So I've got a great (older) 1/3 HP bandsaw. Problem is that it's geared for wood cutting and when I use it to cut metal it burns up the blade. I'd like to slow it down simply with a rheostat rather than having to source stepped pulleys. Past experience with fans has been mixed, as there's always excess heat production which can burn up the motor, or the modulation sucks. Any feedback?
I have attempted this with a "router speed control" from harbor freight.
At the correct blade speed for steel it didn't have enough torque to make a cut. Like at all.
Your saw is going to have a induction motor. Most rheostat speed controls are for brushed motors. You will probably need a variable frequency drive. I don't know if I've ever seen one for a single phase motor though. Most are single phase input, 3 phase output.
A little google search turns up pretty much nothing for single phase motors. You could probably change the motor to 3 phase and run a VFD if you wanted variable speeds. Otherwise a pulley swap is probably your best bet.
In reply to Toyman01 (Forum Supporter) :
At that point it sounds like the HF bandsaw and a real table are the cheaper or easier alternative
Sadly, I think that Patrick's right. I just like high-quality tools, which means that most Harbor freight tools that I buy end up annoying me.
So let me change the question a little. I've considered getting a porta-band saw with a table. That would allow me portability and not take up as much shop space. Cons: Short blade = faster wear, and if I were to do a large build - say a locost, I might find the horizontal configuration significantly preferable.
Thoughts?
A while back I googled converting wood band saw to metal and found reference to using a treadmill motor. I don't know dick about motors, but something about treadmill motors being built for low speed and come with variable speed controllers. So yeah, go on CL and get a free treadmill and let us know how it works. :-)
I used my saw horizontal once. It's been set up vertical since then. The abrasive chop saw is easier and quicker for tube cuts.
In reply to Kreb (Forum Supporter) :
I have the harbor freight portable band saw and made a table to mount it in. Works great for me, installing Lenox blades made a big difference from the HF blade. The big Issue I have with it is the depth of cut is limited to 5", so cutting a square larger that 10" needs another solution.
Patrick (Forum Supporter) said:I used my saw horizontal once. It's been set up vertical since then. The abrasive chop saw is easier and quicker for tube cuts.
Yeah, but it throws so much grit.
I also have the HF (Bauer) portaband, and the Swag Off Road table, which I set up to mount on the end of my bench. The abrasive chop saw hasn't been out of the shed once since I bought the portaband. With the table, mitre gauge, and foot pedal, I'm still under $300, all in.
As noted above, my only complaint is the relatively short depth, but it's not really much of a complaint.
In reply to Rodan :
That's pretty sweet. I like having the big workbench to support material. We may have a winner
Kreb (Forum Supporter) said:So let me change the question a little. I've considered getting a porta-band saw with a table. That would allow me portability and not take up as much shop space. Cons: Short blade = faster wear, and if I were to do a large build - say a locost, I might find the horizontal configuration significantly preferable.
Thoughts?
Porta-bands are incredibly useful and you'll never want to use a reciprocating saw or cutoff wheel again, for anything you can hold it up to.
Getting a straight cut, however, is difficult. Porta-bands operate off of the Ouija Board Principle: trying to force them to go somewhere makes them do the opposite.
I usually marked my cut all the way around the piece I was cutting.
In reply to AngryCorvair :
Was just about to post this same thing. I have the same problem and have been on the lookout for a threadmill for a while.
I powered my 9" lathe with a free treadmill motor. It is awesome. But, even with a 1.5 hp rating, I smoked it within a few months. It could not handle the continuous low speed loads.
The replacement motor came from here. Treadmill Motor.
Then the speed control smoked due to the larger motor.
The replacement speed control came from here. Speed Control
As for saws,
I had a abrasive chop saw. I despised that thing and gave it away. Way too loud and messy for what it was doing. Get a portable bandsaw.
I have the HF horizontal band saw. It seldom gets used. Not because it's junk, but because it's seldom worth the trouble to pull it out and set it up. I can already have the cut done and moved on to other things before I pull it out from under the bench. Unless you have a dedicated space you can set it up I'd probably pass on this one.
I have a Porta-band. It gets used frequently on round and square tube. There is a skill to making straight cuts. Mark it all the way around and only cut with one side of the blade at a time. The blades last a long time unless you abuse them. Cutting odd shapes and sheet is pretty much impossible without a table setup.
50% of my cuts in metal are with a grinder and pretty much all of the precision cuts. Yes, it's loud and messy but for blade control it really works best.
Everything else gets the plasma cutter. Usually to pare it down to size so it can be adjusted with the grinder.
I also have a wood cutting band saw that can not be slowed down enough to cut steel. I use it for cutting aluminum sheet and bar stock. I buy band saw blades from a small company that will make any size you need although haven't bought any recently. The quality of the blade makes a big difference as well as the proper tooth per inch count.
I finally decided to go the porta band route. I ended up buying a used Mikita on eBay for $50. The saw was pretty rough, didn't run well but I knew the condition when I bought it. After getting saw I completely disassembled it, cleaned it put new brushes in motor, new rubber tires on wheels. Lubed gears, blade guides and adjusted. Reassembled. I think motor has four speeds. Bought a SWAG table that fits in a vise. It is a very good and useful tool that I use frequently. I have it on a small work bench I built on casters so I can move it around or take outside if needed. A full size metal cutting bandsaw would be nice but they take up a lot of room and tend to be expensive even used.
If your budget has room, one of these FEMI saws are fantastic. I've had their NG120 for 15 years and it's AWESOME for cutting rollbar tubing and anything up to 4".
In reply to lotusseven7 (Forum Supporter) :
Eastwood has a version of that for $419. I'm very tempted.
In reply to Woody (Forum Supportum) :
That Eastwood setup is nice, but 3.25" capacity is pretty small. The Bauer portaband, for example, is 5"...
I love my portaband, but I just picked up a new saw the other day. My portaband is going to get dusty. Not a lot of capacity, just over 2", but so much faster, cleaner, and more accurate...
This is the best tool for 90% of the cuts that I need to make. Got to really use it today and I love it. So far I've used it on angle iron and square and round tubing, and it was like a hot knife through butter. This video sold me when they showed it cutting through a thick I beam...
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