The single piece of advice I can give you for band saw use is to keep a sharp and good quality blade on it and discard a blade that starts falling off in performance; it just isn’t worth it to use a worn blade. A good, sharp, real metal cutting blade will allow you to cut brass or aluminum like butter in a decent wood band saw. My experience has been that after I have used a blade for cutting brass and aluminum it doesn’t cut as well in wood anymore, which is why I have been using an older duller blade.
If the sheet metal is too thin for this to work with the finest tooth blade available, a useful trick is to put the metal between pieces of plywood, fiberboard, or soft thicker metal to support the blade. Our webpage How to use a BandSaw has a guide for selecting the proper pitch band saw blade for different metals and metal thickness. Recommended use of a CARBON STEEL BLADE Thickness of metal to be cut Blade Teeth per inch For high speed cutting of aluminum, brass, copper, soft bronze, magnesium, wood, mild steel and also tougher steels at slow speed.
The next thing that you need to understand when it comes to saw band blades is the idea of course blades and fine blades. If you are cutting metal on a vertical band saw and require a good finish, then you might want to try using a skip tooth blade instead. Skip tooth blades are not as powerful as hook tooth blades, but depending on the thickness of the metal, a skip tooth blade may still enable your band saw to cut through it. Armed with this knowledge you should have no issues walking into your local hardware store and picking out the best blade or blades for your band saw.
It will be best likewise to use fine-toothed saw blades when cutting tubing and sheet metal. When it comes to cutting metal, you got two excellent options of saw blades: carbon steel blades and bi-metal saw blades. The two bandsaw blades you can use to cut steel are carbon steel and bi-metal saw blades.
I saw Gary Bennett gave a demo on cutting metals with a wood bandsaw and the chips didn’t bother him too much, he did say that he generally used blades that were too dull to cut wood well. We have a metal bandsaw, so don’t allow it on the wood saws, but for the occasional alum, brass or copper up to 1/4″, we use a 10″ bandsaw that we have 12 tpi blades in, in thin sections this works fine regardless of blade speed. TCG. Thick Walled Saw Blades The special carbide formulation and blade geometry makes this blade ideal for cutting aluminum and non-ferrous metal bars such as copper, brass, bronze and lead. Also, good for cutting relatively thick-walled extrusions and profiles.
They are used on band saws to cut carbon steel, tool steel, structural steel, stainless steel, pipes and tubes, die steel, angles and flat stock, and mixed metal applications. Bimetal blades can cut ferrous or nonferrous metals such as aluminium, brass, bronze, steel, or titanium.
Don’t use a wood blade or a friction cut in a wood bandsaw. I use blades that are too dull to cut well in wood anymore to cut things out of plate brass and bronze, and it chews right through. With practice, a jeweler’s saw used in conjunction with a bench pin will allow you to cut very intricate shapes out of brass sheet.
best bandsaw blade for cutting brass Related Question:
Can you cut brass with wood band saw?
A good, sharp, real metal cutting blade will allow you to cut brass or aluminum like butter in a decent wood band saw. Don’t use a wood blade or a friction cut in a wood bandsaw. And whatever you do, DON’T try to cut steel. The blade speed is too fast on a wood band saw and it is really not rigid enough for steel.
What is the best saw for cutting brass?
You can use small and large metal saws to cut brass tubing. I’d recommend doing it in a small hobby mitre box or a groove you have cut into a piece of wood. Place the tubing in one of the mitre box grooves and begin the cut. As the saw makes its way through the tubing, it will begin to cut two walls at once.
What is the best TPI for cutting metal?
Cutting thinner metals, including sheet metal, requires a finer cut. Use 18-24 TPI bi-metal blades. For thicker metals such as steel pipe, angle irons, or tubing, use 14-18 TPI bi-metal blades. For aluminum, an 8-10 TPI blade is best.
What is the difference between a wood band saw and a metal band saw?
A metal cutting bandsaw is typically built more solidly than a saw designed for cutting wood, so there are no issues with the machine itself. As for the blade, the wood fibers could clog the metal blade’s teeth more quickly, and the blade will probably cut through the wood more slowly.
Will a carbide blade cut brass?
What is the best way to cut brass? You can cut non-ferious metal with your table saw. This means Aluminum, brass etc. Just use a carbide blade with about 60-80 teeth.
Can you saw through brass?
You should also tighten the saw’s nut until the frame begins to bow a little bit so that it is as taut as possible. This will allow you to cut through the brass rod quickly and effortlessly without worrying about breaking the blade or the metal.
How many TPI does a bandsaw blade need?
For general wood cutting duties in typical 3/4″ material, use a 4 TPI blade for coarse, fast cutting and a 14 TPI blade for slower, smoother cutting. A blade in the 6 to 8 TPI range provides good general-purpose performance.
What is 18 TPI for cutting?
Blades 12-18 TPI are typically used for metal and denser materials as well as finish cuts in wood. The 18-24 TPI range is almost always used for metal cutting. Pro Tip: Always keep 3 teeth in contact with the material being cut.
What is 14 TPI for cutting?
8-14 TPI blades are capable of cutting wood and the occasional nail. Demo blades fall into this category. 14-24 TPI is the range of metal cutting, PVC cutting and finish cut blades. The blades cut slowly, but leave being a very smooth edge.
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.
How thick metal can a bandsaw cut?
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.
Is more TPI better?
Woodworkers quickly learn that the number of teeth-per-inch (TPI) on the blade has a big impact on the quality of a cut. The general rule of thumb is “the more TPI, the smoother the cut.” The true answer, however, is just a little more complicated than that, as you’ll learn once you understand how saw teeth work.
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 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 speed does a metal bandsaw run at?
The speed range for cutting wood is wide but a comfortable speed is about 3000 fpm. The range for metal cutting however is around 300.. a big difference. The other difference is of course in the blade itself.