New bandsaw aquisition--conversion questions

TXscout

TXscout

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Jul 9, 2008
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I just aquired a Grizzly G1019, 14", horizontal bandsaw for $175.00 that is in good shape. The 3/4 HP motor runs @1740rpm, giving the blade a speed of 3300 fpm.

Any suggestions on how to slow her down to safe metal cutting speeds, or make it variable speed? For the time being, I will be using this to cut out knife blanks, kydex (things less than 1"), and other basic jobs--Nothing hardcore.

Did I buy the wrong piece of equipment, or can I tweak it for my needed purpose?

If it's low cost/salvageable venture, any direction on places for parts, pullies, etc., would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks a bunch
 
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Not an expert here but from what I understand, there is no way to tweak it unless you have variable speed control. It is one or the other. A bandsaw made to cut steel or one to cut wood.
 
It's one or the other except that any bandsaw that can cut metal also cuts wood pretty good as well. :)

I'll have to look up the machine you have and see if there's anything you can do to convert it. There's almost always something you can do if you are inventive enough.

--nathan
 
I don't know about the saw you bought or how to slow it down, but Harbor Frieght has a sale on one of thier metal cutting bandsaws for $189.99 right now. I bought the same saw last week after having several makers that I trust tell me they use them. They each did however advise I discard the included blade and purchase a Lennox Diemaster blade. Wish they had the sale when I paid $219.99 for the same saw last week.

Murph
 
murphda2 said:
I don't know about the saw you bought or how to slow it down, but Harbor Frieght has a sale on one of thier metal cutting bandsaws for $189.99 right now. I bought the same saw last week after having several makers that I trust tell me they use them. They each did however advise I discard the included blade and purchase a Lennox Diemaster blade. Wish they had the sale when I paid $219.99 for the same saw last week.

Murph
Click to expand...

Call them and tell them you want the discount. Some places will honor a slae price if it appears within a certain time of an earlier sale.

Worth a shot.
 
Los Angeles said:
Call them and tell them you want the discount. Some places will honor a slae price if it appears within a certain time of an earlier sale.

Worth a shot.
Click to expand...
They will issue store credits quicker than cash if that works
for you, might help your negotiations
 
murphda2 said:
I don't know about the saw you bought or how to slow it down, but Harbor Frieght has a sale on one of thier metal cutting bandsaws for $189.99 right now. I bought the same saw last week after having several makers that I trust tell me they use them. They each did however advise I discard the included blade and purchase a Lennox Diemaster blade. Wish they had the sale when I paid $219.99 for the same saw last week.

Murph
Click to expand...

Same thing happened to me, I bought the saw for $249.00 and two weeks later it was on sale.

I took my receipt in and they adjusted the price to the sale price and gave me $60 back.
 
I would also suggest just getting the HF one if the funds are low. You might also surf craigslist, practical machinist, and ebay and find something. I actually picked one up at Tractor supply that resembles the HF one and it was like $149, however as other said I had to change the crappy blade. Keep the wood bandsaw for wood though...I use mine everyday.
 
Based on the on-line manual, the G1019 is a belt drive machine. The usual method of converting belt driven bandsaws to cut metal is to add a countershaft. It might be worth a call to Grizzley to see if they have that available as an option for this machine.

A countershaft is a bit of round rod mounted in a couple of bearings or pillow blocks with a couple of V-belt pulleys on it. Sometimes they are both step pulleys if you want more than one speed. The basic principle is that the small pulley on your motor drives a larger pulley on the countershaft, which turns a small pulley that drives the larger pulley on the bandsaw drive shaft, thus "gearing down" the speed. Not too expensive to put together, but it will require figuring out where to mount it and possibly shifting the motor sideways to keep the V-belt pulleys in line
 
TXscout said:
I just aquired a Grizzly G1019, 14", horizontal bandsaw for $175.00 that is in good shape. The 3/4 HP motor runs @1740rpm, giving the blade a speed of 3300 fpm.

Any suggestions on how to slow her down to safe metal cutting speeds, or make it variable speed? For the time being, I will be using this to cut out knife blanks, kydex (things less than 1"), and other basic jobs--Nothing hardcore.

Did I buy the wrong piece of equipment, or can I tweak it for my needed purpose?

If it's low cost/salvageable venture, any direction on places for parts, pullies, etc., would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks a bunch
Click to expand...

No You need a wood saw in a knife shop. It will pay for itself. OK I went though this. I bought the same type of saw as you, Thinking the same thing as you.
You can change the two pulleys to a 2" and 12" Take that and divide 3300 ratio 12/2 or 6 Or 550 ft per minute. 3 times too fast. But another set of pulley 6'' and 2'' to reduce it, or about 60 dollar not including bearing and shaft. Plus the time you have involved.

IF you want to do it on the cheap. Get the horizontal band saw from HF for 179.00 when it is on sale. It is well worth the money. I paid for mine with first piece of Damascus billet I cut.
Dont buy cheap blades for it either. Don't use the HF blades. Get good one from the hardware store run them slow use plenty of cutting fluid. You will get great results.

BTW the variable speed controller doesn't work on it. I tried that two.

Good luck with it
 
I thought of this with mine. You can get a 3600rpm 3ph 1hp motor from Grizzly for $85 + shipping and a Teco VFD that uses 110v to make the 3ph for up to 1hp for $140+ shipping. Add some wire and a 10k 5 turn pot and a box to mount the pot on the saw maybe a drive pulley for the motor and have a variable speed saw for around $300. Which is more than a small metal saw. Plus then you would still have to change your blade every time you went from metal to wood. Better to get a small saw and tune it up a bit. I added a heavier platen to mine for use as an upright and am a happy camper.
 
I acquired an old 14" bandsaw that had been a woodworking saw. I built a base for it and added a mechanical speed reducer and the necessary pullies to slow it down to about 90 SFPM. You can do this with pullies and belts on a jackshaft or chains and sprockets or a speed reducer.
I have a good bandsaw for wood and a large horizontal bandsaw for metal cutoff, and the 14" converted saw. I really like the converted saw for cutting shapes in metal and for cutting antler and bone. I use it for all the little things I previously used a hacksaw for.
You will not regret taking the effort to slow that saw down to use for metal cutting! There are many ways to do it, it doesn't make much difference. For me the the speed reducer was given to me and I like fabricating things. For others the electronic method makes more sense and gives flexibility.
Do it!
Have fun!
Alden
 
Well, you could do this...

bandsaw.jpg



but I don't recommend it. Instead, use this one for wood and Micarta, and buy a Harbor Freight metal cutting bandsaw.
 
Thanks for the ideas..

Usually, I am always up for a challenge, but it would probably be easier to just pick up a true, metal cutting saw. I'm debating whether to just sell this and put the funds into a basic saw, like the HF, and some good blades, or keep it and save some coin for a metal saw.
 
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