What is the best kind of powered metal saw?

How good is a vertical band saw with a sled and a weight to apply steady pressure? The reason I ask is I have a 14" bandsaw with the slow speed pully so it would be much cheaper to just add a bi-metal blade and make a sled for it. Am I missing something good by doing this instead of yet another tool to take up space? For the rare times I have a piece of stock that is too large for the machine I can use the "saw my buddy owns" route.

Brian
 
Mine is arse over head. My buddy owns a vertical and I have horizontal. My thought is that as long as you can make any saw do what you want it is a good fit.

Steve
 
Pacer said:
I agree on the little 4x6 band saw...

For the home shop that one little tool is probably THE best bargain and also has to rank as one of the most useful there is out there. And yes, they can often take some 'tweaking' but still..... I think I'd fight a bear if somebody wanted to take mine away.
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All the enthusiasm for the HF 4x6 bandsaw won me over, (after I spent an hour or so cutting a 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" block of aluminum with a SawzAll knockoff), so I went out and bought one today. The price was $249.99 less my 20% off coupon, so I paid $199.xx. I have to get it from the garage to the basement before I can set it up; maybe tomorrow morning.

Several of you have mentioned tweaking the saw or the blade; is there someplace where these techniques/mods are available online? If so, could someone please provide a link?

Many thanks to all!

Charlie
 
clevinski said:
All the enthusiasm for the HF 4x6 bandsaw won me over, (after I spent an hour or so cutting a 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" block of aluminum with a SawzAll knockoff), so I went out and bought one today. The price was $249.99 less my 20% off coupon, so I paid $199.xx. I have to get it from the garage to the basement before I can set it up; maybe tomorrow morning.

Several of you have mentioned tweaking the saw or the blade; is there someplace where these techniques/mods are available online? If so, could someone please provide a link?

Many thanks to all!

Charlie
Click to expand...

Certainly, go here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/4x6bandsaw/

You'll have to join the group to get access to all the files and pics, but it's free to join.


M
 
bhowden said:
How good is a vertical band saw with a sled and a weight to apply steady pressure? The reason I ask is I have a 14" bandsaw with the slow speed pully so it would be much cheaper to just add a bi-metal blade and make a sled for it. Am I missing something good by doing this instead of yet another tool to take up space? For the rare times I have a piece of stock that is too large for the machine I can use the "saw my buddy owns" route.

Brian
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Vertical bandsaws are more versatile in my opinion.
Lots of ways to add fixtures, slides, sleds, weights, etc.
The best option is to go both ways, the horizontal for the longer, heavier, stock; the vertical for more intimate, up close, sawing.
 
I have a 14" band saw and it cuts aluminum just fine. I can not get it to cut 1018 at all. Is this the norm or could it be my blade? What TPI should I use? Currently usinga 16TPI.
 
autonoz said:
I have a 14" band saw and it cuts aluminum just fine. I can not get it to cut 1018 at all. Is this the norm or could it be my blade? What TPI should I use? Currently usinga 16TPI.
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It's probably too fast for steel. most metal cutting band saws have an extra reduction. You can cut AL at 400+ FPM and steels are around 100-150 FPM.

Blades I normally use a 1014 TPI for general purpose.

Steve
 
Here is my current "bandsaw". it will cut up to 4 inches square. but that pushing it, it's pretty accurate as far as square cuts. I copied this from another machinist who posted the very same set up ( Rockwell Porta band, pivot bearings, ect ) and I downloaded the images, scaled off the dimension and made my own "porta chop", like his my band saw is removable from the frame. I was planning to convert it for vertical cutting, but I may just buy one for that purpose. I also have a chop box ( read mitre box ) that I have a metal cutting blade for it, it works, but the rpms are too fast and over time it will kill the motor if i keep cutting stock on it. I save it for mitered cuts, but other than that it serves by wood cutting duties that it was intended for.rockwell porta chop2.jpg

rockwell porta chop.jpg rockwell porta chop2.jpg
 
clevinski said:
All the enthusiasm for the HF 4x6 bandsaw won me over, (after I spent an hour or so cutting a 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" block of aluminum with a SawzAll knockoff), so I went out and bought one today. The price was $249.99 less my 20% off coupon, so I paid $199.xx. I have to get it from the garage to the basement before I can set it up; maybe tomorrow morning.

Several of you have mentioned tweaking the saw or the blade; is there someplace where these techniques/mods are available online? If so, could someone please provide a link?

Many thanks to all!

Charlie
Click to expand...

There's LOTS of mods for these saws on the Yahoo group you have been given the link to. First is probably a decent blade, followed quickly by making a new, more stable, stand. Mine seldom moves, so I kept the stand it came with, you just need to work within its limitations. There's been lots of ingenious ways posted on how to hold and cut metal that you would think the saw was incapable of. I had my saw 13 years before joining the yahoo group, and in the 2 years or so since joining, I have done much more work because of the mods posted there. I even posted a couple (of little ones) myself. I am sure you will enjoy using your new saw.

Martin.
 
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