DGersic
Well-known member
Lenox, via Fastenal, can sell you a metal blade for just about anything you want to cut.
I also wanted a small and inexpensive metal band saw. Got a $50 PortaBand off of Craigslist, and am building the frame to hold it vertically out of 1.5" square tubing. I put about $100 of parts in to refurbishing the saw (new blade, new tires, new guide bearings, new power cord). In the end, I'll have about $200 in to the project.
I've got a small garage, not a lot of space, so anything with a floor stand is out. This setup may seem limiting, and it is, but it fits and I can use it for stuff I want to do. That's better than not being able to do it because I don't have a tool.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I also wanted a small and inexpensive metal band saw. Got a $50 PortaBand off of Craigslist, and am building the frame to hold it vertically out of 1.5" square tubing. I put about $100 of parts in to refurbishing the saw (new blade, new tires, new guide bearings, new power cord). In the end, I'll have about $200 in to the project.
I've got a small garage, not a lot of space, so anything with a floor stand is out. This setup may seem limiting, and it is, but it fits and I can use it for stuff I want to do. That's better than not being able to do it because I don't have a tool.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
OccupantRJ
Well-known member
My sig line is displayed especially for nay-sayers. With that said, I cut various materials every day with a vertical bandsaw. 125-200 feet per minute will cut most "normal" materials put into the saw, although sometimes at a lower rate of cut. I cut wood and thicker steel with the same 6 teeth per inch blade, but my go to blade is 18 teeth per inch due to the fact I cut lots of tubing of steel, copper, brass, bronze, stainless, aluminum.