Anyone using a Porta-Band type saw as a their vertical bandsaw?

[matthewsx]

Sorry, just re-read your post. I thought you already had a wood cutting saw and were trying to make that work.

Agree with the coldsaw comment above. I'll be letting my horizontal bandsaw go when I get my little vertical set up since I have a small coldsaw for cutting bar stock. The coldsaw is just freaking amazing and all the much better that it was free. I think it's tough getting something that will do double duty here, solid bar stock can easily (but not accurately) be cut with a 4" angle grinder. Horizontal saws also do well with this but are pretty limited when turned vertical.

If most of your bar is fairly small then switching to a capable vertical saw for pattern type work might be fine if you're just cutting solid pieces to length for working on the lathe or mill and don't mind the mess and noise of abrasive cutting.

I'll let others comment on portaband saws since I don't currently own one.

Like I said, I might not be that helpful here....

John

 

[DavidR8]

Blades are simple, 3 teeth on the workpiece, can't always get there so super fine for sheet metal.

What's the saw doing when you try cutting the pieces you have?

John

I just checked the specs and pulley sizes:
1725 rpm motor
1.75" pulley on the motor driving a 4.75"/1.75" jackshaft pulley driving a 6" pulley attached to 14" diameter wheel.
(Not sure that makes sense...)
There's definitely room to add a larger jackshaft and final pulley.
Looks to be about 674 SFM at the slowest speed. Which as far as I can tell is about twice as fast as it should be for metal.


I figured out the wheel speed using this calculator:

Pulleys and Belts - Inch

Visually calculate pulley size rpm belt length and speed wwith animated scaled diagrams - Inch

www.blocklayer.com

I took the ratio of 1:9.31 and 185 rpm and got as close as I could to that using this calculator:

Band Saw Calculator | Blade SFPM - Inch

Visually Calculate Blade SFPM and Length, Pulleys and Belt, Wheel Centers and RPM. Inch

www.blocklayer.com

 

[davidpbest]

@davidpbest Do you cut solid stock with your metal saw?

If you mean my Dewalt cold saw, then yes. I’ve cut through 5x5 304 stainless, 1018 steel, and 6061 aluminum with it.

 

[DavidR8]

If you mean my Dewalt cold saw, then yes. I’ve cut through 5x5 304 stainless, 1018 steel, and 6061 aluminum with it.

Thanks David, that's a good data point for me.

 

[matthewsx]

I just checked the specs and pulley sizes:
1725 rpm motor
1.75" pulley on the motor driving a 4.75"/1.75" jackshaft pulley driving a 6" pulley attached to 14" diameter wheel.
(Not sure that makes sense...)
There's definitely room to add a larger jackshaft and final pulley.
Looks to be about 674 SFM at the slowest speed. Which as far as I can tell is about twice as fast as it should be for metal.
View attachment 403096

I figured out the wheel speed using this calculator:

Pulleys and Belts - Inch

Visually calculate pulley size rpm belt length and speed wwith animated scaled diagrams - Inch

www.blocklayer.com

View attachment 403098
I took the ratio of 1:9.31 and 185 rpm and got as close as I could to that using this calculator:

Band Saw Calculator | Blade SFPM - Inch

Visually Calculate Blade SFPM and Length, Pulleys and Belt, Wheel Centers and RPM. Inch

www.blocklayer.com

View attachment 403099

Yeah, too fast. But you have tools, see if you can slow it down.

John

 

[DavidR8]

I'll check my local supply house and see if I can't find some larger/smaller pulley combos.

 

[Aukai]

I have the swag setup, the throat is very limiting ~ 5", and it is slow, but if it's all that you have, it's the best.

 

[projectnut]

Depending on the size and types of metal you intend to cut you might want to look at a real cold saw. I just purchased a used Baileigh CS-350-EU for about the same price as most of the porta-band saws available at Home Depot.

Variable Speed Circular Cold Saw - CS-350EU

Variable Speed Circular Cold Saw - CS-350EU

www.baileigh.com

This one will be replacing a Black & Decker similar to the one David Best showed in an earlier post. While the B&D works fine for what it is, I much prefer a sturdier saw with slower blade speed.

The Baileigh has a fairly small footprint and can cut up to 4'x 4" square stock and 4.7" round stock. It has a 14" blade, that can vary from 24 rpm to 120 rpm. The nice thing is that it's 220 single phase, so no vfd or phase converter are needed. It is a bit of a beast in that it weighs in at around 700 lbs.

These saws come on the market from time to time at prices that are more than affordable. I've been looking on and off for one for a few years. All those at the regular places like eBay, Facebook Marketplace, and Craigslist seem to have unrealistic prices for the condition of the machines they are selling. I happened across this one at a used equipment dealer.

The machine is now setting in the garage at the family cottage about 100 miles from home. I'm in the process of disassembling it into pieces small enough to bring home in the family vehicle. The first stop for the bulk of the pieces will be the local DIY car wash. Once everything is cleaned I'll reassemble it in the shop and put it to work.

This may be a bit of an extended project. Normally I would load the entire machine into the trailer, bring it home in 1 piece and disassemble, clean, and reassemble it here. Unfortunately at this point in time the ground is so soft the trailer would dig deep ruts trying to remove it from its parking pad, so disassembly is done before transportation, and reassembly will be done in the shop. I'm also assuming there will be delays in the assembly due to the normal yard work chores that have to be performed every spring.

 

[Aaron_W]

I don`t understand the suggestion of a cold saw to replace a vertical bandsaw. As a replacement for a horizontal makes sense, but I thought one of the major reasons for a vertical bandsaw was cutting shapes or wide sheet stock too big for a horizontal. I don't see a cold saw being useful for either of those uses.

 

[Cadillac]

I use a portaband on a stand for small pieces. I have a vertical 14” bandsaw which get used for larger work. Or longer cuts thin and thick. I have a horizontal to which I use more for bar stock, thicker cuts. Horizontal is nice because you can walk away and let it work.
To me each saw has its place yes you can get by with just one. I probably use the all about the same. Small and quick is where I think the portaband shines.