Ten Hammers Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Richard, space is the thing in my shop. Will see if I can get pic on here... I have to open the door to cut long stock but it is a good saw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 Ten Hammers that's another reason I like my bandsaw. The other one had to sit out in the middle of the floor. Now this one is against the wall at the end of my steel rack. It really opened up my shop. We all find what works for us. I should say that if I had any complaits about this saw it would be the on/off switch. Not a good design and ends up being a manual setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macbruce Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 What Ten and Richard said; 14" abrasive chop saw. They're noisy and throw sparks but no where near as messy an O/A torch and compared to a bad saw, FAST. Stock this big will also heat up the motor on most common chop saws FAST......Give the tool plenty of time in between cuts or you'll need another PDQ,,,,,,,,,, :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ten Hammers Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 Like I said, 15 year old saw. as with anything you got to act like you got some sense. 4" 1/2 wall angle, whatever. This saw suits my needs but like I said, it's dirty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Hammer Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 Find an online blade selection chart or app that will guide you to selecting the proper band saw blade. Your saw will cut 2" material without even sweating. The 3-teeth in the material is "at least three teeth", not exactly 3 teeth. The 3-teeth guideline is to prevent shearing off teeth because of thin material. I have cut an 11 inch solid round with a 10-(12 or 14) blade perfectly. Buy a proper new high quality blade (not just high grade steel), be sure the blade alignment is proper and let your saw do its job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nonjic Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 30 posts and no one has mentioned the old blacksmiths multitool ? :D 9" or 10" angle grinder with cut off discs. You can be through 2" stock in the time its taken me to type this (and I type pretty quick!) If im not near the bandsaw I grab the grinder. If its a piece of a longer bar I trap it under the heel of my left foot on the deck, chop a bit, grinder out, push left foot forward to roll bar, chop a bit and repeat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wd&mlteach Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 I have a WellSaw at school and a HF special at home. Both of them will handle cutting through metal that thick and thicker. Yes, it is a slow process but remember metal is a pretty durable substance, that is why it lasts so long. I constantly have to tell the kids this. Sure there are faster ways of cutting but it is usaully a compromise. A big shear will cut through that in a blink but it will not maintain a nice edge and will deform. An OA setup will slice through that in seconds but is a bit tell-taling and unless you are good and consistant it will be rough. A cuttoff wheel on a good sized saw will also blaze through it quite quickly. One on a dremel will snap off and hit you in the face. A hacksaw will also give you a snapping good time. With my saws the right blade really does make a difference as well as coolant. Maybe I missed, it but I am surprized to see that nobody has mentioned the importance of coolant in an operation like this. Coolant in an operation like this keeps the blade cool and retains the cutting hardness in the teeth. It also helps the chips to clear out and reduces the chip load per tooth. And lastly it leaves a better surface finish. It also extends the blade life by not dulling or knocking the teeth. You can still knock the teeth off of the correct blade if you do not clear out the chips. You can also bind the blade nasty tight if you are not clearing them out. I only order one blade for my sawas although I cut lts of different materails. I opnly let the kids cut steel as they really do not comprehend feedrate, coolant, lubrication, and clearing of chips. Trust me, one of the great joys of teaching high school it that you are constantly reminded of everything that can go wrong in an operation like this. If I do not constantly remind them the fisrt thing they do when they jam a blade is lift up on the saw frame. That instantly bends the blade and pops it off of the drive wheel. I can usaully get it out with a bit hammering but it never cuts the same and it does the hula everytime that spot goes past. If I missed any other references to coolant being mentioned previously, please excuse my ramblings and carry on with life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 John N, if someone has no experience with the craft, being self-taught with a cutting disk in a angle grinder is not the place to start. The first thing every knucklehead does is remove the safety guard and handle and throw them away, and then they wonder why they end up in the emergency room. I have known and seen enough damage when all the precautions are in place. OSHA has a file of deaths and dismemberments from this very item. Teach, I feel your pain. I can't lessen your sorrow, only let you know that with some folks, it never gets any better. I teach in a community college welding program, with students from 18 to 80. I think that 9 out of 10 would rather scrub public toilets without gloves than pay attention and take notes. We make them write out a procedure for every cutting machine in the shop, but I still spend half my time "refreshing their memory", or fixing their mistakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nonjic Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 John McPherson. I dont understand your point ??? Take all the safety guards off any piece of equipement mentioned in this thread and it increases the chances of it becoming dangerous. The thread isnt about the 'safest' 'least dramatic' way of cutting bar. Its about viable (and cost effective) ways of cutting 2" bar. Who suggested removing all the safety features from a grinder to use it to cut solid bar ??? Nothing more dangerous about using a cut off wheel, in a tool designed to do it, than using many of the other techniques suggested in this thread. Its bordering on partonising not to suggest a technique because it is potentially dangerous in the event you dont follow safety procedures and use common sense, or because there is a chance they are a 'newby' and might not be 'ready' to use a tool. There is nothing particularly unsafe about my suggestion of pinning a heavy bar to the deck with your foot to chop it with a grinder - a 6' bar of 2" dia does not move that much. grinders can kick, O/a can set fire to stuff, bandsaws can jam, chopsaws can glaze and burst their disc hot cutting large stock can maim you in so many ways etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wd&mlteach Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 John N, you are correct. Removal of a guard or any piece of safety equipment is not advised as it was there to keep you and others safe. However, I respectfully disagree with this statement when you point out its danger in the following line. There is nothing particularly unsafe about my suggestion of pinning a heavy bar to the deck with your foot to chop it with a grinder - a 6' bar of 2" dia does not move that much. grinders can kick, To be honest I have myself performed this type of operation and I know the risks associated. For me the risks are too great for this to be a common occurance. For you they may be within your acceptable limits and your skill level, for my kids at school no-way. My occupation and possessions are in their hands, literally. As a result I believe that safety is part of the decision of viability. Personally, I do not buy large cuttoff wheels for school as I believe that their drawbacks with newer folks outwiegh their benifits. It is just my opinion, I am sure others and yourself might disagree. And I am okay with that. I believe that cuttoff wheels like most hand held power tools deserve a bit more respect when operating, handling and storing. For my kids moving stuff around, dropping things off tables, plopping them in cabinets, and just learning this stuff in general, the risks are too great. I prefer the bandsaw as it is to me is the safest operation. They can clamp it, lube it, turn it on and stand back while it autofeeds in. When it is done it shuts off and the next one goes at it. It may be slower and a little burred but I will take it over a kickback or disk failure any day. I am not trying to kick a hornets nest here, and I hope that I have not offended you as that is not the goal here. I am just sharing my opinion and experience as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nonjic Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 I totally agree with the comments about the unacceptable risks of kids using high powered hand tools, under your supervision, or otherwise. My suggestions for using a cut off disk in a grinder as a viable method of chopping stock assumed that the original poster of this thread is a competent adult, able to assess the benefits and drawbacks of all the suggestions and make his own decisions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 i use a power hack saw not out of choice but its all i have.slow cheep to run slow no noise slow 12in blades slow have cut rr track fork lift tyines and 3in bar and yes it was slow.it cost next to nothing and paid for its self after 3/4 cuts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tzonoqua Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 Same as Mat, I've got an ancient (Rapidor) power hack saw too, I paid £5 for it! It is slow, and the motor on mine is super noisy, but you can set it up and go do something else when it cuts. However, often I'll just get the 230mm (9 inch) grinder with cut off disc, like John N has suggested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel.85 Posted November 12, 2012 Author Share Posted November 12, 2012 Im going to just be using the bandsaw I have for this job till I can get a larger one with the proper coolant system. I wont be using the cheap blades from grizzly anymore either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Hammer Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 I still think the best option is a good bi-metal M42 blade (or better) from Lennox or another high end manufacturer for your band saw. My Model 5 Wellsaw is not set up for using a running lubricant and I cut thick material often (sometimes up to 4 inch round) without any problems. I agree that a thin cutoff blade on an angle grinder could be used, but it's not an option I'd entertain if I had a band saw of any type. I have a lot of experience working with metal and I worry a little about the amount of flexing those thin blades have and what might happen if one would disintegrate during use. I wouldn't want to be standing over a disc that is essentially between my legs if it came apart at 10,000 RPM. A good friend of mine was doing that with a thin grinding wheel that came apart..... He suffered very painful damage to some very sensitive parts. He was not a novice at this either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel.85 Posted February 4, 2013 Author Share Posted February 4, 2013 Thanks for all the input, my 4x6 band saw just wasn't doing what I needed, breaking blades and not cutting straight. I need to re-cut some ends on my 3x4 tubing for my forging press build with this new saw as well, so far the test cuts are coming out extremely straight and its much faster even with the downfeed set real slow. New Grizzly G0561!! Paid for with profits from the shop, its a good feeling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Evans Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 Thanks for all the input, my 4x6 band saw just wasn't doing what I needed, breaking blades and not cutting straight. I need to re-cut some ends on my 3x4 tubing for my forging press build with this new saw as well, so far the test cuts are coming out extremely straight and its much faster even with the downfeed set real slow. New Grizzly G0561!! Paid for with profits from the shop, its a good feeling. Very nice too. The thing that transformed my band saw experience was discovering M42 variable pitch blades. We went from replacing the blade every few weeks to them lasting over a year...and that included cutting lots of 316 Stainless. Maybe double the price but 10 times the life. Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel.85 Posted February 5, 2013 Author Share Posted February 5, 2013 Thanks for the tip, I will check those out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doc Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 Try these guys for your M42 blades, they have the best price I've seen anywhere and good service. http://www.sawblade.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel.85 Posted February 5, 2013 Author Share Posted February 5, 2013 Alan was saying they were twice the price of others.. looks like they are half the price? 601 series - haltbar M42 93" x 3/4", 6-10 toothpitch is $25? I was planning on getting some lenox blades and they are $50 a piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Evans Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 (edited) Alan was saying they were twice the price of others.. looks like they are half the price? 601 series - haltbar M42 93" x 3/4", 6-10 toothpitch is $25? I was planning on getting some lenox blades and they are $50 a piece. Great!... half the price and twice the life! No losers here! I had some Lenox hole saws and they seemed very good, but about the same as Starrett. It was about 15 years ago and bi metal technology was all the rage, the salesman did show off one of their bi metal hand hacksaw blades which possibly were M42 teeth. He tied it in a knot....most impressive! I must admit the "twice the price" was just a figure of speech, I presumed they would be at a premium because they are so good and wanted to make sure you were not put off trying them if they cost more up front. When I started buying them the M42s were more expensive than the Starrett blade I used to buy in a bulk roll and splice to length with silver solder. The first brand I had was DoALL (which I believe is USA? ) but my supplier started using his own boxes recently Cobra M42 was on the last label. I use 6/10 tpi for tube and angle and 4/6 tpi for solid. My old Elliot saw takes a 3/4" blade 116" long just in case that has any bearing. Of course I may be recommending old technology, I have been using these for such a long time, starting when they were the new thing, maybe the $50 Lenox ones you costed are ten times longer life again! You might even wear out your new machine before the blade...a bit like the disc pads on a car's brakes, they are so hard nowadays you almost replace the disc and pad at the same rate! Alan Edited February 5, 2013 by blackersmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillon Sculpture Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 I also use the M42, they last until somebody cuts thin material knocks a tooth off. 3 teeth on the material at all times is the rule so use the 10/14 seems to cover a wider rage of what I cut. Thanks for the link Doc. I was kinda hoping this thread may cover "any way to cut 2" solid" I was going to suggest a hack under power hammer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Evans Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 Oops, spot the deliberate mistake, I have just edited my earlier post to say what I meant!.... that I use the fine tooth blade for tube and the coarse one for solid. I am sure the coarser tooth helps blade longevity by preventing the dreaded stainless work hardening by enabling you to "high-feed-low-speed" I use the coarser toothed blades on thinner stuff by cutting it on flat...or bundling bars together so that all the weight does not come onto one tooth. Of course we would not be able to cut any diameter round bar if we stuck to the minimum 3 tooth rule religiously! I have made up a few hot sets to cut under the hammer, mainly radius cutters of either positive or negative rake which make short work of rounding up the end of a bit of 2". If I can though, I try and calculate my volumes precisely and leave the end as forged, I love the compound barrel curves you get, they take an age to reproduce with the grinder if you make some too long! Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old N Rusty Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 Way back when I started my biz in 1994 I bought a Rigid 590 12" carbide tip chop saw and 2 extra blades. the 590 turned slow ,1800 rpms and cut dry , and clean steel chips were the only mess ,no smoke. Rigid does not make these kind of saws anymore. I think Jepson makes a 12" blade , and still available . All the other manufactores are making a 14" carbide blade. That set of blades have been re-sharpened so many times the carbide that is left looks like a paint layer. The smoke still stays in that old saw,it does not seem to be dying anytime soon, but let me buy another 12" blade... It will be a lot slower than what it took 19 years ago, and I would have to very lightly guide the saw down now but that saw has cut 2" rounds before and could still do it. I will be buying another carbide tip saw . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel.85 Posted February 8, 2013 Author Share Posted February 8, 2013 Couple videos of the new saw. Cutting a 1/8" sliver off of the 1x5" steel plate was so easy, lovin it. http://youtu.be/NKgaiwhI7tE http://youtu.be/J_QJVm_TaNY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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