Vertical band saw - buying advice?

[happy39]

Re: Vertical band saw - buying advice?

The problem with running them without tires is that you will destroy the set on the blade. I realize that most metal cutting blades have very little set but it does matter. Do what is best for you however.

[DanStokes]

Re: Vertical band saw - buying advice?

Thanks, Joe. Next time I'm out there I'll give them a squeeze and see how hard they are. How squishy SHOULD they be? I'm guessing I can order Rockwell (Delta) 14" wheels on line.

Dan

[KeithTurk]

Re: Vertical band saw - buying advice?

The one thing I bought new in my shop is the Billy bad ass Band Saw... from Enco....I think it was like 2300 .... The biggest thing it has is a blade welder so I can buy blade by the roll... Very cool option...

Aluminum likes really high cutting speeds.... like Wood type speed.... Steel likes SLOW....

K

[DanStokes]

Re: Vertical band saw - buying advice?

I routinely cut aluminum on my compound slide miter saw (HF special) and on the table saw. I just use the fence and the carbide blade that's on there all the time. Works great and I haven't seen any deterioration of wood cutting ability with the same blade. They might dull faster but I haven't really noticed that.

On the band saw - I'd LOVE a saw like Keith's - it's a thing of beauty but out of my price range. I'll need to mess with the old Rockwell.

Dan

[happy39]

Re: Vertical band saw - buying advice?

Dan they should just be a little soft to the touch. You can easily find replacements for most saws. When we put them on sometimes we had to put them in boiling water to soften them enough to stretch. I also cut aluminum with wood working blades but I am careful especially with the table saw that the hot metal chips do not ignite the fine saw dust in my cabinet saw base.

[Loren]

Re: Vertical band saw - buying advice?

A shop I worked at had a little Enco horizontal with no tires on the wheels, we used it for years and never had a problem. But...that's just that one. The problem it had was small wheels bending the blade too much and causing cracking and weld failure. Later I bought one of those saws for myself ($200) and sometimes used it as a vertical but it wouldn't keep the blades on the wheels, no matter what adjustment was attempted. I think I gave it away a couple years ago.

I used a Craftsman bandsaw made for home shops for awhile, it took compound reduction (a second pulley shaft) to get the speed low enough for steel. That little saw really couldn't handle it.

Aluminum you can run very high speeds with, the heat gets carried away with the chip. You have to use some-type cutting lube (beeswax, WD-40, grease or a combination of all) to control galling.

Here's my machine. I love it. It will take blades from 1/8" (fine scroll work) to 3/4 (heavy cutting) with no changes to wheels or guides. Plus it has a movable "bow" mounted on an inclined ramp...you can set a heavy piece of material on it, and leave it to cut by itself.



Mine was $3500...ouch. A blade welder was another $900.

Blade welders are wonderful (get a machine that has one with it if you possibly can), but you can also weld blades with a tig torch. You need something to hold the ends in alignment and use a .045" filler rod, and then come back with a gas torch and anneal the area slightly. Then of-course you grind the weld smooth. My tig welds work better than the blade welder but it's a hassle to do that way. It's best to be able to weld your own blades, as the ones you purchase might be welded properly or not, if you can even get the right length without special-ordering. Welding blades also lets you do inside diameters, you drill a hole and then thread the blade into it and weld it in-the-part. When you're done tin-snip it back out, cutting at a different place than you welded as the same place can't be welded twice without trimming away.

Bandsaws are slow compared to a plasma cutter, but you get a nice edge with no heat-affected zone and no scale which has to be ground off if you're going to get a clean weld.

If I was looking for a bandsaw today , I'd be following CL and the yard sales, looking for something some old machinist owned.

[DanStokes]

Re: Vertical band saw - buying advice?

Joe - thanks for the info. I'll go surfing for tires ASAP.

My table saw is one of the old Sears (1967 I think) and it has an open bottom so I just sweep it out to make sure I don't light the pile on fire. Good reminder, though.

Dan

Dan they should just be a little soft to the touch. You can easily find replacements for most saws. When we put them on sometimes we had to put them in boiling water to soften them enough to stretch. I also cut aluminum with wood working blades but I am careful especially with the table saw that the hot metal chips do not ignite the fine saw dust in my cabinet saw base.

[squirrel]

Re: Vertical band saw - buying advice?

I wonder if I could make my own tires out of electrical self-vulcanizing splicing tape?

[Loren]

Re: Vertical band saw - buying advice?

I would try it. :D They need a little crown in the middle, so if it's not machined into the wheel you could just start with a few layers at half-width.

That gooey electrical-tape adhesive might cause things to squirm around a little though.

[squirrel]

Re: Vertical band saw - buying advice?

The self vulcanizing tape does not have adhesive, it just sticks to itself very well. The wheels are crowned.

[milner351]

Re: Vertical band saw - buying advice?

I found a grizzly two speed on CL - looks like a well made saw and has a nice roller flip out caster base for easy portability - seems like a pretty good deal at $250.

Anyone have any Grizzly tool experience?

[squirrel]

Re: Vertical band saw - buying advice?

Another chinese knock off company. They've been around a while.

[milner351]

Re: Vertical band saw - buying advice?

Thanks Jim - maybe I'll just pass on the vertical bandsaw Idea for a while - I'll find a blade for my horizontal - and keep a look out for deals on other tools I think I'll use more.

I may pull the trigger and by a henrob/cobra kit new - never see them used and they seem like a very flexible tool to have around - once the learning curve is complete.

[horsewidower]

Re: Vertical band saw - buying advice?

I highly recommend it.