Why does a knifemaker need a metal cutting bandsaw?

Tom Lewis

Tom Lewis

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Feb 24, 2000
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Lately there have been several posts about metal bandsaws. I have two metal cutting bandsaws, but rarely use them. One is a Jet 64" model, the other is a Wilton Tradesman that has a transmission and can be used as a metal bandsaw and also a wood bandsaw. I use a wood bandsaw a lot, but rarely see a need for a metal bandsaw.
It seems that knifemakers use the metal bandsaw to profile blades. I read where they also use angle grinders.
I think there is a lot easier way.
I will be talking about the stock removal method.
I learned to make knives from Bob Loveless' book "How to make knives" I still think it is the best how to do book ever published. I use blaze 36 grit belts to taper tangs on a flat platen like Bob shows in his book. 3M belts are also good, I just like the Norton Blaze belts better. When the 36 grit belts start to loose their cut, I use them to grind the bevels in blades. Some say the 36 grit belts leave deep scratches that are hard to get out, but if the belt is worn down from tapering tangs, that's not the case. The 36 grit scratches easily come out with a 60 grit belt.
When the 36 grit belt starts to loose it's cut on the bevels, it would normally be thrown away.
I use these worn 36 girt belts on a hard 8" serrated contact wheel to profile blades. It goes fast and with the 8" contact wheel I can get in tight corners where a bandsaw can't get.
I timed how fast this was and profiled 3 blades like the one in the picture above in 7 minutes 30 seconds. The blades are 9" in overall length.
I am using belts that are no good for anything else.
To cut the knife steel to length I use a chop saw. These run from $200.00-$400.00. The abrasive wheel they use costs around $6.00. To cut knife steel to length a chop saw is much faster than a metal bandsaw.
So, if you wish to use a metal bandsaw, that's OK with me, I just thought I would share how I do it.
 
I use to use belts to profile my blades and would get around 5-6 blades per fresh belt. After that it took longer and longer to cut the profile. Profiling with belts just ended up costing me to much and taking to long. This also depends on the blade thickness. I use or used a lot of 1/4" stock and no way I could profile 2 blades in 7min with my warm belts. I'm a plasma man and cut out everything with a plasma cutter. I save the belts for cleaning up the profile and edge bevel grinding.
 
Tom, I basically do like you and grind to profile, but I do use my HF 4x6 to rough out the shape to start with. This just seems to be the fastest way to me. YMMV.
 
I prefer to use a bandsaw for things like blocking out metal for fittings, occasionally sawing profiles for stainless chefs, slotting sometimes, cutting tiles for ferry flip mosaic, support with shopwrighting projects such as machine repair and modification. I use some larger stock, such as 2-5/8" W2 rounds, which need sawed into "pucks" for forging. Abrasive sawing steel that thick SUCKS! Also, I mostly just leave a metal band on there and cut everything with it, unless I need to rip a hardwood block or something, at which point I'll throw a wood band on there. I have three metal cutting bandsaws and the 20" Powermatic is variable speed and works great for wood, as well.

I've had no bandsaw for steel in the past, and certainly could still make knives. I'd recommend acquiring a metal cutter to folks because you can also cut wood on them, while the reverse is not true.

I agree with you about the Loveless book, it's still a great resource. I also really like David Boye's early book.
 
I didn't have a chop saw and a portaband was cheaper. I use it to cut my stock to length and width and do some profiling with it and fish profiling the same way you do. I also use it to cut scales, guard material and other things.
 
I actually used a skil saw with a metal cutting blade to make a lot of knives... hacksaw for a lot too. I then used a chop saw only and just recently bought a band saw. I'm really glad I have the porta band! But yeah, chop and grind to profile is still really fast.
 
i work from 2x3 foot sheets of powdered steel and pricing at 20 or more bucks a lb i try not to put more then i have to into a bucket. i can lay out/ nest lots of different knife shapes and then cut them out (even better then most waterjet Co. nest cause they need the webbing to hold the sheet togehter)
in a kitchen knife to buy the bar then shape the blade and grind the bevel nnear 75% of the steel would end up in the bucket
 
There's always more than one way to skin a cat (or cut it in half, in this case).

I use my horizontal to cut round stock, bar stock, square tube, etc... As for being slower or faster, I don't know; I guess it depends. If I'm just cutting lengths of flat stock, I can set the saw up and walk away to do something else while the cut drops through. I also will often lay out multiple blades, scales, springs, or what have you on one larger piece of stock and profile cut them out. Sometimes they're nested pretty tight, and they'd be awful hard to cut (if not impossible) on a chop saw or a grinder.
 
For the same reason they "need" a 2x72 grinder when there are other tools that can remove and shape metal out there... It's the tool they prefer to use for a particular job. You can cut/remove metal in a variety of ways and a metal cutting bandsaw is just handy to have in a shop where cutting metal happens to be a fairly routine task. You could also use any of the following and then some to create blanks to grind into shape: forging, drilling and smashing out with a hammer, hacksaw, drilling and hacksaw, dremel tool, angle grinder, grind to shape, plasma cutter, laser cut, water jet, etc. Some folks just find it convenient to bandsaw in a blank or two.
 
For example. Today I laid out two blade on a 1.5" wide bar of steel. The two patterns could be laid at an angle so both blades could be cut from the same bar. If I just laid it out straight only one blade could be had from the bar.

Using a bimetal blade on a HF metal saw makes cutting steel easy with less dust and waste of abrasives
 
^ yes!

I got an extra blade today due to the hf porta band! That just about pays for it right there.
 
My new doAll, bandsaw will cut very accurate blades. Saving on belts. And more control. It is contour cutting. Not sure what other brands offer this option.
 
On thing a chop saw does that a band saw doesn't is set your shop on fire. There have been several shops and a barn or two burned down by chop saws and angle grinder sparks.

Give me a band saw.
 
Knife freaky said:
Newbie question! Do you have trouble with metal overheating with the porta band?

Daniel.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I was cutting a bunch of .21" CPM-3V yesterday and it cuts like it is almost hard... that stuff got too warm to handle easily and it is the worst I have seen. The .150" I am cutting barely got warm.

I need to read up on feeds and speeds, new to the bandsaw. Break in on the blades is key I know that.

I did not even buy a stand, just strapped it down to my bench with metal Plumbers tape. I fabricated a table from 6061 Aluminum and am good to go. The saw itself is only marginal quality so I am trying not to use it too hard.
 
I use AEB-L in 6" x 48" sheets (1/8" stock). so in a 7" length I will get 5 to 6 knives depending on the design, stacked one on top of the other. Couldn't cut that out with an angle grinder or a chop saw, (I have both). I average 20 blades an hour cutting to the outside of the template line. They still need to be profiled, (to the inside of the line) but thats about a minute per blade. I think one of the biggest assets of my setup (Dewalt variable speed protaband on a Swag table), is it's versatility. Pins, trimming scales, bolster materials, heck half the time I use it to open packages from Aldo. I have a 14" wood bandsaw too that I tend to use prepping and cutting handle materials.But the little portaband is always set up, always ready to go and is just handy.
 
Horsewright said:
heck half the time I use it to open packages from Aldo.
Click to expand...
That cracked cracked me up! Anyone that's ever got a package from the Baron knows what you're talking about. I now have a new reason to own a bandsaw :)
 
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I have used a chop saw to cut up bars but havnt done that in a while , lately I use the bandsaw to cut to length and it is just as fast and cleaner than the chop saw. But to me where the bandsaw "shines" is cutting thin stainless and titanium for folders. I dont see a need for the table though, I like holding onto what I am cutting. Tried a table and was more comfortable without it.
 
Daniel Fairly Knives said:
I was cutting a bunch of .21" CPM-3V yesterday and it cuts like it is almost hard... that stuff got too warm to handle easily and it is the worst I have seen. The .150" I am cutting barely got warm.

I need to read up on feeds and speeds, new to the bandsaw. Break in on the blades is key I know that.

I did not even buy a stand, just strapped it down to my bench with metal Plumbers tape. I fabricated a table from 6061 Aluminum and am good to go. The saw itself is only marginal quality so I am trying not to use it too hard.
Click to expand...

Thanks man! Appreciate the info!

Daniel.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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