Wood handsaw blades have 6 to 10 teeth per inch (rip vs crosscut is another discussion. Wood bandsaw blades may have as many as three large teeth per inch, where metal will have say thirty-two small teeth per inch. Cutting thick metal requires quite a bit of blade tension and the frames and guides of wood bandsaws will not always support enough.
Where most folks go wrong is trying to use the same bandsaw for both wood and metal. Metal saws like coolant and chip pans where wood saws like dust collectors. Just a couple of things to think about, I am sure there are more like running the right RPM’s..
Most wood saw are not built to handle the stresses of metal cutting puts on it. I have a wood saw and I cut sheet steel with it, but it is hard on it non the less. Also to cut bar type stock an abrasive type saw works, and a cold saw is cool, you don’t have to be “Rich” to own one.
If you need to use your band saw for cutting metal bars, solid rods and plates into size, then purchase a horizontal band saw. If you are unable to get a horizontal band saw, you can still cut metal along a straight-line with a vertical band saw. Ideally, you should get a coarse blade for cutting software materials like wood and plastic and a fine blade for cutting harder materials like metal.
bandsaw wood vs metal Related Question:
What is the difference between a wood bandsaw and a metal bandsaw?
The problem with wood saws is that they spin too fast, typically with blade speeds of 600 to 2,600 feet per minute (fpm). Cutting metal demands much slower speeds, so a metal bandsaw spins around 100 to 300 fpm.
What is the difference between the wood & metal vertical bandsaws *?
Band saws for wood typically have one speed – fast. Band saws for metal have to cut far denser, and tougher materials. Cutting these materials develops far more heat, which means that you have to slow things down to the right speed for the particular material. So metal cutting band saws often have adjustable speeds.
Can I put a metal cutting blade on my band saw?
Salem Straub. Typically if you run a metal blade on a wood bandsaw the excessive speed (2000 sfpm+) of the wood saw will knock the teeth off of your metal cutting blade in a hurry. You could make it work, but you would have to slow the blade drive wheel way down. Think 250 sfpm to 80 sfpm.
Can a bandsaw cut hardened steel?
Carbide band saw blades provide high wear resistance and toughness when cutting a variety of applications such as: case hardened steels, spring steels, high speed steels, nickel based alloys, case hardened steels, composite graphite, high nickel alloys, titanium, inconnel, and other exotic metals.
What materials can a bandsaw cut?
Most bandsaws have two wheels rotating in the same plane, one of which is powered. The blade itself can come in a variety of sizes and tooth pitch (teeth per inch, or TPI) which enables the machine to be highly versatile and able to cut a wide variety of materials including wood, metal and plastic.
What is difference between metal and wood?
In context|music|lang=en terms the difference between wood and metal. is that wood is (music) a woodwind instrument while metal is (music) characterized by strong, fast drum-beats and distorted guitars.
Can you cut metal with a vertical bandsaw?
Band saws are not suitable for cutting very thin sheet metal; a rule of thumb suggests the metal to be cut should be thicker than the depth of 3 band saw blade teeth, however they are excellent for cutting thin walled profiles such as box and angle.
Will a wood bandsaw blade cut aluminum?
Band saws generally make sense for aluminum stock of 6 in. diameter and larger and for shops that are interested in high-speed cutting of aluminum but also frequently cut other materials.
What is the difference between a wood blade and a metal blade?
Metal Cutting Blades have more teeth per inch for cutting harder, denser materials. They are typically 10 to 18 TPI, but can go as high as 24 TPI. They are also used for finish cuts in wood because they leave a smooth edge.
What is a metal band saw used for?
A bandsaw (also written band saw) is a power saw with a long, sharp blade consisting of a continuous band of toothed metal stretched between two or more wheels to cut material. They are used principally in woodworking, metalworking, and lumbering, but may cut a variety of materials.
How can you tell if a metal saw is real?
Both saws teeth will have a set on them to clear sawn material . However wood saws teeth tend to be vertical and v shaped whereas metal teeth will be slanted and can be placed in the saw with the teeth facing towards you or away from you depending on which way you prefer , they are generally finer and closer together .
Can I use a metal cutting blade on wood?
You can use a metal blade to cut wood. A circular saw blade cut metal in a sluggish rotational speed of 25m/s. They are driven by a motor having high power and an A/C vector drive. They are long lasting and non-reusable.
What speed should you cut metal with on a bandsaw?
To cut steel, you’ll need to run the machine at a much slower speed — about a hundred feet per minute. A machine running at this speed might look like it’s running too slowly, but running it any faster almost guarantees that you’ll damage the blade.
Can you cut wood with a meat band saw?
Blade speeds on meat saws run 3500 SFPM (surface feet per minute) so your speed is fine for wood cutting. anywhere between 3200 and 5000 SFPM is good for resawing. Your HP is light at 3/4 and that’s where you will find your lacking .
Can you cut hardened steel with a hacksaw?
If a clean cut is desired when cutting through hardened steel, or if the steel’s hardness must be retained, a fine toothed hacksaw will work wonderfully, though the process is long and will require a great deal of intense effort.