Replies

1. 
   JohnWW | Jan 30, 2007 10:15pm | #1

   It primarily depends on the drive system. 

   If the machine has a gear box can you shift the gears with a lever to get higher blade speeds?  If the speed reduction is through a belt system how hard would it be to switch pulley sizes to increase the speed?  If the machine has belts from a motor driving a speed reduction gear box that can't be shifted for a higher blade speed, it isn't a good idea to drive the gear box excessively fast by changing the pulleys.

   Other than the drive question, if the machine is in basically good shape mechanically and can be cleaned up for woodworking, it is probably worth trying out.

   John White, Shop Manager, Fine Woodworking Magazine

    

1. 
   tarsalas | Jan 30, 2007 10:54pm | #2

   So I take it that a metal cutting band saw runs at a slower speed than a woodcutting one? And i would need to increase the speed to a certain rate to make it an effective woodworking machine? (BTW, it is an 20" Rockwell from late 70's or early 80's)

1. 
   RickL | Jan 30, 2007 11:37pm | #3

   The older 20" Rockwell should be able to cut wood or metal at least the couple I've worked on could.  you could slow it way down for doing metal or speed it up for wood. It had a gear box for the really low speed and the you could bypass the gearbox and speed it up for wood.

2. 
   JohnWW | Jan 31, 2007 12:01am | #4

   According to a Rockwell catalog from 1957, the wood cutting version of their 20" saw had a two belt, 3 1/2" diameter motor pulley, and a 7" diameter saw pulley.  With a 1725 rpm motor, the blade was supposed to run at 4,500 feet per minute.  There is no mention of a metal cutting version of the saw in the 1957 catalog.

   A metal cutting bandsaw for steel would have cut at a much lower speed.  If the saw was being used for brass or aluminum, it could have been a conventional, unmodified, high speed wood saw.

   John W.

2. 
   sapwood | Jan 31, 2007 12:46am | #5

   I don't think that saw can be easily adapted to get an increase in blade speed. Those saw were/are fine cutting machines and would be highly desired by a metal worker. I'd suggest that you acquire the saw and clean it up for metal cutting. You can probably sell it easily in your area. Then use the profit to get a nice wood cutting machine.

1. 
   RickL | Jan 31, 2007 01:56am | #6

   Actually I believe it would be easily converted to a wood saw. I  have rebuilt a few when I was working for a Dealer. I was an independent tech for Delta and did quite a bit of warranty repairs on Delta machiney. A local college had the metal/wood cutting bandsaw and the Gillete Razor company had the same saw. It routes power through a gear box to slow it down and running the belt direct would speed it up to wood cutting.

3. 
   philip | Jan 31, 2007 12:54pm | #7

   Let us see a picture of this saw-specifically the drive works, then we can get down to some facts, such as at what fpm is it running now/what speeds are presently available.What rpm is the motor?
   What do you want to do with it? If both woodcutting and metal cutting then blade speed ranges required are around 3000 to 4000fpm for wood down to 50fpm(feet per minute) if you want to cut tool steels in their annealed state. Non ferrous stuff like bronze and brass require yet another set of speeds like around 1200fpm.
   If it has a reduction gear box then this can be by passed for the wood and non ferrous speeds and some mechanicking with pulleys will be required. It is quite easy if you have the time , tools, knowledge and inclination.

   Philip Marcou
4. 
   powertoolsguyd | Aug 11, 2020 03:04am | #8

   The main difference is metal cutting band saws run the blade slower than wood cutting saws.

   Band saws for woodcut very dense materials. It generates less heat and in this way can be cut with far higher blade speed. You can cut faster. The wood band saws have one speed -fast.

   You can saw any wood on a metal band saw, if you have a nice shape (carbide tipped or diamond) blade.

   The metal cutting band saws are constructed more robustly. The metal has to cut far denser and tougher materials.

   For cutting these materials need to generate
   more heat, that means you have to slow things down to the right speed for particular materials.

   It has an adjustable 2-speed gearbox. Most have a chart that shows what speed should to use for what materials. You usually have a stronger blade (wider and thicker).