Metalworking (rec.crafts.metalworking) Discuss various aspects of working with metal, such as machining, welding, metal joining, screwing, casting, hardening/tempering, blacksmithing/forging, spinning and hammer work, sheet metal work.

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Zipper
 
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Default Bandsaw Blade

I have an older vertricle bandsaw that currently has a wood blade in it.
This is an older bandsaw, but it's pretty decent, but I'm not sure about the
length of the blade. I want to get a new blade, and I was curious if anyone
was aware of a place around Atlanta, preferably on the North West side, but
anywhere will do, that made custom length bandsaw blades for cutting metal.
Any help is greatly appreicated. I googed this, but didn't come up with
anything very useful for what I was looking for. Also any tips on the right
blade to get would be appreciated. I found this
http://www.toolcenter.com/Lenox/, and it looks like I want a bi-metal blade,
but I don't know much about what makes a good blade.

-Stephen


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Lane
 
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First things first, if the bandsaw is a wood model only (speed not
adjustable), don't try cutting metal with it. Different animal!

Lane



"Zipper" zipper777ATcomcastDOTnet wrote in message
...
I have an older vertricle bandsaw that currently has a wood blade in it.
This is an older bandsaw, but it's pretty decent, but I'm not sure about
the length of the blade. I want to get a new blade, and I was curious if
anyone was aware of a place around Atlanta, preferably on the North West
side, but anywhere will do, that made custom length bandsaw blades for
cutting metal. Any help is greatly appreicated. I googed this, but didn't
come up with anything very useful for what I was looking for. Also any tips
on the right blade to get would be appreciated. I found this
http://www.toolcenter.com/Lenox/, and it looks like I want a bi-metal
blade, but I don't know much about what makes a good blade.

-Stephen



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Grant Erwin
 
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Zipper wrote:

I have an older vertricle bandsaw that currently has a wood blade in it.
This is an older bandsaw, but it's pretty decent, but I'm not sure about the
length of the blade. I want to get a new blade, and I was curious if anyone
was aware of a place around Atlanta, preferably on the North West side, but
anywhere will do, that made custom length bandsaw blades for cutting metal.
Any help is greatly appreicated. I googed this, but didn't come up with
anything very useful for what I was looking for. Also any tips on the right
blade to get would be appreciated. I found this
http://www.toolcenter.com/Lenox/, and it looks like I want a bi-metal blade,
but I don't know much about what makes a good blade.

-Stephen


Assuming your bandsaw can cut at speeds of 30-300 fpm (wood speeds are typically
800-5000 fpm) then you may or may not want a bimetal blade. In production you
certainly would want one, but they are expensive and can be frustrating because
if you get the speed wrong those hard brittle teeth can strip right off quickly.
Carbon steel blades from a good manufacturer do dull more quickly but the teeth
don't strip off and they're a lot cheaper. I'm tired of wrecking $40 blades so
I'm switching over to carbon steel ones for my 14" vertical. - GWE
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RoyJ
 
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I'd start by figuring out the actual length of the blade. length = 2x
distance between center of the wheels + 3.14 * diameter of the wheel.
Good chance it is a stock size.

Zipper wrote:
I have an older vertricle bandsaw that currently has a wood blade in it.
This is an older bandsaw, but it's pretty decent, but I'm not sure about the
length of the blade. I want to get a new blade, and I was curious if anyone
was aware of a place around Atlanta, preferably on the North West side, but
anywhere will do, that made custom length bandsaw blades for cutting metal.
Any help is greatly appreicated. I googed this, but didn't come up with
anything very useful for what I was looking for. Also any tips on the right
blade to get would be appreciated. I found this
http://www.toolcenter.com/Lenox/, and it looks like I want a bi-metal blade,
but I don't know much about what makes a good blade.

-Stephen


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Trevor Jones
 
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Lane wrote:

First things first, if the bandsaw is a wood model only (speed not
adjustable), don't try cutting metal with it. Different animal!

Lane


Just don't try cutting steels with it. Most bandsaw blade stock I have
seen was marked "for wood and non-ferrous metals"

Aluminum cuts really nicely at wood saw speeds. Brass too.

Really need the slow speed for steels, though.

Cheers
Trevor Jones


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~Roy~
 
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MSC is in your town, and they make blades, and have quite a good
selection of stock and will custom make any size.They should be listed
in the Atlanta Phonebook

==============================================
Put some color in your cheeks...garden naked!
  #7   Report Post  
 
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RoyJ wrote:
I'd start by figuring out the actual length of the blade. length = 2x


distance between center of the wheels + 3.14 * diameter of the wheel.


Good chance it is a stock size.

Zipper wrote:
I have an older vertricle bandsaw that currently has a wood blade

in it.
This is an older bandsaw, but it's pretty decent, but I'm not sure

about the
length of the blade. I want to get a new blade, and I was curious

if anyone
was aware of a place around Atlanta, preferably on the North West

side, but
anywhere will do, that made custom length bandsaw blades for

cutting metal.
Any help is greatly appreicated. I googed this, but didn't come up

with
anything very useful for what I was looking for. Also any tips on

the right
blade to get would be appreciated. I found this
http://www.toolcenter.com/Lenox/, and it looks like I want a

bi-metal blade,
but I don't know much about what makes a good blade.

-Stephen




I've always used a piece of string wrapped around the wheels and marked
at the intersection for finding blade sizes on a bandsaw. Unless it's
a real oddball or homemade, it'll have something standard for a blade.
Just got a flyer from HF, they've got their 220v blade welder on sale
currently. Just another option.

What type of blade you want depends totally on what you want to cut.
Wood blades are different from metal blades and there's a lot of
differences in tooth patterns even for wood blades. If it's a
woodcutting bandsaw, you're going to want to slow it way down for
anything ferrous. Tooth shapes can be different for alloy compared
with steel-cutting blades, too. Usually the maker has some line sheets
that state what each pattern is good for. Starrett used to have some
nice stuff in the back of their catalog on bandsaw blades and
applications.

Lenox makes good bimetal blades, they're what I've been using on the
4x6. You've got to match the tooth pitch with what you're cutting, too
coarse a pitch with thin steel or thin-wall tubing and you'll shuck
those nice hardened teeth right off. I usually have three pitches on
hand and swap blades depending on what I want to chop and its shape.

Stan

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