How Nice is a Metal Band Saw?

[Gem99ultra]

snip>I have the opportunity to get a used metal cutting band saw. It's a Duracraft that will likely need some repairs. The guy said it keeps throwing blades and there's some wobble in one of the bearings.<snip.

I've owned my Duracraft for something over 35 years. Cut miles of iron and steel with it. Even cut railroad track for anvils. And yes, occasionally you'll have a blade that wants to keep jumping off. Usually you can correct that with your tensioner.

Mine uses some odd-ball size blades like 58 1/2" or something like that... I've made up my own many times simply by silver soldering one to the correct length. No problem. But I've seen places that will make up your blades also.

One thing that I do is to keep the guide wheels well lubricated during cutting. I use WD40 squirted on them to wash down the filings. Cheap enough and easy enough. I just don't like to see a guide wheel skipping. I keep them set a zero clearance minus a couple of thousandths. May be right or maybe not, but that works for me.

If it's a good deal, I'd chance it. I'd hate to think that I didn't have it around.

 

[Bill Hoffman]

I have a large Jet H/V bandsaw, and a Porter Cable Porta-Band on a stand.
They are probably the most used tools in my shop. Handier than a shirt pocket.:thumbsup:

Bill

 

[yankeerider]

I say it depends on how big it is.

I have a little $200 one from TSC that takes the 64-1/2 blades. It is really handy when dealing with light wall tubing, but for heavy wall, I go for the torches everytime. The bandsaw is just too slow. And heavywall tube doesn't have to be exactally perfect when using a MIG to get a good weld.

So if it is a smaller bandsaw, and you work with a lot of 1/8" and thinner material, they are perfect. But if you are good with torches and work with 1/4" and thicker material, I dont think you will get much use out of it. After seeing how long it takes to make cuts in thicker material, you will probabally go back to the torches like I do.

I've probably got the same bandsaw. Bought mine from Harbor Freight. Although I only bought mine last week, i only see myself using my oxy-acetylene torch for cutting out curvy shapes.

I bought the bandsaw to cut 1.75" rounds and 3/8" wall 2+ inch diameter DOM tubing that i was going to turn on my lathe and didn't want to affect the hardness by using my chop saw. No problem with those pieces- i just turn the bandsaw on and go do something else while it works because it shuts itself off when done.

I love the no worries about sparks flying everwhere. The only downside is that now I will need one for as long as I'm able to work in my shop.

 

[LD1]

I've probably got the same bandsaw. Bought mine from Harbor Freight. Although I only bought mine last week, i only see myself using my oxy-acetylene torch for cutting out curvy shapes.

I bought the bandsaw to cut 1.75" rounds and 3/8" wall 2+ inch diameter DOM tubing that i was going to turn on my lathe and didn't want to affect the hardness by using my chop saw. No problem with those pieces- i just turn the bandsaw on and go do something else while it works because it shuts itself off when done.

I love the no worries about sparks flying everwhere. The only downside is that now I will need one for as long as I'm able to work in my shop.

They aren't bad if you only have a peice or two to cut. But when I'm in the middle of a project, like building the dump bed on my truck, or building a trailer, I find myself waiting on the bandsaw more often than I would like. It takes a lot longer to cut through a peice of 2x4 HW tube than it does to MIG the last cutoff in place.

And when 99% of the time, I can torch cut and have 1/8" or less gap, what is the point in waiting on the bandsaw??

Just My opinion though. I perfer the torches on the heavy stuff. But on the thin stuff, it is well worth it. Not to mention all the other stuff that you can cut with it that you cant with other methods, like PVC, wood dowels, aluminim, etc. They deffinatally have their place. But uness it is a bigger industrial saw, I perfer to only use it on smaller stuff.

 

[k0ua]

How interesting, I just got my Grizzley swivel head bandsaw this weekend, and cut up a bunch of old torched off ended 4 inch x 1/4 angle iron stock, with it. really cleaned it up and made it ready for projects.. the saw works very well. the auto shutoff button I cannot get it adjusted, (3 hours trying) to not stop too soon or snapclick the switch down reliably, it seem to cut off power well before the snap down of the switch, so if you lift the saw again after it stops, it starts again, because the switch is not snapped down, and I view this as a hazard. But other than that, it is wonderfull, for now controlling it manual shutoff. I may make a latching relay and microswitch failsafe for it.
James K0UA

 

[Iplayfarmer]

...But if you are good with torches...

I'm not.

 

[crazyal]

I would pick it up. If one of the wheels is wobbling from a bad bearing that's most likely the cause of the band coming off. I wouldn't expect it to be hard to replace a bearing. If you don't use it you can always put it on CL and let someone else take it off your hands.

I would be lost without my Milwaukee porta band. I just picked up a plasma cutter and I'm hoping that will share in some of the cutting. But if given the choice I would rather not have sparks, flames, or loud noises when doing any sort of work.

 

[TGF]

I have a heavy duty chop saw, it is all I have ever known, I cut my PTO shafts with it, but when I see guys use band saws and there are no sparks or smoke and the noise is so much less, I wonder if i should get one.

 

[2458n]

See if parts for it are available. Is it a well made unit that "looks" to be have been made a few years back. Fit and finish is alot better with the bandsaw. I have a very old Kalamzaoo bandsaw and it does a fine job. You will learn to let the saw do the cutting at its own speed. Hard steel -like grade 8 bolts quickly dulls blades. I believe you will like this addition to your shop.

 

[wowbw7]

absolutely indispensable. cut alot with the grinder/cutoff wheel until i picked up a horizontal/vertical unit. wouldn't be without one.