Where are the giant horizontal bandsaw experts?

I'm tired of not being able to chop up the giant hunks of steel and aluminum I've been Making Stuff with, so I found this on Facebook for $400 this past weekend:

The saw turns on and runs, so my main question is whether or not I should bother repairing the coolant system. There is plumbing and wiring for it, but all the base contains is an empty spot where the reservoir should be, and a real rusty pump that doesn't run.

Do I need coolant to cut 8" diameter 6061 round stock, thick steel bar stock, etc.? And should I buy the real parts or piece something together from aquarium stuff? 

Well, nobody can accuse you of going half way.

You'll be ok cutting tubing without coolant, but for solid stock you will want it to give your blade any long-term life expectancy. I'd try to repair the stock system but if it's too FUBAR, aquarium stuff should do the trick.

Also, that arm should lock in an upright position and you can make a small platform/bed to use it as a vertical bandsaw too. Nice score! 

We quit using the cooling a couple of years ago on the saw where I work (pretty old Wellsaw 1270). For the typical tubing/square stock/angle iron that we use it for, the minimal reduction in blade life apparently wasn't worth the hassle of using the coolant.

I always prefer using coolant to flush chips but it isn't really a requirement for blade life. You can also use a spray oil system like offered by Unist (although they will cost more than your saw). The problem with bigger diameter soft metals is chips can stick to the teeth, when that happens it all goes downhill quickly. If the chip brush that is on there is set up right that will help but I would be keen to have some sort of lubricant. You aren't a production shop so you can do lube with a bottle and some patience.

On structural tubing coolant can be a pain in the butt because coolant gets inside the tube and it is going to run one way or the other, if you are making short cuts fine tilt it forward and the coolant isn't' too far away but if you are making long cuts that coolant is going somewhere after you break through the top and it runs down the tubes like a rain gutter. It never seems to go where you want it.

Edit: On a shop saw like that odds are blade life will be cut due to traumatic injury of the blade not wear. i.e.- wrong speed, pinched blade, a friend uses it...

Looks a lot like my Jet, although I have a multi speed gearbox instead of a belt drive. I do use the coolant pump. Helps when you are cutting 2" 4140 rods.

For 8" diameter round aluminum you will be needing something like a 3 TPI blade where you will be using a 24-32 TPI blade for all your tubing and angle needs. Be prepared to swap blades when you cut thick aluminum. 

Looks like it has variable head pressure for the cut. That is nice but most users will try to have too little pressure. Without enough pressure to make a proper cut the blade will rapidly wear. If your cuts stop going straight you have probably worn the set off one side of the blade. look into using more down pressure after a blade change

Solid stock = use coolant. Most definitely on a 8" solid aluminum bar, 6061 is "gummy/sticky".

I use a small "Little Giant" sump pump I bought through MSC. You dont need lots of flow, just a stream aimed at the blade is enough.

Also, use the right blade when cutting aluminum/steel.

Is that bandsaw speed adjustable?

Thanks for the coolant advice, everybody. I just spent $90 at Global Industrial ordering a vertical table, coolant tank and coolant filter. They wanted like $400 for the coolant pump itself, so I'll either get the one I have working again, or replace it with a cheap knockoff for $100.

Any recommendations on what blade I should buy for that giant chunk of 6061? And does blade brand matter, or just find the cheapest thing with the right tooth count?

I think this saw takes a 93" blade based on my research, but I haven't measured it yet. 

This will work

There might be cheaper ones, but I did a quick search. 

Regarding blade,  right tooth ct is more important than brand as you are probably not doing production work. 

For the experienced machinists- it's aluminum really sticky?  I've had a lot of issues with blades cutting it.

Btw, I dont use filter or anything like that on the coolant. I run Castrol 9918 at about 10% concentration and just dump the pump there. You could get away with a homer bucket and the pump in there. 

alfadriver said:

For the experienced machinists- it's aluminum really sticky?  I've had a lot of issues with blades cutting it.

6061 is. 7075 or 380 (castings usually) are not, but 7075 has other issues, like rusting extremely fast if not treated. 

Not sure what grade you are cutting. 

The one thing about using coolant. If it sits for a  while unused it will get stinky. Especially in your hot humid environment. 

Buy a couple cheap blades until you're sure it's properly aligned. then switch to the good stuff.

MyMiatas said:

The one thing about using coolant. If it sits for a  while unused it will get stinky. Especially in your hot humid environment. 

A good quality synthetic brand will definitely not smell like rotten eggs. I spent years going through different brands until I found my current coolant. Zero smell and I am in the same climate as Tom. 

I've worked in machine shops over 40 years maintaining that equipment. Some coolant's better than others, but they will all stink eventually.

Little giant pumps are top notch and can run 24/7 for years (BTDT) but one of those < $20 fountain pumps on ebay and a bucket or pail will do the job just fine for hobby work.

I have that same saw in my shop.

Steve Summers documented the build of a coolant system for his bandsaw on YouTube.  There are two videos, just search there for 'steve summers coolant' and you'll find them.

I have the HF version of that.  It's been chugging away for 10 years and I'm only on my third blade.  Granted, I keep using a blade even after it's so slow that I can go to lunch and come back when it's done.

I don't have any coolant system but most of what I'm cutting is angle, pipe, and flat.  When I do heavier stuff like 1/8" angle or Sched40 pipe, I periodically squirt a little cutting oil on things.  I haven't been disappointed with blade life and I buy mid-grade bands for it.

You're going to love that thing.  If it doesn't already have it, scribe angle lines on the deck for quick alignment of the vise.

Edit:  Also, you might find a laser IR thermometer handy for setting the assist spring.  You'll find that as you loosen the spring (more cutting weight) you reach a point where temps tend to spike.  Tighten it up a bit until that temp stabilizes.  You basically want to set the tension where the heat going into the blade is less than the heat it can shed, much like sizing a radiator.  The guy I get my blades from says that you want to be able to put your bare hand on the cut when its done and it should be warm, but you should be able to hold your hand on it.  This, of course, will be different based on the material, but you'll get the hang of it.

I am lucky that there is a local industrial saw shop that will weld up any length blade for my saws, one of the benefits of being in an area with a large lumber industry. They use Lennox blades. I also find Starrett blades to be very good which I just order through McMaster Carr. 

Time for an update!

My coolant tank arrived, and it does ineed seem to be the right part for this saw:

Next step? Get a working pump. The OEM replacement is a $400 part, while generic ones are $150. I'd rather spend $0, and there's already a broken pump in the base of the saw that fits this coolant tank. 

It's too rusty to even test/diagnose, but I'd say my odds of saving it are very low. However, it's free to soak it in Evaporust and see what comes out, so maybe I'll get lucky. I put it in a bucket and will check back tomorrow to see if it at least spins freely.

One advantage to having wheels and Florida climate... I roll mine outside to make cuts.  Makes shop cleanup easier.

Making progress--I can actually see the impeller now! Back in the bucket for some more soaking. 

I've never used coolant before but have bought a few very used machines that had it. Being human, the previous owners always ignore the coolant system, and as a result... well, visualize cleaning out a PortaPotty, yeah, it's really gross. Also, during operation, the coolant gets thrown about, but if you have a real shop - lots of space around every machine and concrete walls - it's no big deal. If it's in a home garage, it can make a real mess. That said, coolant is a good idea for blade life, but that has to be weighed against how much material is being cut. In a production environment, coolant is a requirement for a business. For a home hobby shop, no.

I used an HF horizontal/vertical saw while building Kimini, which wore out the saw. I noted that for how I used it, 99% of the time it was used in the upright position, so I replaced it with a Grizzly variable speed vertical band saw and haven't regretted it.