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metal cutting bandsaw


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I have a milwaukee metal hand held bandsaw....(got rid of my dewalt)

And every time I cut, it depends on the TPI blade...brand of blade...

What you're cutting...how old and used the blade is...

Are you wiggling the saw, teeter tattering it etc.... (seriously)

If you cut angle iron or square tubing it slows down at the corners etc...

Not sure if any of this helps or is a big Duh! but its just my experience...hope it helps.

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On 9/22/2016 at 5:28 AM, bob w w said:

Hi all,

can anyone please tell me the ft. per min speed of a metal cutting band saw blade?

Regards.  Bob.

60 to 100 fpm. 60 for hard stuff, 100 for mild steel. faster for aluminium and brass. Set for 80 and cut anything. 

 

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 Hey Mark1, not to argue, but most of the charts I have found say around 250 fpm. If you meant meters per minute, that would be close I think. Let me know if I'm mistaken. Thanks......                  Dave

On ‎11‎/‎5‎/‎2016 at 11:09 PM, Marc1 said:

60 to 100 fpm. 60 for hard stuff, 100 for mild steel. faster for aluminium and brass. Set for 80 and cut anything. 

 

  

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You can't just follow a chart unless it includes the hardness, toughness, thickness and metal being cut as well as feed speed. (down pressure on the blade) 

250fpm. might be fine for say 1/2" mid steel but try it on a piece of exhaust pipe and it'll jam us as soon as it starts cutting on the edge. IF you apply the same down feed pressure. You almost have to float the blade to cut thin or hard stock.

Aluminum wants to be hogged or the cuttings will ball up and gall the blade causing it to jam in the kerf. 

Experiment with your saw and learn to listen to what it's telling you some sounds are good others are red flag warnings. If a bandsaw is screaming it's probably being fed too hard unless it's a commercial beast that just doesn't care. If it's dragging the motor down you need to back off the down feed. The motor should sound like it's working but not get dragged down.

Be aware different metals sound different under a band saw. Don't worry you'll learn it's language with practice it's not rocket science but charts are only one dimensional and the blade speed isn't nearly as important as the down feed speed. 250fpm sounds just fine I wouldn't mess with fpm unless adjusting the feed doesn't work out.

Frosty The Lucky.

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