vertacal band saw

[d-m]

Question for all you guru's I have set up a vertical band saw.It's a wood saw that I have reduced the speed on with a dc motor and the correct pulleys to get a high speed of 360 FPM and a low of 180 FPM. Here is the problem at any speed I have to push way to hard to get even soft material to cut. I have an 11TPI blade made for it should I go for more TPI my horizontal saw has a 14 TPI and it cuts every thing like butter.
Thanks Dave

:wall:

 

[vlmarshall]

Blade turning the right way? ;D I'm only asking because of the motor change...

 

[DavesWimshurst]

Dave,
Tooth shape can also affect cutting speed. In aluminum, brass, plastic and wood I have been using a 6 TPI hook tooth blade running at about 2000 fpm (in thicker material). I use a finer pitch blade when cutting thin materials. For ferrous metals I slow the saw down to under 200 fpm. When I have the saw running slow even aluminum cuts slow. Your horizontal saw is probably putting a lot of pressure on the blade too. I have a little horizontal saw that can also be set up for vertical cutting and find that it takes quite a bit of force to move material into the blade. Also use push blocks to keep fingers away from the blade!
Hope this is of some help.
Dave

 

[Davo J]

I saw on the internet that one bloke had a pulley and weight set up to push the material through the blade. He he also converted his wood bandsaw to metal and wood by instailing two motors. Not sure what site it was if I can find it again I will post the link for you.
Davo

 

[Tin Falcon]

I have a little grizzy bench top that has a factory installed speed reducer justt one speed. I cut wood brass and aluminum with not problem.
Sounds like a new blade is in order if cutting steel get a good one a bi-metal type for steel. Also are you sure the material you ar trying to cut is not hardened.
Tin

 

[jonesie]

make sure the teeth are going in the right direction, blade might be turned inside out teeth going up, also make sure you have a blade make to cut steel. you could have a dull blade, and no set left.jonesie

 

[d-m]

Well thanks all
The blade is new and going in the right direction it has 11TPI tooth count I thought that would be a good place to start. Thinking out loud I would think that 6TPI would be rather course but @2000 FPM I guess you wouldn’t notice the wide gap in the teeth. I don’t have the capability of running that fast. Basically I got the same type of metal cutting blade as my horizontal saw just a lesser tooth count and only buy 3 TPI. Tin I was just trying to get through a ¼ block of aluminum and also a .063 brass sheet the brass cut reasonably well but I was not impressed with the aluminum and when I tried some bar stock of cold roll well lets just say a file would have been faster. Also the blade is a bi-metal for steel. Here is what is really kicking my as# I can go to my horizontal saw and with less pressure and effort buzz cold roll or
Aluminum but with some effort but not as much as the vertical saw. So in setting this saw up I matched the speed of the blade thinking I would be in the ball park. Years ago when living in so cal I set up the same thing and don’t remember (but I’m older now and have a few less brain cells) having this problem but also can’t remember if I ran a finer blade or courser blade.
Dave

 

[Kermit]

It's possible that the Aluminum is work hardening as you are cutting it.

 

[d-m]

Tin could I get you to give fpm or just the wheel diameter's and I will do the math
thanks
Dave

 

[walnotr]

If you cut .063 brass with an 11 TPI blade you may well have ruined the blade before moving on to the aluminum. The two tooth rule still applies to band saws. Also a raker or wave set blade will make life easier. High speeds and moderate feed on aluminum and brass - quite slow with heavy feed on steel. That is unless you want to friction cut the steel. 10,000 FPM and let the sparks fly! It is pretty scary the first few times but does cut pretty well.

Steve C.

 

[Tin Falcon]

my grizzly G1052 runs @ 1430 FPM blade speed.
Tin

 

[Brian Rupnow]

I have a wood cutting vertical bandsaw that I converted to a metal cutter. I'm running a bi-metal blade with what appears to be 10 or 11 teeth per inch, and it cuts mild steel, aluminum, and brass with no problem. Its not fast, but everything is relative--it zooms thru aluminum and brass, cuts slower on mild steel, but it does cut. I can't remember what blade speed I,m running at, but I think its close to 180 foot per minute.

 

[d-m]

Wow it seems that there are all sorts of blade configurations and speeds. With Tins saw running 1430 Brains running really slow at 180 and the same tooth count as me. OK to clear some things up on my end It is a fresh blade I'm also am lucky that my horizontal and vertical saw use the same blade. I have swapped them and the new blade work's fine in the horizontal saw. No the material is not work Harding and yes it is turning in the right direction. At this point I think I will speed it up just a bit I have a sheeve that should get me to 525 fpm and see what that will give me. I also have a blade that is 6tpi and will give that a try at the higher speed. The saga continues LOL if I wasn't so stubborn I would make a table for my horizontal saw and deal with changing the table out when I don't need it.
Dave

 

[1Kenny]

We have a little vertical that runs directly from the motor and was made for wood. We can't control the speed so we live with with it. A good blade is the key. That's one that makes you choke when you buy it. We cut 6061-T6 aluminum and 4130 steel most every day and the blade will last about a month.

Kenny

 

[Kermit]

Represents about one hour of cutting time. I'm too new to machining to know if that is good or bad, but the cut is straight and the blade speed is about 120FPM. Aluminum (2024) cuts in about 1/3 the time as the 1018.

Kermit

 

[d-m]

Made a little headway yesterday morning (not much ) the wife's business computer caught a cold and flu bug. I had to wipe the drive and reload but before I started messing with speed's I put in a blade that was a mess up from the supplyer. It 4 tpi I set the dc motor to its slowest speed grabbed a scrap of alum and wow like it was soft butter. This is were I think I may have found whats wrong . I have a piece of 1/16 cold roll nothing special just a junk plate. Thought I would give that a try and see what happend well nothing happend ! Wouldn't touch it, I'm thinking speed , TPI , I then picked up my alum and put it to the blade and nothing, a few of you hit the dull blade button and 1Kenny just posted buy the good blade. (I thought I had been buying good ones,) But Ill be talking with my supplyer on Monday. I then switched my 14 TPI to my vertical saw put in a nice scrap of cold roll it cut OK but I'm not standing there pushing on it ether. That arm is just spring loaded on that Dayton saw and it sorta heavy. So I think I will ask for a supplyer and get a good blade follow some of the brake in steps I have read about and see what happens from there.

Dave

 

[putputman]

Dave, I maybe wrong, but I feel even a good quality blade might be destroyed by trying to cut 1/16 CRS with a 4 TPI blade. To cut something that thin you should go to at least 16TPI and even more if available. You are literally tearing the teeth of the blade.

When you said the 4 TPI cut through the aluminum like butter tells me your vertical saw is not the problem.

 

[1Kenny]

Hi Dave,

I forget what our teeth per inch is and will look today. It is a carbide blade. The 4130 we are using would dull a blade by the time we cut one end of 1/2 tube with .090 wall. We are building a 1 to 1 scale Skybolt biplane so the cuts must be stellar for welding. The cost of blades are of no issue as we don't want the plane coming apart in flight.

Kenny