Recommend me a bandsaw

Charlie Mike

Charlie Mike

Sober since 1-7-14 (still a Paranoid Nutjob)
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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I've been making do with a Milwaukee Portaband 35" mounted on a Swag Offroad table. It seems like the blades are dulling very quickly, especially on stainless. I've tried cutting CPMS110V... couldn't put a scratch in it.
 
its the blades not the saw for the SS and S110
tho i will say havig a nice large saw is great even a big saw with ok blades will not work great
 
butcher_block said:
its the blades not the saw for the SS and S110
tho i will say havig a nice large saw is great even a big saw with ok blades will not work great
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Can you recommend blades? I'm using bi-metal. Lennox and Milwaukee.
 
Matt, there's not much in the way we can do with S110v in that respect... Even fully annealed the stuff floats @ RC45-47 because of the alloy content. I haven't found any bandsaw blades for the shitty hobbyist saws we both likely use that will cut consistently on it, and usually resort to a cutoff wheel. Sucks ballz, but it's what we do when we don't have a waterjetted blank, I guess. Perhaps I'm wrong, and I hope you find something, but my search came up empty handed.
 
I was cutting 154cm last night and I went through 4 blades before I gave up. I would cut about 1/4" into the steel and the saw would go dull. The steel was still capable of drilling with a HSS bit so I know it's annealed.
 
Yeah, that's my point with this stuff. Even fully annealed it's insanely wear resistant!
 
Charlie Mike said:
I was cutting 154cm last night and I went through 4 blades before I gave up. I would cut about 1/4" into the steel and the saw would go dull. The steel was still capable of drilling with a HSS bit so I know it's annealed.
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That sounds funny(I believe you of course that's not what I mean) We have cut plenty of 154cm,3v and s35v on our dewalt portaband without ever having to change a blade..Its harder than carbon for sure but never wore out a blade on one blank before..Lisa usually buys Lenox bi-metal wolf blades..We have a big saw now too but still use the porta band for blanks..Is your blade twisting in the guides or anything like that?
 
It barely twists... it's hard to make a straight cut over several inches.
 
The steel isn't surface ground though... maybe the scale is dulling the blades?
 
Is your portaband variable speed? The only time I've seen an issue is when I tried to cut with a faster speed. I have the dewalt version and use Lenox Tools 8009938PW14185 Wolf-Band Portable Band Saw Blade, 44-7/8-Inch x 1/2-Inch x .020-Inch 14/18 TPI blades. On the slowest speed I've cut D2, CPM154 and 3V.
 
Matt, I'm sorry, bud - I thought you meant you tried to cut S110v, THEN tried to cut cpm-154. I assumed you'd roached the blade on the s110v, which it will easily do. If this was a different blade, you shouldn't have any trouble cutting 154. Granted, scale will definitely make it harder, but not THAT much harder...
 
Yes, it's variable speed. I have it on 3 out of 4.

I ruined 3 brand new blades trying to cut some Aldo's 154cm.
 
I have cut around 15 blanks of cpm 154 so far with a Lennox bi metal. Make sure it's for stainless steels or tool steels. You also need to match the tpi to the thickness of your stock. What's is the thickness? Also try it on 1 or 2.
 
Maybe this is not what you are asking for, but why use a bandsaw to cut out a blade? I use worn out 36 grit belts that are not good for anything else. They do a good quick job, and I don't need to buy bandsaw blades.
 
Matt R said:
I have cut around 15 blanks of cpm 154 so far with a Lennox bi metal. Make sure it's for stainless steels or tool steels. You also need to match the tpi to the thickness of your stock. What's is the thickness? Also try it on 1 or 2.
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I'm using 18tpi on 3/16"
 
Some steel is just harder to cut than others, but to have the best chance, I'd slow the saw down and use some cutting oil to keep things cool. Air hardening steels are havoc on blades once you get too hot and they start hardening while you're cutting. It's kind of like a snowball effect. Once they harden, the blade dulls, and then it starts getting even hotter faster, and you're done.

I don't cut a lot of stainless anymore, but for what I do cut (1095 mostly) I put a few drops of cutting oil on the outside of my blade (not the wheel side, for obvious reasons).

A higher tooth count Might help a little bit as well, though you should be ok with 18TPI for what you're cutting.
 
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