How do I slow my bandsaw down?

synthesist

synthesist

So many knives so little time
Joined
Sep 14, 2004
Messages
933
I am about to start this hobby again. I have more time to devote to it now.

I don't, however, have all the tools I'd like handy (go figure that one out)..

Example - I have a bandsaw that's dandy for wood but way, way too fast for steel, although it has worked well on aluminum in a pinch. I recall reading about an 8 speed Rockwell bandsaw in a knife book once upon a time. I don't need 8 speeds - 2 would be fine; a wood speed and a metal speed (what those are exactly I haven't looked up.).

So my question is this - how do I go about this? Can I buy a transmission/speed reducer and bolt it in place for under $200? Should I just buy a cheap HF 4X6 and build a stand for it? Am I tilting at windmills here and just use my sawzall/hacksaw or a cutoff wheel in my right angle grinder? Shall I just gnaw on the steel till it dies of laughter?

Thanks for all ideas, wisecracks and flames.

Syn
 
You'd be better off buying one for steel than trying to convert the wood bandsaw. I picked up a HF porta band and have used it little over a year but I think its days are numbered. There on sale for 69 bucks quite often and there fairly easy to fix in a upright position.
 
Buy a HF metal bandsaw or one from ENCO.
This is the second piece of equipment I recommend for any knifemaker.
Thanks,
Del
 
Grab it with your hand to slow it down, once out of hospital, sue the manufactorer for selling a produck dickheads can be injured on, use settlement to buy a metal bandsaw with variable speed motor.

/wisecracks off

alternatively just get a cheap metal saw from somewhere and skip the hospital part.
It's doubtful the motor in the saw can take a different voltage than it has going in at the moment, but maybe a 2 way switch attached to a voltage regulator so one settign is straight from the wall, the other gets the power run through a converter to lower volts and amps to turn the motor slower???
 
I'd go with the Harbor Freight bandsaw for metal. You can get some good buys when they have them on sale. I've had mine a long time and I've never done anything but replace blades and make a bigger table fot it.
 
Do you have room to change pulley's, they sell step down pulleys that can be attached to both motor and the drive for the blade. My old drill press has about 5 steps down and up to change speeds. Just a thought, don't know your band saw, good luck.:D
 
James Todd said:
Do you have room to change pulley's, they sell step down pulleys that can be attached to both motor and the drive for the blade. My old drill press has about 5 steps down and up to change speeds. Just a thought, don't know your band saw, good luck.:D
Click to expand...

A step down pulley isn't going to be enough. I had an old Craftman's wood band saw awhile back. I had to gone with 4 pulleys and it was still to fast for steel.
 
bandsaw.jpg
Well, you could do this - but I recommend against it. It cost me more for all the pullys, shafts, and pillow blocks - not to mention the time spent building it - than if I had just bought the Harbor Freight saw. (This was years ago, and I didn't know about those saws at the time.)
 
Okay then.................... the HF sounds like the universal, and cheap, answer, although A. Brett Schaller's stepdown transmission really appeals to the gadgeteer in me.

I did make one phone call to a toolmaker bud who called back and said he has some kinda Milwaukee hand bandsaw I can borrow........... I tried to call him back and he's off to the U P for the weekend so unless he picks up my message and calls me back I'm doomed to curiosity til Monday. The -> http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=47840 for $70 looks pretty possible. Quick, cheap answer for now. Thankfully HF has a Chicago area store so I can check this out next week.

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm, one question though, what kinda stand does this thing need? Any plans for this around? Hopefully bolt together from angle/tubing/strut, not welded.

Thanks

Syn
 
You can also put a 180 volt dc motor with a vari control on it like Rob Fink sells for his grinders. The Band saw you mentioned at the first of this thread is probably the Wilton Tradsman, 14" Wood & Metal cutting Badn Saw. It sell for about 1100. A good machine. But pricey. I'm using a Tractor Supply version of the Harbor Frieght saw. Works just finel Just get the Lenox die master II bi-metal blade for it, and you are in buisness. Mike
 
H'mmmmmmmm.

So many ideas, sooooooooooo many possibilities.

I have a 2hp DC treadmill motor that I was going to use for a variable speed buffer which I haven't built yet either. I have a homebrew variable speed controller for my Bader that could be used for this motor too I suppose. I have to look at this stuff and see whether I can mount this motor on my bandsaw.

Me likey that idea a lot. It's cheap (since I have everything, I think) and quick. When I get home later I'm gonna dig this stuff out. Now if I only can remember how this motor is wired up.......................

Syn
 
I got a good, general-purpose bandsaw that already was slow enough for some metals, put a 2 hp 3-phase motor in with VFD. This way I can slow it down a little more for certain metals without loosing too much torque and I can speed it up to screamin' for wood and other soft stuff.:thumbup:
 

Attachments

  • bandsawbig.JPG.jpg
    bandsawbig.JPG.jpg
    39.1 KB · Views: 55
synthesist said:
...

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm, one question though, what kinda stand does this thing need? Any plans for this around? Hopefully bolt together from angle/tubing/strut, not welded.

Thanks

Syn
Click to expand...

There are some links to mounts/stands for the portable band saw here.
Regards,
Greg
 
Okay then.........................

Lets pick this up where my bud, the tool and die maker, GIFTS me a Milwaukee portable bandsaw ( he said he wanted a new, cordless one - www.stouttool.com ), very useful.

I've used this sucker a bunch of times where I put what ever I'm cutting in vise and hack it off. Works like a charm. You hold the switch and saw away. That's the rub right there. You have to hold the switch with one hand while you are cutting. Nice safety feature for a portable tool but I wanna build a stand and use it the same way his new one works, flip a switch, cut using 2 hands and then switch it off.

So can I replace the Milwaukee's switch or override it without ruining this tool? Ideally I'd like to keep the switch it has in place but use a switch mounted on the stand I'm building when the saw is locked into the stand.

Thoughts, ideas, and flames all accepted with equanimity.

Syn
 
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=93762

It's by no means the best bandsaw, but for the price you buy it, get some decent blades, and when it breaks in a couple years you get another (or by then have enough money to buy an actuall nice pricy long lasting metal cutting bandsaw) It's inexpensive enough that you use it and dont worry about it. I bought one a few months ago and it's very handy. You just need to be patient when cutting with it, it's like a power hacksaw, you might spend 30 mins on one sizeable cut, but it's still faster than by hand, and much cleaner and more precise than an angle grinder.
 
I'll think about that HF bandsaw if something happens to the Milwaukee portable I'm using. It's worked well for the things I've tried to cut with it so far.

I do wanna build a bench mount/stand for it though so I can use 2 hands on what I'm cutting as opposed to holding it in a vise and the saw in my hands.

Thanks for the thought Justin. I admit to a kinda/sorta preconceived prejudice against companies like Harbor Freight and Grizzley, based on past sad, and expensive, experiences. Things may have improved, but I haven't bought any HF power tools recently...........so I'm not sure.

Syn
 
synthesist said:
Okay then.........................

Lets pick this up where my bud, the tool and die maker, GIFTS me a Milwaukee portable bandsaw ( he said he wanted a new, cordless one - www.stouttool.com ), very useful.

I've used this sucker a bunch of times where I put what ever I'm cutting in vise and hack it off. Works like a charm. You hold the switch and saw away. That's the rub right there. You have to hold the switch with one hand while you are cutting. Nice safety feature for a portable tool but I wanna build a stand and use it the same way his new one works, flip a switch, cut using 2 hands and then switch it off.

So can I replace the Milwaukee's switch or override it without ruining this tool? Ideally I'd like to keep the switch it has in place but use a switch mounted on the stand I'm building when the saw is locked into the stand.

Thoughts, ideas, and flames all accepted with equanimity.

Syn
Click to expand...

I have a blacksmith friend who uses a portaband saw as a mounted upright. When he built the stand he added a small pivoting arm that you push and latch and the opposite end presses the saws trigger and away you go. I think someone actually sells a mount system for the Milwaukee brand saws
 
I just picked up the HF bandsaw today at my local store. It was on sale in the store for $159.99, and they even let me use the 20% off coupon I found posted here on the forums the other day. Now I just have to put the thing together.
 
Depending on the current rating on your bandsaws motor you might be able to get yourself a variac which will control the voltage output and control the speed.
 
Synthesist
Build your stand, mount the band saw,put a cable tie onthe switch of the band saw.Wire an extension cord with a 2 plug electric socket and before the socket box put a simple light switch. Plug the band saw into the cord the when you flip the switch, Hopefully it runs.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top