# Slowing Down The Band Saw



## rdean (Aug 31, 2015)

Some of you may remember the band saw I made back in February.

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/bandsaw-project.31960/

The band saw worked very nicely for wood and I have used it often but the other day I needed to cut some aluminum plate and it was too large to get into the 4X6 saw.  It was only 1/4" thick and if I took it real easy maybe I could cut it on the 16" band saw.  Well at 3000 feet per minute the blade lasted about as long you can say don't do it.  At $30 a blade I sure didn't want to do that again so I got to thinking.  If I added another motor that ran half as fast (1725 rpm) 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.  I bought a one way bearing and made a pulley to mount on the fast motor connected to the slow motor.  I added a switch to set which motor would run and this is what I ended up with.








When the fast motor is running the slow motor doesn't turn because of the sprag bearing.  When the slow motor runs it drives through the fast motor.  
The final speeds are around 400 fpm for the slow to around 2400 fpm for the fast.

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.  Total cost for switch, bearing and belts was $38 and a lot of fun.

Cheers
Ray


----------



## Tony Wells (Aug 31, 2015)

Good job, Ray.


----------



## Firestopper (Aug 31, 2015)

Very nice saw Ray!


----------



## mzayd3 (Aug 31, 2015)

Interesting, I never would have thought that


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Charles Spencer (Aug 31, 2015)

That's a damn sight more elegant than what I came up with:

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/thre...-in-your-shop-today.14637/page-95#post-217095


----------



## rdean (Sep 1, 2015)

Thank you all for the kind words.
Its the end result and the feeling of accomplishment that's important .

Now need to order a new blade.

Ray


----------



## dulltool17 (Nov 22, 2015)

Ray- nice job!
I'm going to try to do the same with a saw from my Dad.  Where did you find the one-way pulley?


----------



## rdean (Nov 22, 2015)

I bought the one way bearing on E-Bay and turned the pulley from aluminum.  Price was around $20 for the bearing.
Thanks 
Ray


----------



## dulltool17 (Nov 23, 2015)

Thanks, Ray!


----------



## BillWood (Nov 25, 2015)

When the slow motor spins the fast motor does that turn the fast motor into a generator ?

If yes is there any risk of damaging the fast motor ? Or getting an accidental shock from the pulled plug ?

Bill


----------



## bpratl (Nov 25, 2015)

That's a great way to add multiple speeds to a band saw. The one-way bearing is a great idea and nice fix. Thanks for sharing. Bob


----------



## TommyD (Nov 25, 2015)

Very nice.

I'm looking for a vertical bandsaw but all I have been seeing are either wood saws or metal saws that people are asking crazy money for. The wood saws are the older types that are made nice and sturdy but too high in the rpms. I have a reducer, I think I still have it, kicking around here that I need to find and see what the reduction rate is. If so, I'm going to check out some of these older saws.


----------



## rdean (Nov 25, 2015)

No there is no chance of shock as I use a switch to choose which motor runs and that selectively disconnects the other motor.  There is only one plug to the outlet.
Thank you all again

Ray


----------



## kvt (Nov 25, 2015)

NIce,   I've been thinking of a Tredmill motor, as I have 2 wood band saws and no metal one.   But maybe a new idea.


----------

