More Bandsaw (and blade) choice questions (and reasons why)

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Cushing H.

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Previous threads do not seem to quite address these questions....

Did a lot of driving around yesterday, and managed to obtain (used) both my critical-need shop equipment: a bandsaw and drill press:):thumbsup:.

On the bandsaw: this is a Craftsman 12" 1/2 HP, single speed, saw (with stand - not benchtop). need to tune it up, and get a blade (or blades). the questions below come from my rather significant lack of knowledge on "optimizing" for different materials and cutting activities :(.

First question: much of my initial need will be ripping and re-sawing activities on handle material - including resinous tropicals. so I get that I should look at bi-metal and maybe carbide blades, 1/2 inch for mostly straight cuts. got it. But on tooth count - tutorials on-line seem to indicate that for ripping and re-sawing work, you should look at low tpi - maybe 3-4 tpi. that just seems counter-intuitive to me: for low material loss and nice clean cuts leaving a clean surface, would you not want lots of really little teeth each with little offset? Or am I thinking about this wrong - and the real benefit of the low TPI is more related to their ability to sweep out the cut material??

Second question: not right away, but later, I will likely want to use this saw to do gross material removal on stock prior to profiling on a grinder. I am not against changing blades as needed for this activity. Bi-metal, high tpi (~18 tpi) ... got it. However, previous posts have indicated the need to slow down the blade when cutting metal. With a single-speed unit, I do not have that option. did I choose wrong, and am I out of luck with later using this unit to cut metal? Also, cant use cutting lubricant with this (rubber wheels). Is there a way I can adjust technique to use this saw to do at least gross material removal without things going badly?

Hopefully someone can chime in fairly quickly - would like to head out later today and pick up a blade ... at least to start with.
 
I have a Craftsman 10" bandsaw similar to yours and I didn't have much luck cutting metal. I did purchase a very high quality bi-metal blade for it but it wore out very quickly cutting 1/8" steel stock. It worked OK for cutting thin metal tubing, but that was about it. I even had trouble cutting aluminum stock with it.

I bought a used Milwaukee portable band saw instead for cutting steel. Harbor Freight also has a decent one made by Bauer. On sale they'll usually run about a $100.00

edited to add...I'm using 18 TPI for cutting wood and its does a good job with nice clean cuts. However I didn't research my choice. It just happened to be the type of blade that was on the saw when I bought it.
 
Last edited:
seanj said:
I bought a used Milwaukee portable band saw instead for cutting steel.
Click to expand...
I have heard this mentioned... but how on earth do you use these hand-held devices? Clamp the steel vertically in a vise, and hand-guide the saw horizontally through the material?
 
You either clamp the material, clamp the saw or buy/make a table that bolts in the place of the blade guard and holds the saw like a mini vertical bandsaw.

Look up “swag table”
 
Craftsman made both a three wheel and a two wheel 12" band saw.The two wheel had a motor that could be replaced with a used slow speed motor and used for cutting metal.It could be also be used for cutting wood with a different blade.The three wheel model is wood only and the blade is much thinner.The old rule (was) at least two teeth touching the thickness of material to be cut.I have picked up used slow speed motors to do that set up.A porta band with a table set up works great for metal knife blanks. WB
 
Cushing H. said:
Previous threads do not seem to quite address these questions....

Did a lot of driving around yesterday, and managed to obtain (used) both my critical-need shop equipment: a bandsaw and drill press:):thumbsup:.

On the bandsaw: this is a Craftsman 12" 1/2 HP, single speed, saw (with stand - not benchtop). need to tune it up, and get a blade (or blades). the questions below come from my rather significant lack of knowledge on "optimizing" for different materials and cutting activities :(.

First question: much of my initial need will be ripping and re-sawing activities on handle material - including resinous tropicals. so I get that I should look at bi-metal and maybe carbide blades, 1/2 inch for mostly straight cuts. got it. But on tooth count - tutorials on-line seem to indicate that for ripping and re-sawing work, you should look at low tpi - maybe 3-4 tpi. that just seems counter-intuitive to me: for low material loss and nice clean cuts leaving a clean surface, would you not want lots of really little teeth each with little offset? Or am I thinking about this wrong - and the real benefit of the low TPI is more related to their ability to sweep out the cut material??

Second question: not right away, but later, I will likely want to use this saw to do gross material removal on stock prior to profiling on a grinder. I am not against changing blades as needed for this activity. Bi-metal, high tpi (~18 tpi) ... got it. However, previous posts have indicated the need to slow down the blade when cutting metal. With a single-speed unit, I do not have that option. did I choose wrong, and am I out of luck with later using this unit to cut metal? Also, cant use cutting lubricant with this (rubber wheels). Is there a way I can adjust technique to use this saw to do at least gross material removal without things going badly?

Hopefully someone can chime in fairly quickly - would like to head out later today and pick up a blade ... at least to start with.
Click to expand...

Cutting wood and metal require two very different tools. In both instances, your enemies are friction, heat, and poor swarf removal. The solutions to these problems are TPI, feed rate, blade speed, and blade pitch. That said:

First question: low TPI for resawing is required for keeping the blade from clogging up with shavings. You can get thin-kerf resaw blades that have very little offset and result in a smoother finish and less loss of material, but they tend to wear out more quickly due to friction/heat.

Second Question: You need a dedicated metal-cutting bandsaw that runs at a significant ly slower speed that allows the blade to cut cooler and more efficiently. High TPI is necessary for cutting thinner materials like blade stock, but if you get into cutting thicker ferrous material, you'll want some lower TPI blades.
 
I have a dual purpose Rockwell 14” bandsaw that does metal and wood. When cutting wood you bypass the gear box and use a coarse blade at high speed. When cutting metal, the gear box allows several slower speeds and the teeth on the blade are finer.
The science of band saw work talks about the blade speed in surface feet per minute. There are tables on line that correlate the blade speed, blade material, and tooth count with various materials that need cutting. Bimetal blades with hard teeth and a softer backing last longer but cost more.
I tend to run handle materials like G-10 at slower speeds than wood and also use a finer toothed blade. If you use the sf/m (surface feet per minute) charts, you avoid some of the trial and error. Most home shop band saws are not set up for coolant use. Don’t try to cut partially or fully hardened steel. Your knife maker supply costs will rise dramatically.
 
As others have pointed out, those old Craftsman 12" saws are fine for relatively small wood projects but really are too fast for metals.
I have heard of a few guys using a different ( slower ) motor and being able to cut thin non-ferrous metals.

I have two of these and I use one for trimming handle material. A lower tooth count blade is much better for this.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E327LI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have one of my saws set up with an 80" x 1/2" sanding belt. I use this a lot when finish sanding intricate shapes.
https://2sand.com/bandsaw-sanding-belts-1-2-x-80-for-craftsman-bandsaws-5-pack/
 
Cushing H. said:
I have heard this mentioned... but how on earth do you use these hand-held devices? Clamp the steel vertically in a vise, and hand-guide the saw horizontally through the material?
Click to expand...
Currently I just clamp the saw vertically into a bench vise. I was given a plate for a swag table that I use with the vise. It's quite effective. I have plans to make it more permanent though.
 
On my old Craftsman 12" I changed the motor to A 3/4HP 3phase motor and put a cheap VFD on it.
 
You gotta be kidding? I was searching on the term “ac motor controller” or “ac variable speed controller” ... i had never heard the term “vfd”. Arrrggghhhhh
 
Cushing H. said:
You gotta be kidding? I was searching on the term “ac motor controller” or “ac variable speed controller” ... i had never heard the term “vfd”. Arrrggghhhhh
Click to expand...
It is a bit obscure...VFD stands for variable frequency drive, which you've probably figured out by now. I fell into the same trap myself and was very confused at first so don't feel bad about it.
 
Yes, a VFD is a variable frequency drive. Before everyone was looking for them, the used ones were dirt cheap. Now, thanks to the Chinese electronics manufacturing industry, you can get a new one pretty cheap. Most folks check ebay and other online sources, but it is wised to check out new ones with a warranty as well. Fractional HP 3 phase motors can be found through several of the "motor warehouse" type sellers at good prices.

Many shop tools can be easily converted to VS (variable speed) by putting on a low price 1/2HP , 3/4HP, or 1HP motor and a low price VFD. Some of these are places where a DC motor and drive will work, too.

Drill press
2-wheel bandsaw with hanging motor, like the Craftsman
HF bandsaw for metal and similar types
Lathe
Small grinder for sharpening or for handles
Buffer with belt drive and spindle head
etc.
 
FWIW...
I started with an old craftsman bandsaw. Can't remember the exact specs but it was the one your grandpa had in his garage most likely. Couple of years ago I got a Laguna with a $200 blade. The difference is comparable to an old kids pedal car vs a Ferarri. I can cut significant ironwood logs and get through them before I need to shave again.
On the metal saw issue: I started with a portaband and used it for years. It's ok. Then I happened on a Harbor Freight cut off saw. It isn't stellar, but it is several times better than a portaband. Quicker and cuts wider stock.
YMMV
 
seanj said:
It is a bit obscure...VFD stands for variable frequency drive, which you've probably figured out by now. I fell into the same trap myself and was very confused at first so don't feel bad about it.
Click to expand...
The funny / stupid thing is that i KNOW that to vary the speed of an AC motor you need to adjust the power frequency ... i just had not searched on that specific term . As Stacy pointed out, i had originally been lookng for one of these for my HF1x30” sander (which i originally bought for quick-and-dirty sharpening on kitchen knives (at least the ones i am willing to subject to that barbaric treatment) ... definitely needs to be slowed down for that use. Also for my beer-grain crushing mill - but that is a different discussion forum

Nice to know these VFD’s are generally available. Not sure if i will use one on this 12” craftsman, but worth considering (as with my new-to-me drill press.
 
Brock Cutlery said:
On the metal saw issue: I started with a portaband and used it for years. It's ok. Then I happened on a Harbor Freight cut off saw.
Click to expand...
But this only works for straight cuts, right? So not useful for gross stock removal around a profile before going to the grinder?
 
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