Replies

1. 
   Riverprof | Jan 30, 2007 04:47am | #1

   I've cut through 3/8" mild steel on the same bandsaw that I use for woodworking. Different blades, of course. Cutting 18 ga is like cutting butter.

   Rp

2. 
   sapwood | Jan 30, 2007 05:43am | #2

   The primary difference is blade speed. My metal bandsaw has a speed of about 300 fpm that is a bit fast for mild steel. But is still serviceable. My wood bandsaw in over a 1000 fpm and that is way too fast for steel in any alloy. If you could solve the speed problem I still wouldn't recommend using the same saw for metal and for fine wood. My metal saw gets steel dust/chips inside the guide block mechanisms, all over the screw adjustments, embeds into the tires....... it's simply a mess. Also, the table gets all gouged up by errant chips of metal that get caught under the piece being cut. What was once a clean and pretty machine is now rather rough and ready. It's service isn't really compromised, it just doesn't adjust smoothly and it would rough up any piece of fine wood I were to run over its table. I heartedly recommend that you get two different saws.

   A wood saw can be converted to cut steel but once done, it would be tough to go back.

3. 
   SARGEgrinder47 | Jan 30, 2007 08:11am | #3

   Sapwood nailed it, waljay. You can do it on a drill press as you have belts for changing to slower metal cutting speeds. Have you ever noticed that most hand held 1/2" drills and larger run at an average of 500-600 rpm. They are primarily for metal and even then a lubricant should be used to avoid over-heating as one would in a machine shop.

   I have seen people that get away with cutting aluminum (which is soft enough to sand) on a 2 speed wood band-saw that the blade speed can be slowed a bit and changing to a metal cutting blade. But as sapwood, I wouldn't do it personally on my saw.

   My BIL is a shop foreman at the machine shop at Delta Airlines here in Atlanta and we have metal cutting BS's at my job in "muscle car restoration". I have no reason to clog my wood BS with metal shavings that will eventually find it's way onto WW projects and take away life expectancy of a wood machine.

   Regards...

   Sarge.. jt