Metal cutting....

Alain M-D

Alain M-D

Joined
Jan 20, 2002
Messages
237
Hello everybody !
Last week I got a cheap Horizontal-vertical bansaw (finally!)
During the first blade cutting tests, I broke many teeth. Ok, It was
the default blade coming with the saw, very cheap...

Now, I bought good a 18 tpi bi-metal blade and I wonder if I must
use a cutting fluid or a lubricant when I cut metal? This bandsaw
are not made for use cutting fluid system, but would that be a good
idea to apply a little cutting oil manually? (so yes which kind?)

I imagine that also always should be used the slowest speed?

Do you cut your ATS-34 and 440c dry ?

Thanks !

Alain M-D
 
Alain,

Run it slow and cut it dry. If it takes a long time because the work piece is thick, periodically stop to let the motor cool down.

Roger
 
Make suer you have at least three teeth in contact with the work. So the thinner the piece being cut the higher the tooth count. Also once a couple of teeth in a row have sheared off and created a bald spot it will spread very rapidly. Up to a couple of inches per blade revolution.

WS
 
You did the right thing by buying a good blade, the one supplied with the machine is junk. If I am cutting through some thicker material, and it is taking some time, I will spray WD40 on the outside of the blade, just where it contacts the work piece. Maybe it's all in my mind, but it seems to help.:D
 
I have found that if you break off a couple of teeth, you can take the band saw blade to the belt grinder and grind a gradual taper from the broken spot a couple of inches in either direction and extend the life of the blade a little. This keeps the steel you are cutting from hitting directly on the edge of the next teeth and shearing them off as quickly. (If you're down to your last bandsaw blade and need it, you will figure out a way to keep it going long enough to finish what you're working on!)
 
Some of the things I've found out over the years in using a bandsaw are - when you get a new blade, uncoil it and put on the machine, without a lot of tension. Turn the saw on and let it run for a few minutes to relax the blade, then tension it and saw lightly for the first few minutes.
If you saw titanium and blade steel, use a blade for each. You'll get much more life out of them.
Use bi metal blades, they're worth it.
I saw dry, except for aluminum. With it, I use an aluminum cutting/tapping fluid. Keeps the teeth from clogging up so bad.
Unless I'm friction cutting, I saw everything slow.
 
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