Question on a bandsaw conversion.

Ricky Finch

Ricky Finch

Well-Known Member
Hi

I'm think about converting my 14" wood bandsaw to a metal one. Does anybody have the formula to find the speed of the blade? SFPM i think.
It has a 2-1/2" pulley on the motor and a 6" pulley on the wheel. This may not work. I want to be able to cut G-10 and micarta. If it works out I would be able to cut my knife steel also.

Thanks
Rick
 
I got a welding book at Lowes that had a section on converting a wood band saw to a metal band saw. I can't seem to locate it right now but basically you have to reduce the speed by aroun 90%. That is it can only turn 1/10th the speed it runs now. Your set up has a little more than a 50% reduction This came up on this board or another that I post to regularly and most who did it wouldn't do it again. They'd just buy a hand held metal cutting bandsaw and make or buy a table for it which probably runs just a little less, by what I've seen down at the hardware store, than just buying a stand mounted bandsaw that can tilt upright.

Doug Lester
 
Rick, I converted an old 14" bandsaw to cut metal. I love it!
It is just basic math to figure out the speed. You need to know the speed of the motor, the pulley combinations, and the diameter of the drive wheel.
Say the motor is 1725, the pullies are 2" on the motor and 12" on the saw. That means the drive wheel is spinning at 287.5rpm. ( 12/2=6 1725/6=287.5) The 14" wheel driving the blade has a circumference of 44" (14x3.1416=43.98) At 288rpm (rounded) The wheel moves the blade 12672 inches per minute (44x288=12672), which is 1056 feet per minute (12672/12=1056)
As you can see by the example, even with a pretty big difference in the pulley size and a slow rpm motor the blade is still too fast for steel. The example would need a jackshaft or speed reduction of some sort to bring the rpm down by a factor of at least 10 to be usable.
On my saw I accomplished the slow rpm with an old speed reduction unit along with a small pulley on the gear reduction spinning a large pulley on the saw.
I felt it was worth the effort because I have a good 14" saw for wood and a large horizontal metal cutting bandsaw for cutoff. The ancient saw that I slowed down is great for cutting shapes in steel. I also use it for things I would have grabbed a hacksaw for, such as cutting off bolts or brass rods, etc. I use a 1/4" wide blade in it so that I can cut tight radius shapes.
I hope that the example I gave can help you with your project. If I explained it too poorly to make sense please don't hesitate to say so, so that I or someone else can clarify it.
Good luck and have fun.
Alden
 
Alden

Thanks for the info, i thought I could convert the one I have to a metal and buy a better wood model.
I stop by a Woodcraft store and was talking to the owner about a metal bansaw, he told me he could get any Jet tool and they were on sale.
The j-8210K is a metal/wood and it looks like the wilton. Price is $1000.00 and starting monday he has a 15% discount on top of that. I have a Harbor Freight4 x 6 that I have used for years, but I'm wanting to get a better one.

Rick
 
If it where me I would look for a Powermatic 143 There not made any more but they are around hands down the bet combo saw there is. Brett
 
I did that once. I took the motor and gear reduction box from a clothes washer. The reduction (43:1) slowed it sufficiently. It had plenty of power. The set-up was a little hokey, but it worked until I could get a metal cutting bandsaw.
 
Rick, the saw I use for wood is a Jet JWBS 14 CS. It was touted as a wood-metal saw and theoretically it is, but the only metal you could cut would be aluminum. Check to see how slow the saw you're looking at will go. My opinion is you should be slower than 100fpm to cut steel. Some people say you can cut steel by burning through with the blade running very fast, but I don't think the rubber tires would appreciate that.
The solution suggested by Ray may be a good idea. I've never considered a washing machine transmission, but this should be a lightweight task for them. Thanks Ray.
Rick, check around for price on that saw.
Good luck.
Alden
 
Keep your wood saw. It way to handy. I cut scale, leather, wood and micarta. I think I use it more than I do my metal saw. Harbor Freight has horizontal saw that works as great band saw for less than 200.00. I did all the math for converting my wood saw to metal. You need a jack shaft to reduce it enough to cut metal. The inside pulley are rubber coated also. Metal is going to eat them alive. Plus I think you have a problem finding ready made blades for it. The 64 1/2 is common metal cutting blade. You can find it in just about every hardware store. You save enough money on scrap and time just buying the cheaper bandsaw.
 
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