Portaband saw

[Terry_Dodson]

I just got a portaband saw from Harbor Freight to profile blades with. It is this one that is on sale now:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=47840
I also got a new bi-metal blade from Lowes for it just in case. Will this cut leaf springs and hardened steel or do i need to anneal them first? Do i need to use cutting fluid or anything as i cut metal?

[Bruce Bump]

Leaf springs are at around 49 rockwell hardness and will need to be annealed first. A cutting torch or a chop saw works to cut em short enough to get them in the oven or forge.

[Gene Ingram]

I've been using a portaband for all annealed steel profiling without using fluid/coolant. Even the worn blades work well for cutting out micarta. I buy my blades from MSC for about $5 each.

[Raymond Richard]

I'd like to hear how it works once you get it. I've been using a Milwauki portaband for 10 years. BTW, the blades they have at HF are as good as you can get anywhere for alot less money.

[Terry_Dodson]

I cut a couple pieces of annealed 1080 steel (i had forged a blade a little and used the saw to cut it off and work on the tang a little). Seemed to work pretty good. But i have some legnths of used truck leaf springs from a spring shop and wondered if i could use it to cut them before working them.

[Raymond Richard]

If there used leaf springs they have already been hardened. You need to anneal them...

[nc_cooter]

Terry,
Thanks for posting the link to the saw. I just ordered one from HF. The price is definately right. The old hacksaw is going to get a rest.
Mike

[Ed Schempp]

I've used my Porta-band for about 15 years. I broke the drive chain but the parts haven't changed, and I have replaced the piece. I cut about anything below spring hardness including a spring. The harder the material the less life of the blade. I usually get the best preformance with the best blade manufacturers, Starret and Lenox. With some brands like Simmonds they just spray teeth. When cutting air hardening stainless steels try not to stop during the cut or the material will air harden. Chop saw cuts are also hard. If you have a paragon oven, use it. You can do a quick anneal on most materials. Soak at 1250 for ten minutes and remove from the oven. I find this material to be about RC20. If you let it slow cool it will get down to RC 8-13. At RC 20 most of the high carbon stuff is very workable...Take Care...Ed

[Will52100]

Been using a porta band for a two or three years with good sucsess.

Just out of curiosity, has anybody ever made up there own blades for it? I can get a bandsaw blade welder for 129$ from Harbor Frieght and by the band saw in 100' roll for 46$ That translates to less than 2$ a blade.

I've cut springs at hardness, but as stated there hard on blades. If you don't have access to a forge or oven to aneal just through them on a brush fire, and when there cool they will be a lot easier to cut. I've tried cutting fluids and such, but haven't had any great positives or negitives one way or the other, one way is a little slower and wears blades out a little faster the other is a lot messier. I would like to try some of the solid cutting lubes, seems it would work better on a bandsaw.