need bandsaw

JTknives

JTknives

Joined
Jun 11, 2006
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i have relized i need a bandsaw to profile my blades as im getting tired spending 20 min profileing on my belt grinder. i have seen the HF 4"x6" and the price seams to good. how good is it. i am going to get a good one when i can afford it but thats not any time soon. what kind of cut speed (in/min) could i expect on 1/4" A2 and 5160 using good blades.
 
I've often said that the $150 I spent on my HF band saw was the best $150 I've ever spent on tools. The saw itself is good, though it can be a bit frustrating to get it trimmed out just right so the blade doesn't pop off the wheels. That'll give you a little instantaneous pucker the first time it happens! But rest assured, the saw can be trimmed to run well.

The most important thing to know is buy good bimetal blades for it, and keep a spare blade. Someone here will tell you the best number of teeth, I can't remember what mine are.

As to how fast you can cut 1/4" A2. Well, let's just say that I've sworn off 1/4" O1 unless I really have to for some seriously profitable reason. I'd had a couple years off until lately; for my first project I cut a large blade out of 3/16", and my arms were freakin tired! (I'm an old desk jockey though, and it's been winter for too long.)

But if I'd have had to drill around the profile and saw the dots and then grind them off - I'd either still be doing it or I'd still be not making.

Get the saw. You'll be really freakin glad you did.
 
The teeth to thickness ratio should be 3 teeth on the steel at all times. Well I guess that's not really a ratio :) But you understand what I mean. 1/4" would be fine with say a 10/14 vari-tooth blade from Lenox. About .24 cents an inch + welding charge.

Ideally you'd want a 12 tooth bandsaw blade or higher to cut 1/4" stock. The more teeth, the smoother the cut, but it will take even LONGER :)

1/16" stock...well lol....that's alot of teeth required or you'll just hear some major chattering on the steel as you're cutting it.

Depending on how fast your bandsaw blade speed is, i've used 80 and 150 FPM and it will cut 1/4" A2 say ummmm an inch might take me 10-20 seconds at 150. 80 is sloooooooow. But works well.

I've also cut 3/8" at man, that extra 1/8" thick takes quite a bit longer :D
 
I got my HF bandsaw for $135 with a coupon and I use it for everything now, best timesaver ever, well worth the money! I had been using hacksaws and an angle grinder to cut blanks, if I had know how great it is I would have bought it a long time ago!
 
I purchased the HF 7x12 bandsaw. It is a horizontal and vertical like the 4x6.. I picked it up to do a major project that required about 1000 cuts. I paid more than the $135 the 4x6 cost but since I was doing the project the cost was well worth it. I spent about $950 with 4 extra blades delivered. HF only charged me $35 to deliver. I was ready to go pick it up at a store but why for that cost. It weighs about 250lbs and cuts like a dream in both positions. I do not do much cutting in the vert position so I have not upgraded the table. This would be the first thing to do if you get either. When I picked up the 6.5" dia round 52100 I ran the saw for 3 days straight cutting it up. It might be a thought to go with a little better saw but it comes down to what can you afford. The larger saw is more versatile. Just my .02
 
I also recommed the saw, add some steel to the table right away and you will be happy. Also order a good blade right away I killed the HF blade in a couple of days. I use a 24 tpi which cuts really smooth. I think you could get as little as 18. Any less and you will tear the teeth off which is what happend with the blade that came with the saw. I think the blade skipping off the wheels is also related to cutting thin material (less than 1/8) with too coarse of a blade. Once I swithched I had no trouble and cuts like a dream.
 
Got my HF 4x6 bandsaw last week. The blade that came with it lasted just long enough to make all the cuts on the steel for my NWG. http://www.mcmaster.com/ Bi-metal blades arrived in 3 days. Well worth the money for the saw and the Bi-metal blades.
Also allot less dust in the air with the saw compared to the cut off wheel.
 
Thought I would mention "setting" the teeth on a new blade makes them last longer and cut stronger.
 
now that is "original" :) - what do you mean ? The teeth are set on the factory (wavy pattern to prevent binding" . Also , the teeth themselves are hardened to really scary RC and trying to set em will most likely break some off . This is why they are set first and hardened later
 
i think he ment set like cut somthing real thick without edges to kind of break it in. i think i am going to get it as i just got an order for 10 of my 2nd Amendments ASAP. do i need to change the oil in the gear box or anything?
 
Jarod,
When you get your saw, weld up a really heavy table with an arm that clamps in the stock clamp on the saw. That way when you ant to use it vertical, you just clamp in the table (using the pipe/stock clamp) , and when you want to go horizontal, you just remove it quickly. No bolting/unbolting that flimsy table that comes with the saw.
Stacy
 
I have the Jet model of the same thing. I spent more for it but it has better castings than the HF one I sent back.

Be sure to buy the bi-metal blades, I like Lenox brand.

One thing I finally did after breaking about 20 blades was to make a slightly larger table and throw away the table it came with. The trouble with the original is the slot is too wide and small pieces of steel would fall into the roller bearing and blade area and stop the blade so fast that it would break the blade. If you make the new table too big though the saw cant be used in the horizontal position.
 
Original said:
Thought I would mention "setting" the teeth on a new blade makes them last longer and cut stronger.
Click to expand...

I put in a piece of Aluminum first, cut it a couple of times then a piece of mild. This acts like a strop and removes any residual bur on the teeth.
 
I had the HF model And it was pretty good but at times left me frustrated. I sold it and bought the jet saw in the same size for about twice the money. I am very happy with this saw and think that it is worth more than twice the money.
 
i was also thinking of getting the milwalke portaband and making a stand and table for it. would it cut as fast as the HF? i like the idea as it would be easy to move in and out of my apartment.
 
I got the HF bandsaw and use Starrett 14tpi bimetal blades for 1/4in 5160. I got the red saw HF sells. I think it is a 1hp motor. Cost a little more than the green 1/3hp model but I like it alot. I have mounted mine in a permanant upright position and used an old sleep pad and some Gorilla Tape to make a seat. Works great. Saves belts and time and another added bonus is a LOT smaller black cloud in the shop :) I change the blade out to a HF el cheapo blade for cutting micarta and G10. I am using the issue work table with a thin G10 surface I clamp on to keep small bits from falling into the works and snapping a blade. I lost my 1st blade by not watching out for that. Makes me wonder how I ever got along without it for all those years.
 
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