Tried a test on some of Aldo’s 1084 and it cut fine for about 3/4″ and then just stopped cutting.
BAND SPEED AND RECOMMEND CUTTING RATES FOR BI-METAL SAWING APPLICATIONS. Regardless of them type of steel you are working with, the Saw Blade Speed and Feed Chart can help you determine the right blade speed and cutting rate for your cutting operation. The Band Saw Blade Speed and Feed Chart is divided primarily by material size: Up to one inch, one to three inches, three to six inches, and over six inches. Beneath tooth pitch, the chart lists the blade speed and cutting rate for each type of material size.
The speed range for cutting wood is wide but a comfortable speed is about 3000 fpm. The goal here is to build a speed reducing mechanism that will change a wood cutting bandsaw into a metal cutting bandsaw, while maintaining the original function of wood cutting. In the video above you can see the bandsaw being used at the reduced speed to cut 16 gauge mild steel, 3/16″ aluminum bar, and 3/8″ cold rolled steel bar.
Since Candoff is a machinist, it wasn’t much trouble for him to work out a speed reduction solution by adding a second set of pulleys and convert his wood cutting bandsaw to a metal bandsaw. Candoff’s Rockwell wood saw uses one pair of pulleys to connect the electric motor to a second set of the 1:1 pulleys used for the blade. Primary Pulley System Secondary Pulley System Drive pulley diameter: 2 inches Drive pulley diameter: 3.5 Driven pulley diameter: 12 inches Driven pulley diameter: 13.5 Primary underdrive ratio: 6:1 Secondary underdrive ratio: 3.85:1 Motor speed: 1,800 rpm Motor speed: 300 rpm Primary driven pulley shaft speed:1,800 / 6 = 300 rpm Secondary driven pulley shaft speed:300 / 3.85:1 = 78 rpm We also measured the diameter of the pulley that drives the blade.
I wanted to experiment with cutting metal on my bandsaw, so I bought some metal cutting bandsaw blades. The problem is that metal cutting bandsaw blades need to run at less than a tenth of the speed of wood cutting blades. With metal cutting, the blade only lasts so long, so between the shorter life and lower speed, the metal cutting blade doesn’t have to bend and un-bend as much in its lifetime as wood cutting blade does.
Some models of bandsaws do provide the ability to alter the speed of the blade. The change of speed is usually accomplished by moving a drive belt to a secondary location on the pulley(s) of the drive pulley and motor pulley. Typically the speed to use for all of your wood cutting tasks with your bandsaw, regardless of the blade width or tooth configuration on the blade, would be the listed speed that is closest to 3000 FPM. The secondary speed offered on bandsaws with multiple speed capabilities is usually a speed that is one-half to one-third the speed of the 3000 FPM speed.
what speed does a metal bandsaw run at Related Question:
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.
What Bandaw speed cuts metal?
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.
How do you measure bandsaw speed?
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.
What determines the speed for a band saw blade?
The Band Saw Blade Speed and Feed Chart is divided primarily by material size: Up to one inch, one to three inches, three to six inches, and over six inches. Below the material size is the suggested tooth pitch for that material size.
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.
What speed does a circular saw run at?
It is clear that in the speed range from 1173 to 1500 rpm, the circular saw would easily be- come unstable and pose a hazard to the people working with it. Critical rotational speed theory of the circular saw has been a subject of many scientific publications.
How high can a bandsaw cut?
The resaw capacity is the maximum height (thickness) that can be cut. For the small shop furniture maker, go with 14″ as the minimum for a bandsaw, though 16″ is better. Those doing larger work might even want 18″ or 20″ machines. Just make sure you have a minimum resaw height of 12″ for versatility.
How much tension should a bandsaw blade be?
For carbon steel toothed blades (cutting blades) this is typically 15,000 to 25,000 PSI. Slitting type blades typically are tensioned in the range of 12,000 to 20,000 PSI. In general bandsaw blades are never tensioned past 35,000 psi.
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.
How does SFM calculate RPM?
The following equation is used to calculate spindle speed: rpm = sfm ÷ diameter × 3.82, where diameter is the cutting tool diameter or the part diameter on a lathe in inches, and 3.82 is a constant that comes from an algebraic simplifica-tion of the more complex formula: rpm = (sfm × 12) ÷ (diameter × π).
Why are the wheels of band saws fitted with rubber tires?
A primary advantage of rubber band saw tires is that they stretch in place for a perfect fit and offer versatility — they work with virtually any type of portable or stationary vertical band saws. Some rubber tires can even be cut to fit the width of a non-standard wheel.
How do you find the peripheral speed of a saw blade?
To calculate SFPM: (1) Multiply the diameter of the blade times Pi (3.1416) to get the circumference, then multiply circumference by RPM to get inches per minute and (2) divide the inches per minute calculation (from step 1) by 12 to get the feet per minute.
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.
Can I cut steel with a 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.
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.