Cutting steel with a band saw

[chimpboy]

What kind of steel thickness should I be able to cut (neatly and safely) with hardware store kind of bandsaw?

I do most of this kind of stuff (cutting flat bar etc) with the small grinder or the drop saw, but there are some things where I would get a better result with a band saw, I think, as long is a not-too-pricey one will handle up to 8 or 10mm thick bar/plate.

What do you reckon?

[Slunnie]

The garden variety of bandsaw is for wood and you'll probably get as far as scratching the mill scale off the side of the steel before cutting no further. There are metal cutting bandsaw, but even cutting stuff as thin as 2-3mm can be a very slow process. There are metal docking types of bandsaws also, but it's probably not what you're buying.

For 10mm I'd be looking for something different like plasma or oxy.

[chimpboy]

Cool. Was thinking of something like this but for the amount of work I do a few bucks worth of grinder discs will probably be the go I guess

[coxy321]

You can buy metal cutting blades for band saws, looks just like a hacksaw blade and you can buy with different TPI. The biggest i ever cut in ours was about 6mm. Very slow.

Coxy

[Slunnie]

Yeah, that one will probably do it.




eventually. Then again, if thats the finish you're after....

[chimpboy]

Thanks guys, I think I'll just grind.

[MightyMouse]

Actually there are several makes and sizes of these bandsaws available and they do a reasonable job if you don't push them too hard and use coolant on the blade whilst cutting.

Hare and Forbes in Melbourne and Sydney ( and probably others ) sell them starting at $289

http://www.machineryhouse.com.au/Horizontal-Bandsaws

[barbz]

ive heard good things about using some auto trans fluid as a lubricant when cutting metal - yet to try it myself.

Paul

[v6hilux]

With a metal band saw, you will need to have constant flooding of the cut, so the unit needs to be in a drum to collect the water and re-circulate it.

It is very slow.

A better option is a Drop Saw, Bunnings $150 or good brands from $300.
They have big cutting disks and will will last a while. Easy to do up to 100mm cuts, straight or miter.

[Patroler]

if you're doing straight cuts on bar or pipe a drop saw would be good, abrasive is better for thin tube (cold saw can catch halfway through) and a brobo style cold saw is good for heavy stuff - but pricey, for cutting curves you could look into a plasma, ive heard the chinese ebay ones do a good job.
Personally ive used a bandsaw on 1.6mm 316 and 304, fairly good but wouldn't want to go much over 2.5mm, mild steel maybe 3-4?
Any machine like bandsaw, power hacksaw, cold cut off etc (not abrasive) could benefit from using a costant flow of a water soluble cutting oil (mixed with water) such as shell Dromus, it will prolong cutter life.

[bru21]

http://www.tradetools.com.au/ProdView.a ... duct=RF128

i have one of these, just started using it. so far so good on 3.2x 50x50mm rhs and 8mm alloy.

love it so far. about half the speed of plasma, but not that far behind once dressed

[juls]

have had a GMC drop saw for about 2 years, made intercooler piping, turbo manifold, assorted metal stuff.

Cant go wrong for price.

Mate has a metal bandsaw. Its great and cuts straight but is slow.

[g60boy]

this would be good for its price i recon.. http://www.tradetools.com.au/ProdView.a ... uct=9435T2 (cheers for the link bru )

would be better than the band saw for 6mm and up bar/plate, but it still only has a crapy base and clamp like most $150-$300 drop saw's...

[chimpboy]

http://www.tradetools.com.au/ProdView.a ... duct=RF128

i have one of these, just started using it. so far so good on 3.2x 50x50mm rhs and 8mm alloy.

love it so far. about half the speed of plasma, but not that far behind once dressed

Reckon it would do 8mm flat steel bar? It looks good at the price. Can you shape the steel much with it or mainly do straight cuts?

[chikoroll_]

if just doing 3mm sheet, get a scroll saw, and attach a jigsaw blade to it, for fast cutting, but the fine blades allow for accuracy, fine cuts

as with all saws, don't push them, let them cut at their own speed, pushing hard will only break it

[me3@neuralfibre.com]

14" Drop Saw to do the thicker stuff (GMC is fine)
5" Angle grinder with the THIN THIN discs to do the medium stuff. (Hitachi or GMC, I keep blowing up Makita)
Jigsaw to do the thin sheet.

Plasma would be great if you can afford it (and I'll borrow that too thanks)

The only downside to the above is heat. If your metal is heat intolerant, you would have problems. Also not good for non ferrous metals. As I guess you are welding, and using steel, neither of these matter.

Cold and bandsaws can be cheaper to run than disks in large quantitys.

Paul

[DAT MAN]

You should be carfull cutting the thin stuf (1mm or so ) you could rip off the teeth.
the general rule for cutting steel on a band saw is that 3 to 4 teeth on the blade are to contact the steel


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Sorry for the dodge diagram but its the best I can do whith out a cad system
Heres a little trade hint if your cuting alloy or stanless use kerro as a coolant it helps stop the alloy bind in the teeth.

[80lsy gq]

this would be good for its price i recon.. http://www.tradetools.com.au/ProdView.a ... uct=9435T2 (cheers for the link bru )

would be better than the band saw for 6mm and up bar/plate, but it still only has a crapy base and clamp like most $150-$300 drop saw's...

i have this one http://www.tradetools.com.au/ProdView.a ... duct=51302 and have had it for a few months now...i use it to cut tube, RHS have cut up to 100x50x5 with it so far, flat bar (100x8, 65x8 etc) along with alloy (c section etc)

it cuts real clean and is exceptionally straight especially when cutting mitres etc as it doesnt wander like a standard abrasive blade does ..Chuck even made a shim for his diff centre with it by cutting about 1.2mm thick of 32nb tube..try doing that with an abrasive saw..

not sure how many cuts i have made with the current blade but i estimate i would have gone through at least 20-25 abrasive blades on my old saw in the same amount of cuts and i am yet to get the TCT blade sharpened..

i also have a 40amp Plasma i use for variety of things from 1mm up to 12mm thick..it was an ebay cheapy for about $500 and i have caned it for about 10 months now and had no dramas.(except when Grant and MickyDs tried using it without the compressor turned on).when it dies i will throw it away and get another one the same..

dave

[zagan]

Your ebay link should be prefect for cutting metal.

If your cutting 4-8mm thick bar I wouldn't fuss about a band saw unless it was wider than a drop saw disk or close to, for example 200x8mm.

I don't get the whole band saw being too slow they simply use gravity to slowly cut through the metal, goes fairly quick, should cut 30-50mm thick bar in a few mins easy.

If they have the water pump you can set it up and walk away do something else come back and set it up again.

The only thing I'd be asking about from that ebay seller is if it pumps the cooling water around itself, if not I probably wouldn't bother about it as you'd have to stand there with a hose cooling it.

You use a mix of water and some white coloured stuff I'll find out what it is and post up on here through the week.

It's not oil, as such more milky white type stuff.