new toy on the way :)

docdredd

docdredd

Joined
May 25, 2006
Messages
587
after pawning a few old guns i finally scraped up enough to buy a HF metal band saw :D no more hack saws yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy......... any one else have one? ide love to set it up as a stand alone vertical model but im not sure if that is practical or not. also what type of blades should i get as i hear that the one it ship's with is a POS.
as always any input is greatly appreciated.
 
I was lucky enough to score an old horizontal/vertical bandsaw for free when the shop at my work replaced it with a newer model. I had to replace the blade, and just bought one today at Northern Tool and Hydraulic. I've only cut a small piece of 3/8" copper and some 1/8" mild stainless, so I can't comment on the new blade's quality, but the saw seems to be a great addition to my meagerly supplied shop. I think you'll be very happy with yours. Mine isn't variable speed, so you've got some bells and whistles I don't have.

I used to live about halfway between E-town and Bardstown, right outside of Boston. That's a beautiful area, and I miss it a lot.

Todd
 
Bi-metal blades are the way to go. Milwaukee and Starrett seem to be about equal in terms of quality (can't speak for longevity at this early date). Even on my little portable bandsaw the difference between bi-metal and carbon blades is quite noticeable.
 
ok bi metal i got it, what about teeth per inch ? i know that it will differ with material thickness i use mainly 1095 and o-1 in 1/8 an .250 any thoughts?
 
I have one of those. The blade that comes with it is truly a POS. I bought two Starrett bi-metal blades a year ago and I haven't changed the first one yet. It cuts at least 3 times as fast as the original did when it was new and 10 times fast than the old blade did after about 2 weeks and I haven't lost any teeth off of it. I have never used mine in the horizontal mode, but I have seen pictures of a home made replacement table that is bigger than the little tiny one that comes with it but smaller and much sturdier than the bigger one, so you can swing it down to the horizontal postion without having to remove the table. I would like to find that thread again. I have cut 3/8" flat and 3/4" and 7/8" round W2 and 1/2" 1018 and 303 with no problem. I think that I am using a 14 tooth blade.
 
Order a Lennox bi-metal blade from one of the knife supply companies (TKS,K&G,etc.), or get a similar type blade from a industrial supplier. They are worth the higher price!

Use the saw in the vertical position.

Replace the table ,as soon as you can, with a piece of 10X10 X1/4" steel plate. Cut a slot on the saw and drill the mounting holes to fit. Many makers add more bracing,but it will be fine if you just use a sturdier table.

Take off (or don't put on) all the pipe clamps and stuff on the bed. Mount a wooden seat, a boat cushion ,or something similar on the bed and you can sit straddle the saw while cutting.

Drill a hole up toward the saw end and reposition the switch so it will be easier to turn on and off while sitting on the saw (It will be right under your butt where it is mounted now).

This will make a "Blade Saw" .

Be prepared to have the blade pop off a lot in the beginning. You have to really have the blade TIGHT and the alignment done properly to keep the blade from jamming and jumping off the drive wheel.

Run the saw at its slowest speed.Don't force the metal into the blade. Let it do the cutting at its own pace. Don't try to cut much of a curve. The blade will wear out much sooner, and it will pop off a lot more.
Stacy
 
thanks for all the advice from everyone, the free flow of information on the forum is what makes this such a great place to be i cannot even count the money and time i have saved by being able to ask questions of people that have practical knowledge of a staggering range of subjects.
 
I have the sears version, starret bi-metal blades are great, it is hard to get ones with fine teeth though, you really want at least 2 1/2 teath per whatever your thinnest piece of stock is to keep from breaking off teeth. I don't know how the HF one is, but I use my sears mostly as a chop saw ( I forge to shape) and trying to keep a perpendicular cut on thick stock just doesn't happen. It works pretty well though for chopping bars down to usable size.

-Page
 
One other tip with this particular saw, if you find the blade binding excessivly when you put pressure against it , but not because it' sjumping off the wheel, try adjusting the angle of the top and bottom rollers, mine came from the factory at a really sharp twist for guide berings for the cutting area of the blade. Once I loosened the screws and adjusted the guide bearings to be less of an angle, I got rid of most of my binding problems when cutting.
 
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