Even if there were the motor would stall, since he’d have no torque and the motor would overheat since it’s fan would be going 1/15th it’s designed cooling RPM. 02-07-2008, 05:36 PM #4. 02-07-2008, 05:49 PM #5 I saw :p a delta wood working bandsaw with a ring gear from an automobile attached to a band wheel. I’ve seen a big bandsaw that was meant for wood setup for cutting metal, and it worked OK. The guy had a DC motor on it with a big variac/rectifier speed control. The motor pulley will not bore out to fit the shaft of the new motor, so I am in the process of turning high & low range motor pulleys which I should be doing now instead of typing this.
I’m looking for an EASY modification to slow it down from 3,000 fpm blade speed to make it useable for cutting small pieces of bar stock and sheet metal. The real problem is that blade tension for wood cutting and metal cutting are significantly different and there is no way in the world you will be operating a better than 20-25% of the needed tension. Metal cutting with a wood speed tool makes a fantastic racketand on a bandsaw the blade will go redhot and burn up or loose all its teeth in seconds to minutes at wood speed whether HSS or not.
Mike, thanks for the info, that really helps! Maybe you can answer a technical question for me… The motor on the band saw is a 1725 RPM. The final wheel that the actual blade goes on is 63.5 inches around, so one revolution of the wheel makes the blade travel 63.5 inches. You know, math was never my long suit, if it were, I’d be a lot better off in life than I am…. I suppose that it would be possible to get the blade speed slow enough without the use of a variable speed motor, you’d simply have to have a couple more step-down pulley segments… how many is beyond me, that’s why I opted for the variable speed motor. Besides you get a little more flexibility with a variable speed motor, as you can slow it down for thick hard stock or speed it up for thinner softer materials.
If I added another motor that ran half as fast as the original and then reduced that down by about 3 to 1 belt drive to the original motor the speed would be about right for aluminum. When the fast motor is running the slow motor doesn’t turn because of the sprag bearing. In retrospect it would have been much easier to just install a treadmill motor but I didn’t have a treadmill motor and I did have two A/C motors.
Most 1 phase motors only have a start capacitor, they are switched out of the circuit once motor is up to speed. If the Start cap is NOT switched out of the circuit by the centrifugal switch, the motor doesn’t have it’s full torque capacity. 08-18-2015, 11:43 AM #13 The purpose of the capacitor and centrifugal switch are to create a phase shift in the start windings to get the motor started so it can then run.
First off,To my knowledge,most metal cutting band saws have a 2 speed transmission,a high and low range. A frequency drive would be ideal to control the speed of the blade within each range,but will not be well suited as a fix-all stand alone unit,when it comes to converting a wood cutting band saw to a metal cutter. Frequencey drives are avaliable with either 1 or 3 phase input,so if you get a drive that has 1 phase input,it can double as an excellent phase converter,as the output will be 3 phase and also work well to control speed in each gear range and with a 5K potentiometer most models can be remotely controled,for operator convenience.
how to slow down a band saw Related Question:
What RPM should a metal bandsaw run?
You want the blade running at about 75 RPM for steel, 150 max. Any faster and you will work harden as you cut (due to heat build up) and fry your blade.
What should you not do with a band saw?
Never push on back of piece with fingers or thumb. Don’t reach across the blade. Make all cuts under power, not while blade is coasting. Never remove guard unless authorized by Technician or WRL Manager.
Why does my bandsaw slow down?
Using a dull blade or the incorrect type of blade can cause the band saw to cut through work pieces slowly. The blade will also move slowly through the work piece if the blade is installed incorrectly. A weak drive motor can also cause the band saw to cut slowly. First, check the installation of the band saw blade.
What RPM should a bandsaw run at?
Bandsaws always use 1725 rpm. The 3450 rpm are way too fast. From contributor R: Depending on the size of the wheels bandsaw blade speeds can vary between 2000 SFPM to over 4500 SFPM.
How many teeth does a bandsaw blade have?
The general rule of thumb is: For wood and soft materials aim for 3 – 6 teeth in the workpiece. For metals and harder materials aim for 6 – 24 teeth in the workpiece.
How long is a 14 bandsaw blade?
Olson® All Pro&trade band saw blades 93-1/2″ length fits most 14″ band saws (Delta, Jet, etc.), hard back and exclusive material, in skip, hook, or regular teeth.
Can you use a metal bandsaw blade to cut wood?
What are the ideal conditions for cutting wood on a metal saw? While cutting wood on a metal bandsaw is perfectly fine, you should switch over to a 6TPI blade if you have the time or anticipate cutting a lot of wood.
Can you rip wood on a bandsaw?
A band saw can shape curves, saw rough lumber safely, cut joinery, and even rip boards to width.
What must you never do when using the bandsaw to ensure you don’t pull off the blade?
Make curved cuts gradually and use relief cuts for tight radius curves. Never back out of curved cuts while machine is still running as this will result in the blade coming off. (You must wait until blade comes to a complete stop).
What causes bandsaw drift?
Drift is cause because the blade buckles under the load. You can see that by stretching a ribbon between 2 points and applying a pressure to one of the edges, it will turn sideway easily. A sharp blade and high blade speed will help a lot with that.
Why do bandsaw blades break?
Machine Defects Even the best blades can fail if there is something else wrong with your bandsaw, and even a small misalignment of bearings or guides can put a twist in the blade as it goes around. Resulting in tension being applied in all the wrong ways which will lead to early breakage.
Why won’t my bandsaw cut straight?
Band Saw: Why won’t my band saw cut straight? When the band saw cuts crooked, a dull blade, improper feeding, loose blade tension or not using a work piece guide could be the cause. Use the rip fence or miter gauge to guide the work piece uniformly through the cutting blade to make straight cuts.
How fast should a wood bandsaw run?
Bandsaw: Speeds. A common speed for the bandsaw is about one thousand feet per minute. Wood can effectively be cut at much higher speeds, up to and over five thousand feet per minute, but you should keep it slower because it’s safer.
How is bandsaw speed calculated?
The formula to determine S.F.P.M. is: Motor RPM multiplied by the Motor pulley diameter divided by the Driven pulley diameter times the Bandsaw wheel diameter times pi (3.1416) divided by 12 = S.F.P.M.
How long should a metal bandsaw blade last?
On average your bandsaw blade should last 6 months to as long as a few years depending on what your cutting with it. Make sure to match your blade strength and quality to the project and material your cutting.