I need a little help. I have to cut about 200 "slugs" of 1" round
aluminum bars stock. I'm using my "new" to me band saw and although I
got a couple of piece from the blade that was on the saw when I got it,
the cuts are not very accurate or clean.

I've never used a metal cutting bandsaw before and I know that you can
get all sorts of blades with different tooth styles and configurations.
What I am cutting is 1" round bars of 6061 aluminum. So if any of you
have the secret recipe for smooth cut in 6061 please fill me in.
TIA
Greg

Greg Postma wrote:
I need a little help. I have to cut about 200 "slugs" of 1" round
aluminum bars stock. I'm using my "new" to me band saw and although I
got a couple of piece from the blade that was on the saw when I got it,
the cuts are not very accurate or clean.

I've never used a metal cutting bandsaw before and I know that you can
get all sorts of blades with different tooth styles and configurations.
What I am cutting is 1" round bars of 6061 aluminum. So if any of you
have the secret recipe for smooth cut in 6061 please fill me in.
TIA
Greg
You want a 4 TPI blade for that material. Some kind of lube
also helps. I have a waxy stuff I often use for aluminum called
"edge lube". If you use too much, the blade can slip off the drive
wheel. But, just a little allows the aluminum chips to not stick
in the tooth gullets. You can also brush hardware store thread
cutting oil on the blade before it enters the cut.

A flood coolant system is the best, and if you are going to do more of
this, that would be a real good thing to get. It needs to handle
oil-based coolants.

As for the straightness of the cuts, the blade guide rollers are
on eccentric posts, so you can move the upper and lower blade
guides left and right a little bit to get the cut straight.
Between adjusting the blade guides and fixed jaw of the vise,
which usually can be made to swivel, you should be able to get
a straight cut.

The blade needs to be tightened a lot more than you might think.

Jon

Greg Postma writes:

So if any of you
have the secret recipe for smooth cut in 6061 please fill me in.

For 200 pieces I would consider making a jig to clamp it well for a table
saw or radial arm saw and carbide blade.

"Greg Postma" wrote in message
...
I need a little help. I have to cut about 200 "slugs" of 1" round
aluminum bars stock. I'm using my "new" to me band saw and although I
got a couple of piece from the blade that was on the saw when I got it,
the cuts are not very accurate or clean.

I've never used a metal cutting bandsaw before and I know that you can
get all sorts of blades with different tooth styles and configurations.
What I am cutting is 1" round bars of 6061 aluminum. So if any of you
have the secret recipe for smooth cut in 6061 please fill me in.
TIA
Greg

It might help to know what you have for a saw. Jon recommended a 4 pitch
blade, but I'd suggest you don't use it unless you have some serious speed
at the blade, and you're using a vertical saw, not a horizontal. The
start and ending of each cut might give you some grief otherwise. If you
can run the blade at greater than 1,000 SFPM, I might have a different
opinion. By selecting a blade anywhere from 6 to 10 pitch, the slower,
the finer, and cutting with lubricant, you should be able to get a decent
cut in reasonable time. For this cut, try to stay away from finer teeth
than a 10 pitch, there's not enough room for chips, so they cut slowly.
You need not worry about running the blade too fast in aluminum----you
likely can't unless you have a saw built for friction sawing, so select your
fastest blade speed. Lubrication can be as simple as the occasional
brush application of kerosene. Enough to keep the blade free of chips and
galling.

Harold

One thing I've not seen mentioned but I'm sure you have done, is to narrow
the distance between blade guides to just allow the one inch stock to fit.
Just a thought.
Respectfully,
Ron Moore

"Greg Postma" wrote in message
...
I need a little help. I have to cut about 200 "slugs" of 1" round aluminum
bars stock. I'm using my "new" to me band saw and although I got a couple
of piece from the blade that was on the saw when I got it, the cuts are not
very accurate or clean.

I've never used a metal cutting bandsaw before and I know that you can get
all sorts of blades with different tooth styles and configurations. What I
am cutting is 1" round bars of 6061 aluminum. So if any of you have the
secret recipe for smooth cut in 6061 please fill me in.
TIA
Greg

Greg Postma wrote:

I need a little help. I have to cut about 200 "slugs" of 1" round
aluminum bars stock. I'm using my "new" to me band saw and although I
got a couple of piece from the blade that was on the saw when I got it,
the cuts are not very accurate or clean.

I've never used a metal cutting bandsaw before and I know that you can
get all sorts of blades with different tooth styles and configurations.
What I am cutting is 1" round bars of 6061 aluminum. So if any of you
have the secret recipe for smooth cut in 6061 please fill me in.
TIA
Greg

Table saw and a vice set up on the groove of the table to slide at 90
deg to the blade.

Wear a face sheild.

Nice clean , sharp edged cuts.

Get a new blade for your bandsaw. No disrespect for the guy you got it
from, but that will remove one variable from the setup.

Cheers
Trevor Jones

"Greg Postma" wrote in message
...
I need a little help. I have to cut about 200 "slugs" of 1" round
aluminum bars stock. I'm using my "new" to me band saw and although I
got a couple of piece from the blade that was on the saw when I got it,
the cuts are not very accurate or clean.

I've never used a metal cutting bandsaw before and I know that you can
get all sorts of blades with different tooth styles and configurations.
What I am cutting is 1" round bars of 6061 aluminum. So if any of you
have the secret recipe for smooth cut in 6061 please fill me in.
TIA
Greg
Beg, borrow, buy or steal a woodbutchers miter saw, put a triple chip blade
on it and finish that job in less than an hour. Fast clean cuts in a flash.
Better than a band saw, table saw or chain saw. Wear hearing and face
protection. The chips are hot and plentiful.
Tom

Harold and Susan Vordos wrote:
"Greg Postma" wrote in message
...

I need a little help. I have to cut about 200 "slugs" of 1" round
aluminum bars stock. I'm using my "new" to me band saw and although I
got a couple of piece from the blade that was on the saw when I got it,
the cuts are not very accurate or clean.

I've never used a metal cutting bandsaw before and I know that you can
get all sorts of blades with different tooth styles and configurations.
What I am cutting is 1" round bars of 6061 aluminum. So if any of you
have the secret recipe for smooth cut in 6061 please fill me in.
TIA
Greg


It might help to know what you have for a saw. Jon recommended a 4 pitch
blade, but I'd suggest you don't use it unless you have some serious speed
at the blade, and you're using a vertical saw, not a horizontal. The
start and ending of each cut might give you some grief otherwise.
Good point! I totally missed that the round stock would have a problem
with this. Of course, a high-quality saw with hydraulic downfeed would
do just fine, but the 4x6 with spring counterbalance would jump in and
grab at the end of the cut.

Jon

Get a new blade of about 10tpi and use something for a lubricant. Also set
the guides next to the work so that the blade doesn't wander. Finally
adjust the rdrop speed so that the blade doesn't wander in the cut.
I have regularly cut aluminum on the horizontal bandsaws and gotten good
square cuts by letting the saw do it's workwth a cleanup cut on the mill of
no more than .010". The blade does need to be a good regular kerf for that
to happen with a good weld.

--
Why do penguins walk so far to get to their nesting grounds?

"Greg Postma" wrote in message
...
I need a little help. I have to cut about 200 "slugs" of 1" round aluminum
bars stock. I'm using my "new" to me band saw and although I got a couple
of piece from the blade that was on the saw when I got it, the cuts are not
very accurate or clean.

I've never used a metal cutting bandsaw before and I know that you can get
all sorts of blades with different tooth styles and configurations. What I
am cutting is 1" round bars of 6061 aluminum. So if any of you have the
secret recipe for smooth cut in 6061 please fill me in.
TIA
Greg

Hey Greg,

Still lookin' for those prints...

Anyhow... I haven't read anyone else's respknse yet so this may be
covered... But coolant... Use coolant for sure. Aluminum WILL stick to
just about any tool used without it. And a nice slow and deliberate feed.
Nothing too agressive. Can't ehlp with the blade tooth type, but that may
cause some problems too.

It's IMHO only of course and based on my experience with our $300 band saw.


Regards,
Joe Agro, Jr.
(800) 871-5022
(908) 542-0244
Automatic / Pneumatic Drills: http://www.AutoDrill.com
Multiple Spindle Drills: http://www.Multi-Drill.com

V8013-R

Joe AutoDrill wrote:

Hey Greg,

Still lookin' for those prints...



Bitch, bitch bitch.......

Are you related to my first wife by any chance??
I sent the prints off to you tonite. It may take me a while to call you
to discuss them, I've got a couple of fires to put out first.

Greg

ditto to Tom's advise. I'll add that a shot of WD40 to each side of
the blade every 5-6 cuts will help the process. I do this every day
with a 10 inch DeWalt mitersaw. Just use a smooth, slow cut... no
need for clamps and all that jazz.
LL

On Mon, 20 Feb 2006 15:26:25 GMT, "Tom Wait"
wrote:


"Greg Postma" wrote in message
...
I need a little help. I have to cut about 200 "slugs" of 1" round
aluminum bars stock. I'm using my "new" to me band saw and although I
got a couple of piece from the blade that was on the saw when I got it,
the cuts are not very accurate or clean.

I've never used a metal cutting bandsaw before and I know that you can
get all sorts of blades with different tooth styles and configurations.
What I am cutting is 1" round bars of 6061 aluminum. So if any of you
have the secret recipe for smooth cut in 6061 please fill me in.
TIA
Greg


Beg, borrow, buy or steal a woodbutchers miter saw, put a triple chip blade
on it and finish that job in less than an hour. Fast clean cuts in a flash.
Better than a band saw, table saw or chain saw. Wear hearing and face
protection. The chips are hot and plentiful.
Tom

Greg Postma wrote:
I need a little help. I have to cut about 200 "slugs" of 1" round
aluminum bars stock. I'm using my "new" to me band saw and although I
got a couple of piece from the blade that was on the saw when I got it,
the cuts are not very accurate or clean.

I've never used a metal cutting bandsaw before and I know that you can
get all sorts of blades with different tooth styles and configurations.
What I am cutting is 1" round bars of 6061 aluminum. So if any of you
have the secret recipe for smooth cut in 6061 please fill me in.
TIA
Greg
A little more information about my saw and the project.
The saw is an old J-Line by Yates American and sold by Brodhead Garret.
This is what it looks like
http://www.owwm.com/PhotoIndex/detail.asp?id=1849
Tool GloatOn
I was at one of my clients plants and I saw a guy take it off a pick up
truck at the metal recycler next door. The local roach coach showed up
and I wondered over to get a cuppa and came back with the coffee and the
band saw. The coffee cost me a buck and the bandsaw cost me a cuppa and
10 bucks. I wheeled it into the plant, plugged it in and the motor ran,
quiet and smooth but it had no blade. I mentioned the no blade to Jose
the metal recycler and he came over with a couple of bands, one of which
fit the machine. When I went to install the band, I noticed that the
driven wheel had no tire on it. So a call to McMaster and $24 later the
saw was cutting. So now I've invested $34 and a cuppa in the thing.
Tool Gloat Off
The project involves cutting segments out of the 1" aluminum bar that
has been rolled to a 5" centerline radius. The plugs I cut must fit into
a tube that also has been bent to a 5" radius. The cross section of the
cut is "oval" to match the tube.

I did 3 pieces as a proof of concept and the clients customer jumped on
the idea, so now I have to do 30 pcs. of 3 different lengths as
manufacturing feasibility test. If all goes well, I will finish this
project in the next couple of days and then take a couple of days off
before I head to China.BTW if this project works out, these parts will
come back from Asia, the second project the I've successfully brought
back in 3 months.

To all that offered advice, thanks. I think that I will use my miter saw
with a Tenyru metal blade and some WD40 and just whack the plugs off
that way.

Thanks again
Greg

Still lookin' for those prints...



Bitch, bitch bitch.......

Are you related to my first wife by any chance??

LOL. Could be... Is she Sicilian from Palermo?

I sent the prints off to you tonite. It may take me a while to call you to
discuss them, I've got a couple of fires to put out first.

We will be here. No problems... They are huge BTW. Had to export to jpg
to print 'em. Not a single printer here could handle the PDF files for the
15 pager. Thus, my running into the 3D Adobe stuff I just posted about.
--


Regards,
Joe Agro, Jr.
(800) 871-5022
(908) 542-0244
Automatic / Pneumatic Drills: http://www.AutoDrill.com
Multiple Spindle Drills: http://www.Multi-Drill.com

V8013-R