Band Saw

A place to discuss workshops and the use and desirability of tools.
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Brantel
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Band Saw

Post by Brantel »

I have one and use it but could get along without it. I have the $100 buck model from Lowes. It was nice to have when doing stiffners for control surfaces and for tappering spar reinforcing bars.

If I had to do without, I would use my hacksaw, die grinder with cutoff wheel, dremel tool, and sawsall if I had something thick to cut.

I use a wood blade with aluminum due to the fact that the chips packup in a fine toothed blade. The blade cuts through aluminum like butter, even thick doubler pieces.

Now if someone can tell me how to get it to cut straight, that would be good. I always cut to the scrap side of the line and then finish off with the sanders.
Brantel (Brian Chesteen),
RV12-IS, #121606, N912BC - Building Now!
RV10, #41942, N????? - Project Sold
RV-7/TU, #72823, N159SB - SOLD

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Brantel
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Joined: Wed Aug 30, 2006 3:23 pm
Location: Newport, TN

Post by Brantel »

Don't know why but this reply created a new topic... Sorry..
Brantel (Brian Chesteen),
RV12-IS, #121606, N912BC - Building Now!
RV10, #41942, N????? - Project Sold
RV-7/TU, #72823, N159SB - SOLD

tmbg
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Joined: Wed Feb 07, 2007 11:05 am
Location: Atlanta, GA (4A7)

Post by tmbg »

for what it's worth, the tracking of a bandsaw is highly dependent on how it's tuned. Get the blade riding the crown of the wheels by adjusting the tilt o f the upper wheel, adjust the bearings and blocks/rollers by using a feeler gauge or sheet of paper or business card or something to gap them to the blade. If you spend some time tuning it, you can get it to track straight, but very rarely will it track perpendicular to the wheels! A blade will tend to lead to one side or the other, and if you're trying to cut using a fence, you need to determine this natural lead angle and compensate for it in your fence. The lead is caused by uneven set of the teeth. If they're set more to one side, the blade will lead toward that side.

Get the saw tuned well, layout your lines with sharpie such that eliminating the blue will give you the correct size, cut freehand along the center of the sharpie mark, and polish out the rest of the sharpie on the scotchbrite wheel.

If you're doing curves, using a narrower blade helps a lot, otherwise drill a radius hole at the curve and cut to the hole. Definitely use a hole at any sharp corners.
Ian
RV-7 SB, chugging toward final assembly
IO-360-C1C 200hp obtained.
Hartzell BA prop received.
James Cowl ordered.
N773WW reserved!

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Brantel
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Joined: Wed Aug 30, 2006 3:23 pm
Location: Newport, TN

Post by Brantel »

You sound like a man with a high dollar band saw.

The el-cheapo I have has little in the way of adjustments for the guides and rollers. Basically in and out. The slide blocks are plastic and they wear at weird angles all on there own. It is tough to get it set right. When you do it only last a few minutes.
Brantel (Brian Chesteen),
RV12-IS, #121606, N912BC - Building Now!
RV10, #41942, N????? - Project Sold
RV-7/TU, #72823, N159SB - SOLD

tmbg
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Posts: 613
Joined: Wed Feb 07, 2007 11:05 am
Location: Atlanta, GA (4A7)

Post by tmbg »

heck no! I have a $230 harbor freight 14" 4-speed woodworking bandsaw. The slide blocks are indeed plastic, and they're CRAP, however, you can get better graphite or roller blocks for it, in fact, harborfreight sells roller blocks for like $15, and they make a WORLD of difference over the plastic blocks.


The HF bandsaw uses a frame thats made in the same factory as all the high-dollar chinese saws like the Jet and Grizzly. The Delta saws are US made.
Ian
RV-7 SB, chugging toward final assembly
IO-360-C1C 200hp obtained.
Hartzell BA prop received.
James Cowl ordered.
N773WW reserved!

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Brantel
Class B
Posts: 1029
Joined: Wed Aug 30, 2006 3:23 pm
Location: Newport, TN

Post by Brantel »

Mine is the $99 Lowes model seen in the back here:

Image

Are there upgrades for this ones guides out there?
Brantel (Brian Chesteen),
RV12-IS, #121606, N912BC - Building Now!
RV10, #41942, N????? - Project Sold
RV-7/TU, #72823, N159SB - SOLD

tmbg
Class C
Posts: 613
Joined: Wed Feb 07, 2007 11:05 am
Location: Atlanta, GA (4A7)

Post by tmbg »

it's very possible. If nothing else, you could make some.

You can find something called 'cool blocks' that are made of graphite, and they work very nicely. They're gonna wear out where rollers won't, but they'll work a heck of a lot better than the plastic ones.

Measure the blocks in your saw and see if you can find one that are the same size square, don't worry about the length.
Ian
RV-7 SB, chugging toward final assembly
IO-360-C1C 200hp obtained.
Hartzell BA prop received.
James Cowl ordered.
N773WW reserved!

Spike
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Post by Spike »

Im going to close this one to keep the band saw topic in one thread. Id merge but the software doesn't appear to let me.

John
http://www.rivetbangers.com - Now integrating web and mail!
Current Build: 2 years into a beautiful little girl

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