The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details:
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is $300 $250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
I have a couple questions,
1. Would a jigsaw and metal cutting blades work good enough for cutting steel?
2. Can you use a cheap bandsaw on steel? Do they make metal cutting blades for the cheap bandsaws? Or does it take one of the porta band saws?
Im looking for the cheapest yet still effective way of cutting stock to size.... Without always using a hacksaw LOL
Thanks!!
I am going to try it with my VS scroll saw and some metal gutting blades.....though I doubt it'll be very effective. What about an angle grinder, WW? Process is dirty as hell, but workable. Wheels are cost effective and the tools are pretty cheap and portable....
I don't know about the jigsaw but I doubt it would work.
If by cheap you mean woodcutting bandsaws for cutting steel, then no. The run way to fast for cutting steel. I looked into that at well. They are useful for cutting out handles though. They don't cut as accurate as a scroll saw does but it will get you close.
Jeremy
Cut off wheels for a 4" angle grinder are very thin kerf and don't waste much metal at all.
yeah, an angle grinder will work. With abrasives you want high speed. With blades you want low-speed.
But angle grinders freak me out, so I won't recommend it unless you have experience with 'em already.
It will throw a massive shower of sparks, so make sure that's ok in your environment.
I hear ya buddy. I see wood cutting bandsaws at yard sales all the time. $20-$50. If they cut steel I would have a few of them.
I did see a video of a portaband set up vertically on a stand. it looked really cool. Just a couple of screws and it is back to being portable.
Jeremy
Please do!
Jeremy
I thought he was talking about cutting off sections of steel to length. An angle grinder would be fine for that. Accurate, thin kerf..lot's of sparks. A bi-metal blade (for ferrous or non-ferrous) can be put on any band saw and will cut annealed steel all day long. You may have to look around to have them made up in the size you need, but it's not that hard to find a vendor. I have a 1938 Gallmeyer and Livingston band saw and I just buy 91 inch ferrous cutting blades for it. I also have a little yard sale band saw with a bi-metal blade and it cuts steel fine. Any band saw will work. If pics would be helpful, I can post some.
I've been tooling around with that too. Hell, your just one state over, we ought coordinate our time, you come down for that weekend and we can use my shop. I should have all the tools covered.
I find that if I polish a knife too much I end up not using it; it looks too pretty to me. Lately I have been forcing myself to go no farther than 300 grit when sanding a blade.
...... always make sure the disk is spinning towards a safe direction (not just for sparks but in case the disk shatters... use one enough and it will happen eventually...)