# Converting bandsaw from wood to metal/wood



## GaryK (Dec 23, 2012)

I currently have a 1hp motor on my bandsaw. I'm thinking of changing to a VFD so that I could use it with wood or metal.

Is this practical?

Would I use a 1hp 3ph or something different to get the same power either running it fast for wood or slow for metal?

Thanks


----------



## Rbeckett (Dec 23, 2012)

Most folks are using a reduction box to really gear the wheels down while still running the motor in the fat part of it's power curve.  Last mod I saw like that he was running a 10:1 reduction set and just swapped the belt config to run the wood side faster.  Never done it, so that is about all I can really say on it.
Bob


----------



## Kroll (Dec 24, 2012)

I have a PM 143 which is a metal cutting BS that has a high and low speed more so for the thickness of the metal,so a VFD would be perfect but.I would think that mixing wood and metal on one BS would contaminate the wood w/metal shavings.Not good--Kroll


----------



## Bill Gruby (Dec 24, 2012)

You will also have to change blades every time you go from wood to metal and back again. I wouldn't do it. 

"Billy G"

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/showthread.php/10282-Reviving-a-back-burner-project


----------



## Alan Douglas (Dec 25, 2012)

The company I work for, when they were first starting out, converted a Craftsman bandsaw by adding a jackshaft and step pulleys.  I can only assume it didn't work out, as they had bought a real one by the time I joined, four years later, and they sold me the Craftsman.  I only use it for wood and plastic.


----------



## GaryK (Dec 25, 2012)

Bill Gruby said:


> You will also have to change blades every time you go from wood to metal and back again. I wouldn't do it.
> 
> "Billy G"



I have two bandsaws so that would be no problem. I was just looking for a metal cutting option. A horizontal bandsaw is nice but you can only make straight cuts
with it. With a variable speed vertical bandsaw would give me a lot more options for cutting odd shapes in different materials.

I figure it will probably be cheaper to convert the bandsaw versus buying a horizontal bandsaw, plus doing so would take up more floor space.

Gary


----------



## Alan Douglas (Dec 25, 2012)

In that case it's probably worthwhile.  The horizontal saw does have a big advantage though, that if the cut takes fifteen minutes, no problem, you just set it running and go do something else, and you're never tempted to force the cut to speed things up.  I think it's safer too; you can slice off thin sections but your hands are nowhere near the blade.  And the stock can be securely clamped.


----------



## rdhem2 (Dec 25, 2012)

My horizontal JET saw will adjust to 60 degree angles in the vise.  Add the included attachment table, lift the head to vertical and you have a vertical although limited saw.

I purchased a 24" Delta at a school sale cheap because of the 5hp 3 ph motor.  Slipped on a Allen Bradly VFD and fixed the problem including 1 to 3 ph conversion.  Next, using the preset speed function I set 4 preset speeds via a selector switch so the employees could not get into too much trouble.  Switch marked METAL  High-Low------WOOD  High-Low.  Been ten years and no problems.  We keep a metal blade in the saw and only change to a wood blade if we have a serious job of wood cutting to do.  Keep it simple for the simple.


----------



## strider (Feb 15, 2013)

rdhem2 said:


> My horizontal JET saw will adjust to 60 degree angles in the vise.  Add the included attachment table, lift the head to vertical and you have a vertical although limited saw.
> 
> I purchased a 24" Delta at a school sale cheap because of the 5hp 3 ph motor.  Slipped on a Allen Bradly VFD and fixed the problem including 1 to 3 ph conversion.  Next, using the preset speed function I set 4 preset speeds via a selector switch so the employees could not get into too much trouble.  Switch marked METAL  High-Low------WOOD  High-Low.  Been ten years and no problems.  We keep a metal blade in the saw and only change to a wood blade if we have a serious job of wood cutting to do.  Keep it simple for the simple.



What speeds did you use for the METAL High-Low?


----------



## OrangeAlpine (Feb 15, 2013)

I made an 18" bandsaw a few years ago and used a Tecumseh 5 speed gearbox combined with a selectable V-belt drive.  Gives me 10 pretty evenly spaced speeds, ranging from about 90 fpm to 1400.  A little slow on the top end, but I don't saw wood very much.  I use 1/4" metal cutting blades for everything.  Wood gets a 4 tpi blade, but only if it is thick or a long cut.  12 tpi works surprisingly well for most wood sawing.  Blade guides are round ones, sold for use with wood.  

The important message here is that even with mix/match of components, it works pretty good.  I'm sure it could be better, but the idea of the saw is maximum flexibility, not optimum performance.  Blade life is usually pretty short because I'm always doing goofy things that strip out the teeth.  Maybe one day I'll learn all the ways to destroy a blade, then I'll be ready to die.  Until then, I'm going strong!

Bill


----------



## bjmh46 (Feb 15, 2013)

You really need at least a 10 or 15:1 hard reduction--you're looking for 100-150 sfpm for steel, 500-1000 for non-ferrous (brass and aluminum), 3000-3500 for wood and some plastics.  Cutting wood and metal on the same saw has never been a problem for me, I've been doing it on the same saw for 33 years.  The 20 inch DoAll we had at work cut everything from Steel plate to 6 x 8 wood skids and never missed a beat.  A little sensible housekeeping is in order, but not a problem.  A bandsaw is a machine that, in order to get the most out of it, you have got to change blades.  Best thing is to develop some facility in doing it, even if it means modifying the guides to make it easier to change blade size.  A vertical contour band machine is a wondrous thing, I couldn't imagine having a shop without one.

So, get yourself a 10 or 15:1 gearbox, and devise a drive--you'll love the capability.

Bob


----------



## GaryK (Feb 15, 2013)

Thanks for all your comments, but I just bought a dedicated metal cutting bandsaw. Seemed like more trouble that it was worth.
Thanks again.


Gary


----------



## iron man (Feb 16, 2013)

I just did this conversion I got a 14 inch jet bandsaw really cheap I built a small jack shaft and geared it down but it was still to fast. But then a friend of mine come over with a 2 1/2 horse dc treadmill motor with a PWM variable speed control which gives you full power or full voltage through out the range. I have the best of both worlds with just a turn of a dial it works and looks great. Ray


----------



## rdhem2 (Feb 16, 2013)

strider said:


> What speeds did you use for the METAL High-Low?



In feet per minute I can not answer.  I got the local bandsaw blade sales guy to come over and we we set the speeds by look, feel, and reaction of several types of materials.  Roughly set by reading the cycles screen on the VFD.  
High Speed Wood-60hz Delta factory wood speed.  
Low Speed Wood-49hz  
High Speed Metal-30hz 
Low Speed Metal-23hz

That is the beauty of a VFD.  
Greatest thing since sliced bread.

Blade life is great.            :drinkingbeer:


----------



## AlanR (Feb 16, 2013)

Kroll said:


> I have a PM 143 which is a metal cutting BS that has a high and low speed more so for the thickness of the metal,so a VFD would be perfect but.I would think that mixing wood and metal on one BS would contaminate the wood w/metal shavings.Not good--Kroll



You can pick up inexpensive wood bandsaws for cheap on craigslist, I've got one that was given to me that I'm not using. They don't hold up - then trash them.

I've got 3 phase motors kicking around, I might do this, how about 5 HP?


----------



## OrangeAlpine (Feb 16, 2013)

AlanR said:


> You can pick up inexpensive wood bandsaws for cheap on craigslist, I've got one that was given to me that I'm not using. They don't hold up - then trash them.
> 
> I've got 3 phase motors kicking around, I might do this, how about 5 HP?



I've operated my bandsaw with as little as .5 hp, so I guess 5 hp would work.  As they say, there is no kill like overkill.

Bill


----------



## rdhem2 (Feb 18, 2013)

Kroll said:


> I have a PM 143 which is a metal cutting BS that has a high and low speed more so for the thickness of the metal,so a VFD would be perfect but.I would think that mixing wood and metal on one BS would contaminate the wood w/metal shavings.Not good--Kroll




Mr. Kroll;

Pls explain why I would care if my wood shavings were contaminated with metal---or vise versa.
Man, I am lost on this one.          :thinking:


----------



## hman (Feb 18, 2013)

rdhem2 said:


> Mr. Kroll;
> 
> Pls explain why I would care if my wood shavings were contaminated with metal---or vise versa.
> Man, I am lost on this one.          :thinking:



There are two issues here.  

First off, if your blade is crudded up with metal shavings, especially aluminum, the shavings would embed themselves in the cut surface and deposit on the top surface of the wood.  Any blade lubricant would transfer, too.  Depending on your proposed finishing steps, and how "pretty" the wood piece is supposed to be, this could become a headache.

Second is be the possibility of dropping hot metal (especially steel) chips and/or sparks into the deposits of wood sawdust below the table.  Could lead to smoldering, maybe even a fire.  I'm not sure how common this is, but I have heard it mentioned as a general caution on working wood and metal with the same tool.  

I have a wood-cutting bandsaw (the green Taiwan-manufactured Harbor Freight special), and have been considering a conversion - but hesitated for several reasons, including the cross-contamination issues.  If I do decide to go ahead, I'll probably use the "hillbilly jack shaft" method - install a second motor with a small diameter pulley, run a belt to the largest pulley on the original motor, run the saw from the smallest pulley on the original motor.  Using the original motor as a "hillbilly jack shaft" obviously requires that you only power up one motor at a time!!!  And when not using the second motor, remove the belt.

- John
(hman)


----------



## bjmh46 (Feb 19, 2013)

hman said:


> There are two issues here.
> 
> First off, if your blade is crudded up with metal shavings, especially aluminum, the shavings would embed themselves in the cut surface and deposit on the top surface of the wood.  Any blade lubricant would transfer, too.  Depending on your proposed finishing steps, and how "pretty" the wood piece is supposed to be, this could become a headache.
> 
> ...




--Nobody who is serious about wood working is going to cut with a metal cutting blade that has been used for metal.  I repeat myself, but a bandsaw will serve you best if you are willing to change to the appropriate blade for the job.

--First off. I've never had a spark sawing metal at regular metalcutting speeds.  Friction sawing is another story--did I mention housekeeping?
Bob


----------



## Fabrickator (Jul 14, 2014)

I've used an import 14" band saw for cutting wood & metal for many years now. I added a 6" riser block in the backbone to cut up to 12" logs with it for bowl turning blanks and slicing off veneer board strips.  I run a 1 HP motor at 1750 RPM and it has more than enough power to cut a 12" log in two, or a 1" thick block of steel. I reduced the std. speed by about half by a simple pulley change and it worked well for aluminum and wood, but still too fast for steel.  I reduced the speed by half again with a jack shaft and now it cuts at 75 FPM which is ideal for steel but slow for aluminum and wood.  I can live with *slow* for cutting aluminum and the occasional wood because I don't work in a production environment and have plenty of time.

All you have to do is be sure that you're using the correct blade for the material that you're cutting and practice good housekeeping when changing from wood to steel, non-ferrous metals & wood are OK together.

I keep an assortment of blades for *wood* and *metal* in multiple sizes (1/8", 5/16", 3/8", 1/2" and a  3/4" wood rip blade).  If you use them correctly at the right speed and don't force them (overheat), they almost last forever.  Remember, if the part being cut is so hot that a wood pusher block is starting to smell burnt, the blade won't be much farther behind it.  Narrow blades heat up quicker and burn up faster.  They also dissipate heat faster, so stop and let it cool for a few minutes.

Rick


----------



## Fabrickator (Jul 18, 2014)

I found some pics of my band saw with the above mentioned modifications for anyone that may be interested.  The first Taiwan machinery (HF quality) sold in SoCal was Cal Hawk.  I bought this new in 1995 for around $100.


----------

