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.

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1   Report Post  
Ivan Vegvary
 
Posts: n/a
Default Back to HF for bandsaw blades

Always bought my band saw (h/v cheepie saw) from Harbor Freight. Would buy
approx. 6-10 at a time. I know everybody here thinks that the bi-metal are
the best, but I've been getting along with the cheap carbon steel.



Main use is to cut 5/8" rebar into 2 ft. long survey monuments. Usually buy
20 pieces of 20 foot rebar, stack them 9 thick (3x3) and cut nine bars at
time. Move the stack up 2 feet and repeat. I've bent 5-6 cute little clips
to keep the bundle of 9 bars from moving and rolling around.

Anyway, the above is equivalent to approx. 180 cuts. (81 cuts per bundle of
9 (9x9) plus 18 more for the remaining two bars. Typically these blades
would last me about 3 rounds (540 cuts) and often fail because I was
careless and let the stock get twisted, thereby breaking the blade.



Ran out of blades and went to Home Depot. They had the same blades. RIDGID
brand. Bought one 14 tooth metal blade and one 24-tooth blade. The
14-tooth blade made exactly 6 cuts (bundle of 3, twice) and after that would
merely just polish the metal. The 24-tooth blade only got through the
bundle of 3 once and then merely polished thereafter.



Thought Ridgid must be a good brand (name recognition at least in plumbing
tools). I guess their blades suck. Will have to mail order a dozen of the
cheepies from Harbor Freight and make sure I don't run out of stock.



BTW, the blades were not installed backwards! Also, I don't have these
precut by the fabricators because they always end up with a slight bend at
one end. This teeny bend makes it difficult to drive, especially through
asphalt roadways. If we put the bent end skyward, then our survey cap looks
crooked. Besides, I get to buy and write off a tool.



Ivan Vegvary


  #2   Report Post  
Leo Lichtman
 
Posts: n/a
Default Back to HF for bandsaw blades


Ivan Vegvary wrote: (clip) often fail because I was careless and let the
stock get twisted, thereby breaking the blade.(clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
There are some Visegrip type clamps which use chain to wrap around the load.
If you use a pair of those, I think your slippage problems will be over.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Thought Ridgid must be a good brand (name recognition at least in plumbing
tools
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The name Ridgid has always had a lot of clout in relation to professional
plumbing tools, but HD somehow has obtained the rights to it, and puts it on
all their house brand tools. Even a carryover of the old Craftsman monotube
wood lathe. I don't think much of it anymore.


  #3   Report Post  
Stan Schaefer
 
Posts: n/a
Default Back to HF for bandsaw blades

"Ivan Vegvary" wrote in message news:mX1Wa.16227$cF.7936@rwcrnsc53...
Always bought my band saw (h/v cheepie saw) from Harbor Freight. Would buy
approx. 6-10 at a time. I know everybody here thinks that the bi-metal are
the best, but I've been getting along with the cheap carbon steel.



Main use is to cut 5/8" rebar into 2 ft. long survey monuments. Usually buy
20 pieces of 20 foot rebar, stack them 9 thick (3x3) and cut nine bars at
time. Move the stack up 2 feet and repeat. I've bent 5-6 cute little clips
to keep the bundle of 9 bars from moving and rolling around.

Anyway, the above is equivalent to approx. 180 cuts. (81 cuts per bundle of
9 (9x9) plus 18 more for the remaining two bars. Typically these blades
would last me about 3 rounds (540 cuts) and often fail because I was
careless and let the stock get twisted, thereby breaking the blade.



Ran out of blades and went to Home Depot. They had the same blades. RIDGID
brand. Bought one 14 tooth metal blade and one 24-tooth blade. The
14-tooth blade made exactly 6 cuts (bundle of 3, twice) and after that would
merely just polish the metal. The 24-tooth blade only got through the
bundle of 3 once and then merely polished thereafter.



Thought Ridgid must be a good brand (name recognition at least in plumbing
tools). I guess their blades suck. Will have to mail order a dozen of the
cheepies from Harbor Freight and make sure I don't run out of stock.



BTW, the blades were not installed backwards! Also, I don't have these
precut by the fabricators because they always end up with a slight bend at
one end. This teeny bend makes it difficult to drive, especially through
asphalt roadways. If we put the bent end skyward, then our survey cap looks
crooked. Besides, I get to buy and write off a tool.



Ivan Vegvary


Ridgid isn't a name in anything but plumbing tools, their power tools
are made by Emerson, which used to be the producer of Sears Craftsman
line of power tools. Sears finally wised up, so Emerson had to find
another sucker to sell their junk. If you look at the fine print on
the blade packaging, if any, you'll probably find a Made In China
label. Around here, I can get Lenox blades off the shelf at the
hardware store for the 4x6s, these pretty much last forever for mild
steel solids as long as I use the right pitch for the right job.
Chrome-moly tubing is really hard on them, but I can still do far more
with the bimetal than with the cheapy carbon steel. If you no longer
have any real hardware stores around due to HD and wally-world killing
them off, try some of the web-based tooling suppliers like MSC or J &
L. Name-brand bimetal blades cost maybe twice as much, but you get
about 10 times the life of carbon steel out of them. If you're
writing the cost off, why not try a few?

Stan
  #4   Report Post  
Roy Jenson
 
Posts: n/a
Default Back to HF for bandsaw blades

There is the possiblity that you got a hard batch of rebar. The
only specs on rebar are for tensile and size. Nothing about
elongation or Rockwell hardness. If you get some grade 60 bar
that is on the hard side, it can take the teeth out of most saw
blades. The fact that you wiped out 2 different blades points to
some hard stock.

We wiped out several blades on some hot rolled 1/4"x2" bar stock.
One stick out of the pile was way higher carbon than the others,
the welds got REALLY hard.

Cheers.

Ivan Vegvary wrote:

Always bought my band saw (h/v cheepie saw) from Harbor Freight. Would buy
approx. 6-10 at a time. I know everybody here thinks that the bi-metal are
the best, but I've been getting along with the cheap carbon steel.

Main use is to cut 5/8" rebar into 2 ft. long survey monuments. Usually buy
20 pieces of 20 foot rebar, stack them 9 thick (3x3) and cut nine bars at
time. Move the stack up 2 feet and repeat. I've bent 5-6 cute little clips
to keep the bundle of 9 bars from moving and rolling around.

Anyway, the above is equivalent to approx. 180 cuts. (81 cuts per bundle of
9 (9x9) plus 18 more for the remaining two bars. Typically these blades
would last me about 3 rounds (540 cuts) and often fail because I was
careless and let the stock get twisted, thereby breaking the blade.

Ran out of blades and went to Home Depot. They had the same blades. RIDGID
brand. Bought one 14 tooth metal blade and one 24-tooth blade. The
14-tooth blade made exactly 6 cuts (bundle of 3, twice) and after that would
merely just polish the metal. The 24-tooth blade only got through the
bundle of 3 once and then merely polished thereafter.

Thought Ridgid must be a good brand (name recognition at least in plumbing
tools). I guess their blades suck. Will have to mail order a dozen of the
cheepies from Harbor Freight and make sure I don't run out of stock.

BTW, the blades were not installed backwards! Also, I don't have these
precut by the fabricators because they always end up with a slight bend at
one end. This teeny bend makes it difficult to drive, especially through
asphalt roadways. If we put the bent end skyward, then our survey cap looks
crooked. Besides, I get to buy and write off a tool.

Ivan Vegvary

  #5   Report Post  
Charles A. Sherwood
 
Posts: n/a
Default Back to HF for bandsaw blades

I think Lenox band saw blades are the best; Even better than starret.
I have cut an amazing of SS with one lenox blade on my 4x6 horzontail.

chuck
Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules

Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Surface for back of open fireplace Robert Irwin UK diy 7 June 7th 04 11:01 AM
Cutting the back off a ceramic cistern lid? T i m UK diy 5 February 29th 04 05:29 PM
Box spanner for basin back nuts Joe UK diy 1 February 24th 04 02:13 AM
Adventures in Loft-land [email protected] UK diy 9 January 16th 04 09:14 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 06:29 AM.

Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 DIYbanter.
The comments are property of their posters.
 

About Us

"It's about DIY & home improvement"