Band Saw wood to metal conversion

Jim Rieck

Jim Rieck

Joined
Jun 4, 2010
Messages
71
I know this is similar to another recent post, but I would like to know if anyone out there has swapped out the pulleys on a 14" Delta woodcutting bandsaw so they can cut metal barstock with it. If so, what size pulley slows down the band to metal cutting speed?
 
Not worth it or everyone would be doing it. Look at all the mods people publish for their HF metal cutting bandsaws...
 
I have 10" pulleys to slow mine down to 100 fpm but I'm wondering if that will be to fast for SS?

I have a porta band but haven't put a table on it, I use to much as a portable.

I really like stand up saw with the tilting table that I can walk up to, I'll be doing the conversion next week.

I just reread the OP. Mine is a wood-metal saw so it's a little different.
 
Jim, the conversion is definitely worth the effort. It will require more than a simple pulley change, because it is a significant change in speed. A jackshaft or gear reduction will probably be necessary. I used a gear reduction on mine, as I scrounged one that worked well. My converted saw gets used a lot. I use it for cutting metal to shape for fabricating stuff like the belt grinder i just finished. I use it for cutting small things to length, like bolts that I would previously have used a hacksaw for.
I can't believe that more people don't make the conversion. Maybe it is too difficult.
I think you'll never regret spending the time on the change.

~Alden
 
Michael Lovett said:
Three words.Variable steed motor!
Click to expand...

Mike, I like the idea of a variable speed motor, except for the cost. They are pretty pricey. I would probably only use the metal cutting speed at the beginning of a batch of knives to cut my steel into knife sized chunks. I hog out profiles with my grinder, so wouldn't need it to do that. Most of the time I would have it set up for wood (cutting scales and such). The main thing I need to know it how many feet per second the band needs to go to cut stainless and D2 (my major blade steel types). If I knew that I could figure out what pulleys to get. I would need to know that even with a variable speed motor. Anyone know metal cutting fps?

Alden, thanks for the tips on how you did yours. I don't know about jackshafts and gear things. Mine has a shaft, but it has no gears. Could you post a picture showing the innards of your conversion?
 
Why not use a angle grinder with a cutting blade? you can cut to chunks and then make so profile cuts before hogging. Here is a HF set up as a upright.

bandsaw006.jpg
 
That looks like a really fine setup, but my shop space is quite limited. Also, the boss is scrutinizing any more major tool purchases. It's a budget thing, I guess.
 
Here's what I did, before I knew any better...

bandsaw.jpg


I think I spent more money doing this than if I had just bought the HF in the first place... but this was several years B.I. (Before the Internet) and I had never even heard of Harbor Freight at the time.
 
Patrickknives said:
Why not use a angle grinder with a cutting blade?
Click to expand...

If budget and space are limited like you mentioned, then this is a great idea. I have a $50.00 Mikita angle grinder that I bought a bunch of cutting blades for at about $1.75 each. Definitely gets the profile cut out and ready for hogging. It's not as smooth as a band saw but it definitely gets the job done, and with a beautiful shower of sparks, to boot!!:D

I'm still trying to decide on band saw setup. Harbor Freight 4x6, dewalt portaband with table, conversion.....who knows. For now, my angle grinder gets the blanks cut:thumbup:
 
80 to 110 sfpm seems about right on ats-34 and 154-cpm. 80 would probably be better for d-2. Still, a vari-speed is cheaper than having two saws, or having to change the set-up on one saw. A good friend of mine bought the wood-steel. Wilton and learned very quickly that it took way too much time.

You have to not only change the belts, but the blades, and the blade has to be aligned, tensioned, and the guides reset. You can't make money dicking around with setting up machines over and over.

Knife making pays pretty good. Set up pays nothing! Repeated set- pays you a LOT of nothing.

I just ordered a chop saw with the new stinless-steel cutting carbide blades. Why? Fast, clean, no sparks, no toxic fuems requiring me to open up the shop in the winter. (more time lost), and I like tools. Woo-Oho-----New Toys!

Mike
Maker
The Loveless Connection Knives.
 
I was looking to make something like this but i do not have a band saw yet anyway. I was waiting to buy one till i figured out how I woulc be able to cut both.

So here is my idea instead trying to use what I alreay have, please tell me what you guys think. My dad has a jig saw and I bought some metal blades for it. Not as precise I am sure but you can control the orbit. I cannot remember if the speed depends on how much you squeeeze the trigger or not. I think u can control the speed though.
I figure that with a metal cutting blade I should be able to cut out a blank in steel fairly easily. I should still be able to turn circles and whatnot.
I cannot split a piece/block of wood for a handle though :(
So what do you guys think of this type of tool for cutting blanks in metal? You do have to have the metal clamped down though to control it.

I have seen the portable metal cutting band saw at the hardware store and it has a dial on it that goes from 0-200 and I think it was feet per second So 100 might be safe for metal as long as it is not too thick i guess.50 would probably be safe
 
Tippet said:
Not worth it or everyone would be doing it. Look at all the mods people publish for their HF metal cutting bandsaws...
Click to expand...

Oh it was worth it alright when I did it. I scored a three phase motor with gear redux for I believe $80 and slapped a 2" pulley on it and used the stock pulley on the blade wheel.

However depending on the circumstances modding the portaband is a very reliable option.

Here's my setup.
LIKEAGLOVE.jpg
 
Jim, I'll have to remove the side of the stand to photograph the gear reducer. I don't believe I photographed it before. I will do that. I have been wanting to add an electrical outlet for the light anyway, so that will be a catalyst for getting it done. The pictures posted by the others show what I described. The one has a reducer, the other a jackshaft. I use the saw very frequently, and think it would be hard to do without it now.
Good luck on your project.
Alden
 
Eyeeatingfish - I just can't imagine using a jigsaw on a bar of steel. It could be that the ones I've seen were designed and sized to cut fairly thin wood for jigsaws and small projects. Personally, I'd rather use a hacksaw to cut a piece of steel than a jigsaw. That is what I will probably end up doing until I settle on how to slow down my bandsaw, build up the funds to buy whatever is needed, and butter up the wife (boss). The butter part will likely take the most time.
 
Finished this conversion,14" band saw
1720 RPM motor turning 1 3/4" pulley to 10"- 1 3/4"- 10"

SFPM= 190

Lenox diemaster 18 tooth blade

OK for mild steel, not sure about 10xx and defiantly won't try stainless.
 

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I would not buy a jig saw for metal cutting, I have a good sears that I had used a few years ago and it did cut. I needed expensive blades to get them to last very long and its tough to hold the saw.

I just rough cut 6 blades (CPM 154, forgot to order new bandsaw blades) with a HF angle grinder and 4 of their cheap disks. I bought the grinder for $20 and the disks for $8 a while back. Each blade took about 10 minutes. So I think for cutting without a bandsaw I highly recommend and angle grinder.
 
Hi Mark - stainless will probably be easier to cut than 10xx steel. Pretty much all of the hot rolled 10xx steel I've cut seemed to have a hard spot right through the center and most of the cold rolled stuff needs annealing as it comes something like spring hard out of the mill. Nice stainless is usually dead soft until you heat treat it.
 
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