Ned Simmons wrote:

Friction sawing doesn't require all that much HP. I can do 1/8" SS on
my little 16" DoAll with only 3/4 HP, but the top speed of 1500 FPM is
a bigger limitation than the power. The 36" saw I used to have had a 2
or 3 HP motor and ran at around 6000 FPM. It cut 1/2" SS pretty well,
and 3/4" in a pinch. The big dedicated friction saws can run over
10,000 FPM.

Thanks for the info. I never heard of friction sawing of this type.

Perhaps the reported use of an electric arc across the workpiece/table
was a solution for a particularly difficult application, say, cutting
heavy structural shapes where ordinary friction sawing bogged down.

See also:

http://www.detroitbandsaw.com/store.asp?pid=21273


--
Mike Spencer Nova Scotia, Canada