Bandsaw for cutting metal?

[maxharvard]

Anyone recommend a cheap ($100-200) bandsaw i can use to cut metal? I saw a few at Sears that could work... other thoughts?

[parsonsj]

For $100-$200? No. No such thing exists, at least new. Here's what I did: http://www.x1nova.com/Tools.html

It works very well: I've made hundreds of cuts in aluminum, stainless, 4130, and mild steel.

jp

[maxharvard]

i saw your site before...Looks complicated and expensive! LOL, nice job though. there are plenty of 10" bandsaws at Sears for under $200. You can buy the metal blades for them as well.

[astroracer]

John is right... You can spend 100 bucks on a variable speed bandsaw but it will not cut metal. Even with a metal blade. The wood saws run to fast to cut metal without burning up the blade. Those little variable speed jobs won't have the torque to cut anything thicker then 24 or 26 gage by the time you slow it down enough to make the blade live.
Here is a link to what I did with a 130 dollar used saw off eBay a couple of years ago.
https://www.pro-touring.com/forum/sh...hlight=bandsaw
I use it almost every day and it cuts like a champ for about 200 bucks total.
Just so you know, I have one of those cheap variable speed bandsaws. I use it to cut wood... That's all it is good for.
Mark

[parsonsj]

there are plenty of 10" bandsaws at Sears for under $200. You can buy the metal blades for them as well.

Do yourself a favor, and save your money on those bandsaws. They are worthless for metal because they run the blades too fast. If you can't afford a real metal bandsaw or even the kit approach that Paul Ruggles and John Ulaszek came up with (my link above), I'd recommend you buy an electric handheld jigsaw. They will work in sheet metal all the way up to 1/4" or so for mild steel. You'll go through blades like crazy, but it will work reasonably well.

jp

[maxharvard]

I have a jigsaw... my problem is that the metal wont stay still, it just keeps jumping up and down when i try to cut it... any suggestions?

[parsonsj]

You'll need to clamp it to your table or work bench by clamping the ends of steel tube (or angle iron) to distribute the clamping force all the way across the cut.

jp

[maxharvard]

Hmmmm... Its hard for me to picture that in my head, do you have a diagram or picture to help me better understand that?

You'll need to clamp it to your table or work bench by clamping the ends of steel tube (or angle iron) to distribute the clamping force all the way across the cut.

jp

[FrankenChevy]

Ever thought about one like this:

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...70_20885_20885

around $200 (plus shipping unless you have a local store). When I worked in a machine shop we used to tip it up vertically and sit on the clamping area (with a little padding) and cut away. Worked really well. Just a suggestion.

[Jim Nilsen]

Jet tools actually makes a saw like the one from Northern shown but it already is setup with a removeable platform. I think it is somewhere in the $300 range and has a similar model that is bigger for not much more $$$$.
Delta has a bandsaw that I keep seeing at my local Farm an Fleet and it is a 14"variable speed and is sometimes on sale for $250 and list for almost double that. I keep getting tempted to buy it when they go on sale but I resist.

[67speedfreak]

I used a sawsall for years to cut brackets and tubing with the right metal cutting blade it works well.

Also try a Horizantal band saw. The are much cheaper than Vertical units and must stand up to cut vertical.
The throat will be very limited though.

[F70t/a]

http://http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRIT?PMPXNO=2875452&PMT4NO=0

[68sixspeed]

http://http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRIT?PMPXNO=2875452&PMT4NO=0

I use to have one of those cheapo saws years back- I hope the quality got better- mine couldn't keep a blade on, the stand was super wobbly, It ended up sitting under a bench for years and finally got thrown out last year!