chop saw vs. band saw for metal...

S

SkaerE

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Sep 9, 2001
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seems a chop saw is a way cheaper way to go for knife making. only get straight cuts or 45 degree cuts but what will a band saw do that a chop saw cant?

seriously, i need one or the other...so, which one?

and im guessing one of the little table top bandsaw arent really set up for metals. good for handles though i would guess.

so, for metal. chop saw or bandsaw?
 
Personally I don't like using a metal cutting bandsaw. They cut slow, and you have to push pretty hard. Half the time I just grind the profile of the blade just because it is more fun than using the band saw, and it doesn't take that much longer. I think a metal cutting bandsaw is one of the last things a knifemaker absolutely needs to get for the shop. I am new at this and I may change my mind by next week.
Kyle Fuglesten:)
 
What kind of bladesmith are you? If you are stock removal, then useing annealed flat stock and cutting out the blades before profiling, drilling, and grinding, a band saw if the only way to go. It has a thin kerf, can cut in a radius, less noise and dust, can be used for splitting handle material and cutting it out. Also cuts pins, bolster material, Kydex, plastics, bone (no dust, maybe a little), and about anything else you might want to cut.
If you forge, then I would say a chop saw. Most of the steel isn't annealed, its hot (making damascus), it will cut anything, and it is quick. You don't have to worry about knocking 13 teeth off in a row and ruining a brand new band saw blade that cost $11.00 because , oops, it happens. I have both and it is a tremendous time saver. The band saw is a porta band that I made a stand for and the chop saw, I bought at the lumber yard (14"). If you have a torch, you can get by longer without the chop saw to cut, but it isn't faster except in some applications. I haven't tried it yet, but a compound miter saw with a cut off blade (if they make them) would be the ticket. I also had the band saw for a long time before I got the chop saw.
These are a few of the benefits of both and maybe some drawbacks. I hope this helps.
 
It really depends on what you're cutting the most.

I use my chop saw ten fold over my band-saw. I cut all sorts of carbon steel, structural steel, and stainless steel with it.

You can't cut brass or nickel silver with a chop saw, but I don't use those materials anyway.

They are two very useful tools in a knifeshop, but I definitely use my chop saw more.

Nick
 
My work most often calls for the use of a chop saw. I do both stock removal and forging. In fact I don't even have a band saw. But, I'll be needing one soon to cut lots of kydex and wood.
 
I would say a metal cutting band saw should be the third tool in any knifemaker's shop, right after grinder and drill press. I would not do half the stuff I do if I didn't have the band saw. You cannot cut compound shapes with a cutoff saw and as mentioned previously can cut many other materials with the band saw. That being said, one day I surely intend to have a cutoff saw too, just to knock the blank off the end of the bar before profiling on the band saw. You will save enough money in belts from profiling to pay for the band saw. Also, buy only bimetal blades, I use Lennox. You're not likely to strip the teeth off one of those! :D But I regularly stripped teeth off the $10 Home Depot blades. You could sure use both, get the band saw first. The $200 HF saw is on sale for $160 or so very often.

Dave
 
Hey Y'all,

I just ordered one of them Harbor Freight bandsaws for myself for Christmas. I'm still waiting for it to get here though:(

I use a cutoff wheel on my circular saw for a chop saw and it seems to work pretty good. But I am going to get a real chop saw sooner or later. If you got a circular saw for about 6 bucks you can get a chop wheel for it.


Hey Dave, where do you get those lennox blades for your bandsaw?

Chuck
 
I agree with Bruce B. get them both. I use both a great deal and would be lost without either one anymore.

Raker, where do you get bandsaw blades for $11. and are they good bimetals, like lennox. If they are I would like to have some of them.

Bill
 
I ordered them from a welding supply. They are for a port-a-band, the small band saws used for cutting pipe and small things on construction jobs. My father had an old one and I had it fixed and made a stand for it. I got the idea from Ron Newton when we did a shop tour at his place. I had been driving about 25 miles to another knifemakers house to do my cutting before that. I have a chop saw at school and it has been a great help also. When I got the rolling mill going, I needed to cut a lot of metal that went to make the damascus because I like to cut and stack my pieces. I had to get a chop saw then.
The blades were bimetal and it has been a while since I got them (2 years) so they may have gone up some. In Tulsa, you can have Do-All make them for you to order but I haven't checked out their prices. You can probably check with a machine shop in the area that you are in and they can point you to someone that will make what you want and it may even be cheaper than ordering from Grainger.
 
Band saw, it is more versitle and much quieter.

Personally I don't like using a metal cutting bandsaw. They cut slow, and you have to push pretty hard. Half the time I just grind the profile of the blade just because it is more fun than using the band saw, and it doesn't take that much longer
Click to expand...

Kile,
I guess that you don't work with damascus, cause just grinding it away would get very expensive. With a band saw you can cut out all your blades and then use the scraps to make small knives or more damascus. Even use the tool steel scraps to make damascus. And if you have to push too hard then your running it too fast or have a dull blade, pushing too hard can be very unsafe.
 
I use a bandsaw, because you can't cut out shapes like this
14242831-9eca-02000180-.jpg


with a chop saw.

While chop saws are great for cutting things like bar or hardened material, the grinding wheels and abrasive belts you use to get your profile are much more expensive than using a good bimetal blade on a bandsaw.

You can also nest parts closer together using a bandsaw than when using a chop saw. (Narrow blade = less waste.)

Plus, it runs cooler and cuts down on the dust! ;)
 
when i started making i was flat blocke. i traded a knife for the chopsaw so i did'nt have to cut by hand any more. when i got the bandsaw i have'nt use the chop since.






hillbillychuck, i get my lennox bimetal blades from K&G supply.
















hillbilll
 
Chuck, I got my Lennox blades from TKS, most knife supply places have em. But I do think the brand makes a difference. I got a bimetal blade for my hack saw more years ago than I can remember, and it's still sharp and cutting like mad. I may never wear that thing out! I'm a believer.

Also, I do like Tom does with the close cutting, you save a lot of material with the band saw. I've started ordering 3" wide or wider stock, because it's way cheaper by area and I can now cut stuff out of it. So you save in material cost too, not just belts for profiling.

If you have a good sharp blade with the right number of teeth, you do have to push but it's not too bad... I know this because when I paid attention to getting the right blade it made a big difference.

I've cut some major guards and stuff out of really big stock that I simply would not have done if I didn't have the band saw. In that regard it frees you up creatively more than you might appreciate until you're there.

I could go on (and on and on), but I certainly have said enough! :D The point is, a chop saw would be nice but a band saw is necessary.

I'm going to do like Chuck, get a cutoff blade for my extra skilsaw. Great idea, thanks Chuck! I'll figure out a way to mount it permanently.

Dave
 
Gee Tom, that looks AWFULLY familiar....probably because I had a similar layout going just an hour ago at my shop. I'm in total agreement with all the bandsaw sentiments but I wouldn't mind having a chopsaw as well.
 
A chopsaw is nice, but a good, cheap HF metal cutting bandsaw will make your knifemaking a lot easier and put a smile on your face to boot.:D
 
Not sure where you guys get your bandsaw blades but I have been using Industrial Distribution Group (used to be EC Blackstone). Diemaster or Matrix 2 bimetal for the 64 1/2" bandsaws are about $16 and they have 24 TPI.
I have worn out 3 of the HF horz/vert bandsaws and finally broke down and got a Dake 14-10. I love it.
If you work Stellite/Talonite you will need the chop saw or metal cutting abrasive blade in a skil type saw.
Many makers use a wood cutting band saw and friction cut. It works but you get some nice fireworks :)
 
I just got my HF Bandsaw delivered this evening!!!! Wouldn't you know it I gotta go into town all day tomorrow so I won't be able to set it up till tomorrow evening:(

Chuck
 
Does anybody know if the Harbor Freight chopsaw is worth the $50 sale price they are asking for it? I've got a bandsaw and am now finding that I could also use a chopsaw.

-Darren
 
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