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View Full Version : what kind of saw to purchase?



jtrom
12-29-2011, 09:45 AM
I need a bandsaw to start my build on a wood plane. (osprey 2). The plans call for many parts to be cut from up to .125 inch Steel and alum. Of course wood and plywood needs to be cut. Is there one bandsaw that will do all this or do I need to buy 2 saws?

Mike Switzer
12-29-2011, 09:51 AM
You really need 2 saws, the speed and the number of teeth per inch are different for metal vs wood. Don't get a cheap one, the blade will be falling off the pulleys all the time.

Hangar10
12-29-2011, 11:49 AM
Mike is right, you really need two saws.

I purchased a 14" Rigid band saw early in my mostly wood project. For wood, it is a great saw for the money... around $300 at Home Depot. For metal, it is not good at all... blade speed is way too fast. I knew this to be the case, but didn't believe it until I smoked through several good quality metal blades. I considered reducing the speed by changing the pulleys, but this gets into excessive labor and expense, plus having to change back and forth each time to cut wood or metal. Pain in the...

Good metal cutting band saws can be had for just a few hundred dollars. Mike says, "don't get a cheap one, the blade will be falling off the pulleys all the time." I assume that he is referring to the Harbor Freight type band saws, which are a little rough around the edges, but when dialed in properly they do a fine job of cutting. I know several people that use these and they cut tubing and flat steel fittings just fine. There are several forums on the web that are geared specifically towards these cheap little band saws... just Google "4x6 band saw" or "4x6 band saw mods" and you'll find several "how to" articles and comments. I personally spent a few extra bucks and bought a Jet 4x6 saw. This is essentially the same as the Harbor Freight and other Chinese band saws except they have taken a little more care in proper setup and used a better quality motor. Mine was trued up and ready to run out of the box. The one thing you will want to do with ANY of these low cost 4x6 saws is to trash the factory blade... none of them are any good. I go to a local outfit to have my blades made... Starrett 14tpi bi-metal type... they cost around $25 and last a long time.

Sometimes you can find a good deal on Craigslist. I found an old Carolina Machine metal band saw for $200, but I never could get the owner to coordinate to meet me. It would be suitable for a small machine shop with a hydraulic down feed and coolant basin. In a way I'm glad that I didn't end up with it as it weighed around 300 pounds and would have been a space hog as well. The little 4x6 type is probably best suited for my needs. Much like any other tool, these saws have to be tuned up a bit to do their best job... most of us that are capable of building an airplane are also capable of making these tools run.

Bottom line, my metal band saw has become one of my favorite tools. It does such a good job, and with very little effort.

corsair82pilot
12-29-2011, 02:51 PM
I just got a Rockwell Bladerunner for Christmas. Look it up on the internet. It really seems to be a great tool. I'm still playing with it, but I like it. :thumbsup:

FlyingRon
12-29-2011, 06:10 PM
The aluminum isn't going to be a problem. I thin aluminum on my wood band saw all the time. To cut steel, you're going to need to slow things down. Delta used to make their "industry standard" 14" saw with a two speed option but I haven't seen one on the market for a good long time. Most of the variable speed ones billed as wood/metal are pricey.

Tom Downey
12-29-2011, 09:07 PM
You really don't need two saws, I'd be looking for one of these http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/tls/2771280697.html they can be slowed down to metal cutting speeds by a couple "V" pulleys. At 1/2 horse power I have one set up as a re-saw to do cold molding 1/8" planks and it works well. they are cheap, easy to store, or build into your work bench.
That said,, I also have a Grizzly 1010 metal cutting band saw, and sears 12" up rite band saw (that doubles as a strip sander) because I'm too lazy to stop and switch speeds and blades.
If you have more time than money, I'd be looking for a used 3 wheeled band saw, on craigslist or E-Bay

WLIU
12-30-2011, 02:14 PM
I will offer the advice that a good bi-metalic blade intended to cut aluminum won't last long on a 3 wheel bandsaw as the weld that makes it a loop doesn't like the small wheels.

There are a number of 14" two wheeled band saws on the market that you can get multiple wood cutting or a metal cutting blade for. On these saws, blade changing is easy. If you look around to find a used machinery seller, they can be found relatively inexpensively. You can find private sales on Craigslist or on woodworking message boards.

The best blades are not found at a big box store. Try a woodworking place for different sized wood cutting blades, and an industrial supplier for a good metal cutting blade. The blades are not that expensive so you can stock a narrow (1/4") for cutting curves and wider ones for cutting straight line stuff.

You can cut most aluminum using a metal cutting blade at wood cutting speeds. For steel you need to slow down and best use cutting oil. That said, since I have carbide toothed blades on my table saw and miter saw, I usually run aluminum through them. Noisy but quick. Take the usual safety precautions.

Best of luck,

Wes
N78PS

flyingriki
12-30-2011, 02:36 PM
I need a bandsaw to start my build on a wood plane. (osprey 2). The plans call for many parts to be cut from up to .125 inch Steel and alum. Of course wood and plywood needs to be cut. Is there one bandsaw that will do all this or do I need to buy 2 saws?

Not a maintenance issue.......

jtrom
12-30-2011, 06:39 PM
Not a maintenance issue............but it is a workshop issue

flyingriki
12-30-2011, 10:11 PM
.....but it is a workshop issue

It's a "Homebuilder" issue and there is a place for that.

jtrom
12-31-2011, 07:50 AM
It's a "Homebuilder" issue and there is a place for that.Yeah that would have been the place to post it....I am new here and that was my first post....sorry

Hal Bryan
12-31-2011, 09:46 AM
Yeah that would have been the place to post it....I am new here and that was my first post....sorry

No harm done - as you can see, this thread now lives in the Homebuilders Corner forum. I would have moved it sooner, but I was travelling for the holidays with limited connectivity.

Chris In Marshfield
12-31-2011, 03:46 PM
I saw this saw recently at Harbor Freight and considered buying it:

http://www.harborfreight.com/14-inch-four-speed-woodworking-bandsaw-67595.html

I (http://www.harborfreight.com/14-inch-four-speed-woodworking-bandsaw-67595.html)t's a multi-speed rig that will go down to 600FPM. Don't know if it's appropriate for steel (I think those devices tend to be slower; less than 200FPM), but it'll probably be okay for aluminum. I have a friend with one, and he said it takes some tweaking to get it set up well from its out-of-the-box state. But it's been a pretty good unit overall, according to him.

I ended up with a different saw (Ridgid 14" another poster noted), so I may end up getting a dedicated saw for steel when the time comes.

~Chris

flyingriki
12-31-2011, 08:08 PM
Yeah that would have been the place to post it....I am new here and that was my first post....sorry

Just let us know what saw you get and how it works out.

And HAPPY NEW YEAR to you!

Tom Downey
12-31-2011, 09:47 PM
I saw this saw recently at Harbor Freight and considered buying it:

http://www.harborfreight.com/14-inch-four-speed-woodworking-bandsaw-67595.html

~Chris

That looks like the Grizzly 14" saw
http://www.grizzly.com/products/14-Extreme-Series-Bandsaw/G0555X
My kid has one and it works great.

Hangar10
12-31-2011, 10:56 PM
You can have the Rigid for the same price... I would recommend it as you can get parts and service if necessary. I've used mine pretty heavily for 3 years with no problems.

holger
01-04-2012, 12:48 AM
The Grizzly is a nicer bandsaw then the Harborfreight, but useless for metal cutting with its 3000 fpm blade speed. Unless you slow it down somehow. The Harborfreight's slowest speed is 600 fpm, which works well for aluminum, and even steel. I've cut stainless steel with it, just going real slow and adding cutting fluid. The table and fence are quite lacking on the Harborfreight saw. Here is my dream saw (seriously considering it, seeing how much time I spend on my bandsaw): http://www.grizzly.com/products/17-Metal-Wood-Bandsaw-w-Inverter-Motor/G0640X . This one can be slowed down to 100 fpm.

Tom Downey
01-04-2012, 12:57 AM
For that price you can buy a used Doall.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DoAll-DO-ALL-MODEL-BF-BANDSAW-BAND-SAW-FILER-/400084630215?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d26e6fac7#ht_4271wt_983

holger
01-04-2012, 01:13 AM
For that price you can buy a used Doall.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DoAll-DO-ALL-MODEL-BF-BANDSAW-BAND-SAW-FILER-/400084630215?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d26e6fac7#ht_4271wt_983
I don't even have the space for the Grizzly, if I'm honest. Great saw for steel, but pretty slow for anything else, and no fence. I'd pick the Grizzly over the Doall.

Tom Downey
01-04-2012, 01:32 PM
I don't even have the space for the Grizzly, if I'm honest. Great saw for steel, but pretty slow for anything else, and no fence. I'd pick the Grizzly over the Doall.
I live about 45 minutes from the Bellingham Grizzly outlet and go to their demo's and that is a great saw but a little large for the average home builder. I have an old Sears 12" that I use almost every day it is the handiest saw in the shop. (turn it on, zip, turn it off) They still support it with blades and sander belts, and all parts, I have never had to replace any thing on it. I do re-sharpen the blades for it, that is time consuming at 1 tooth at a time, but they are better than what you buy.

jtrom
01-11-2012, 03:45 PM
.
If you have more time than money, I'd be looking for a used 3 wheeled band saw, on craigslist or E-Bay[/QUOTE]


Is a 3 wheeled saw easier to slow down the blade speed?

Eric Witherspoon
01-11-2012, 05:55 PM
Is a 3 wheeled saw easier to slow down the blade speed?

I believe the 3-wheeled saw is a work-around for getting a deeper throat with a relatively short blade than would be possible with that same length blade around only 2 wheels. As someone else said, the 3rd wheel is small diameter - purposely kicked way out to the side to expand the space that the part can be run through. If you haven't pictured/seen it yet, the size of part you can cut on a band saw is defined by what you can fit _inside_ the "racetrack" or "triangular" shape that the blade makes as it passes over the wheels.

My experience is, buy a longer-bladed 2 wheel saw - not just because it was said the small-diameter 3rd wheel can be tough on (break) blades, but because when you go into the local woodworking specialty shop, you will be able to _find_ blades. It seems to me those whose hobby is woodworking don't mess around with 50-odd-inch bladed saws. It's more in the range of 90-inches-plus. My saw takes a blade somewhere in the low 90's - 92, 93? Anyway, I go to the local woodworking shop, there's multiple blade widths, teeth-per-inch, brands, and price points of saw blade to choose from. With a "shorty" bandsaw, you walk in there, there can be ZERO blades to choose from...

Also, if I were inclined to spend a lot more money on the saw, when you get into 14"+ size band saws, the woodworking shops also sell a lot of "hotrod" parts that will fit the common/major brands of saws - smoother running blade guides, etc. All kinds of parts that can be replaced with higher-end stuff to make the saw cut straighter and smoother. If you have a little, tiny, cheapo saw, nobody's making any aftermarket parts for it, so you'll be stuck with trying to adjust and tune it rather than being able to buy outright better parts for it.