Bandsaw Question.

Whyemier

Whyemier

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I picked up a Central Machinery 12" Variable speed Bandsaw...somewhere...Prob'ly at a groj sail or Flea Mrkt. Can't bremember me since I've had it lurking under the shop bench for who knows how long.

It runs and the VFD works. If I can figure out the length of the band/blade, and put a steel cutting blade on it? Will it run slow enough to cut aluminum? Brass? Steel? Does it have the torque needed.

You got a manual for it?
 
Get a non-contact tachometer for $12 on Amazon or eBay. Every one in that price range is the same model. They're quite handy.

Do you have a model number of the saw?
 
here is mine a 10" 3 wheel craftsman with a dc thread mill motor, i can cut wood steel etc. Make your own blades, buy bulk material and silver solder them together.

112.JPG
 
You should go 75 feet per minute to cut annealed tool steel. Aluminum or brass can even be cut with a woodworking bandsaw. I did it before I had a proper metal cutting bandsaw. I used 6 TPI wood cutting carbon steel blades for THICKER brass or aluminum.

To find the blade length,lower the top wheel a bit and just run a string around both of the wheels as if you;'re putting a blade on. mark the string where it meets,straighten it out and measure it. If you can't find a blade that exact length,figure out if you can lower or raise the top wheel a bit to accommodate the available blade.
 
george wilson said:
You should go 75 feet per minute to cut annealed tool steel. Aluminum or brass can even be cut with a woodworking bandsaw. I did it before I had a proper metal cutting bandsaw. I used 6 TPI wood cutting carbon steel blades for THICKER brass or aluminum.

To find the blade length,lower the top wheel a bit and just run a string around both of the wheels as if you;'re putting a blade on. mark the string where it meets,straighten it out and measure it. If you can't find a blade that exact length,figure out if you can lower or raise the top wheel a bit to accommodate the available blade.
Click to expand...
Was thinking something along those lines. I think it had a spring loaded idler under the cover when I last had it off. So if the blade were just a little longer I could make it work I believe.

Thanks all.
 
post some pic's of the saw. some one might have the same saw under a different name.
 
Central Machinery (Harbor Freight) 12 Bench Top Band Saw (model# 686)
CenMach12_HF

CenMach12_HF

BenchTopBandSaw
Here's the pulley arrangement.
CenMach12_2

CenMach12_2

It works, may not be the best or 'strongest' but if it'll cut aluminum that may be all I'll need for now.
 
may not be the best but take a roll the wifes 1/2 inch wide binding material, or something like that, Put it around the wheels and mark where it joins. Then figure out how much you need to take out for the tension then measure it. It is prob a standard size blade, so once you have the size look on line ad see what is close to it.
 
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