Bandsaw RPM

[JN7556]

What is a good RPM on a bandsaw for cutting steel? All the saws ive looked at have RPM speeds listed, but then i can only find feet per minute or inches per second speeds when i google what speed i should look for.

 

[Lieblad]

.....,

 

[Alpha Knife Supply]

I prefer 60 feet per minute which is the slowest speed on my saws. At this speed the bandsaw blades last a long time and I make mistakes slower.

Chuck

 

[JN7556]

Owing to near endless design & size of machines, RPM is meaningless on a bandsaw without knowing diameters of its wheels. Given those numbers, one can calculate the SFPM, but that applies only to that specific machine. The taller, smaller, deeper throat, etc. machine may need to run blades at a given speed but their "RPM" will of course be different.
Bandsaws as well as beltsanders list speed as SFPM.

Okay, thanks. I guess i was just looking in the wrong places. Maybe it was motor speed that had rpm listed, and not cutting speed.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

For cutting steel, slow is the ay to go. 100 SFPM or less is where you need to be. 60-80 is the norm.

Good blades are equally important. A quality bi-metal blade will cut best. I like the Lenox "Die-master 2" blades in 1/2X.025" and 18 or 24 TPI.

 

[butcher_block]

im running mine a bit "hot" at 120sfpm but i can step it down to 60 if i want most of my cutting is 3/32XHP steel and high tooth count bi metal blades

 

[Salem Straub]

I run about 90 FPM on my blades.
When you determine your wheel size, you can then do the math by finding the circumference of the wheel, then determining how many RPM it would need to spin for you to get the correct SFM on the surface of the wheel, and hence your blade.
Online SFPM calculators can be found, which make it a snap. And, you can get a digital tachometer if you like, to gauge your SFM or RPM speeds in actuality.

 

[Kentucky]

We do about 90 like Salem and have cut up to 9" wide plate steel on it. Lenox bi metal blades.