bandsaw

You MIGHT be able to use it for metal, but with the low speed being 380 m/min, its only going to work for very thin stock...on thicker stock it will just burn up blades. If I'm figuring it right, 380 m/min is going to equate to approx.
1246 SFPM (Surface feet per minute)......thats awfully fast, especially for cutting steel.
 
It depends on how fast it runs. If it runs too fast you'll just burn up the blade trying to cut steel. You can always get a porta band saw and mount it vertically for a lot less.
-John
 
Like Murph said, make sure that you can get bi-metal blades that will fit. You will have to change pulleys on the motor and drive to slow it wayyyyyyy down. There is such a thing as friction cutting where the blade runs wayyyyy fast and instead of cutting it removes metal by friction. Study it very carefully if you decide to do that. My suggestion is get a horizontal band saw. Lots of people have had pretty good luck with Harbor Freight bandsaws. They have from the cheapies to ones with coolant pumps. Others will chime in on their luck with the cheap Harbor Freight band saws. With a horizontal model you can cut lengths without standing right there all the time and raise it up and use like you are thinking. Porta-Bands are another way to go you are just trading off different features.
 
you need one like this it has 8 speeds and cuts metal or wood.

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So whats the rekomended speed, ft/min?

Slow enough that the swarf is not blue. I know, that is not the answer to the question asked but it is the real answer.
 
EdCaffreyMS said:
You MIGHT be able to use it for metal, but with the low speed being 380 m/min, its only going to work for very thin stock...on thicker stock it will just burn up blades. If I'm figuring it right, 380 m/min is going to equate to approx.
1246 SFPM (Surface feet per minute)......thats awfully fast, especially for cutting steel.
Click to expand...

Yes, too fast for steel cutting. You want around 300 sfpm.
 
Wayne Coe said:
Like Murph said, make sure that you can get bi-metal blades that will fit. You will have to change pulleys on the motor and drive to slow it wayyyyyyy down. There is such a thing as friction cutting where the blade runs wayyyyy fast and instead of cutting it removes metal by friction. Study it very carefully if you decide to do that. My suggestion is get a horizontal band saw. Lots of people have had pretty good luck with Harbor Freight bandsaws. They have from the cheapies to ones with coolant pumps. Others will chime in on their luck with the cheap Harbor Freight band saws. With a horizontal model you can cut lengths without standing right there all the time and raise it up and use like you are thinking. Porta-Bands are another way to go you are just trading off different features.
Click to expand...

Wayne, you can only take it so slow with pulleys. You can do an idler pulley to help reduce it. I did all the math at one time. I bought a craftsman's saw thinking the same thing. It just not practical. These saws they have rubber that is embedded in the wheel and steel chips will eat the rubber up.

Formula is pretty simple. Out put = drive pulley dia. divided by Output diameter multiplied by RPM

I would just save my money and get a HF horizontal band saw.
 
I just ordered a Dewalt D28770k, got a place all picked out in the barn, gonna mount it on one of the 6x6 columns close to the door and electric outlet,Still need to make a table for it. Can I use aluminum plate and just cut a slot in it? any ideas helpful.....JC
 
I made mine about 6" square out of thin sheet steel. Make the slot so that it is from the back rather than the front like the small original.
 
It depends on what kind of material you use for your work, kind and size of elements. So if I don't know the details, I can't give you any advice, otherwise you'll just spoil the material and won't make any good. But you can go to https://allaboutsaws.com/best-band-saw/ and (knowing all the info) find the best option for you. That's what we did in our family, when my husband decided to turn his hobby into business and creat furnitures for other people.
 
Take a look at portaband saws. They are very reasonably priced, and you can add a table to them to convert them into a mini-band saw. I've been using that for about a year now, and it works really well, and takes up very little space. I bought the one at Harbor Freight. Cheap, and quality probably not as good as some of the name brands, but it has worked well. Just loud. I added a SWAG Offroad table, and it was a winner. https://www.swagoffroad.com
 
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