# Bandsaw cutting speed



## RichD1 (29 Dec 2013)

Hi Guys, I've got a Scheppach Basato 3 bandsaw and would like to be able to cut mild steel and aluminium on it. The current speed is variable with a minimum of 1200 fpm which is far too fast for mild steel, probably just OK for ally. 

Does anyone know if there is any way to reduce the speed by the use of a voltage speed controller?

Richard


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## CHJ (29 Dec 2013)

As the machine is fitted with a single phase induction motor there is no way you can alter its speed, it is tied to mains frequency.

There are two options.


1. Fit extra jockey pulleys to reduce the belt speeds, (not very practical)
2. Fit a 3 phase motor with associated invertor to give wide range variable speed.


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## wizard (29 Dec 2013)

Get a metal cutting band saw that lowers itself to the work that is held in a vice


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## DTR (29 Dec 2013)

wizard":xmd2oolo said:


> Get a metal cutting band saw that lowers itself to the work that is held in a vice



Ideal solution but pricey, no?









(I must admit I to having a selfish interest in this thread.... I hate hacksawing! :evil: )


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## CHJ (29 Dec 2013)

But a solution only for bar, slab or tubular stock in the main, I know I have chopped off sections of sheet strips using my horizontal band saw for specific projects but handling sheet stock is not the norm.

I, maybe wrongly, assumed the OP was wanting to cut sheet material with his saw.



DTR":ywizvtri said:


> ....Ideal solution but pricey, no?



For the ease of doing the task if you have bar/slab stock to handle the price is more than worth it IMHO even it its only occasionally. Especially if fitted with a suitable Tuffsaw blade. 
The shear joy of being able to walk away with a section of 50mm steel bar after a few seconds wait rather than 20 mins slogging away with a hacksaw is more than worth it filling an odd corner of the shop.


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## wizard (29 Dec 2013)

around £300.00


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## RichD1 (30 Dec 2013)

Thanks Guys, looks like it is virtually impossible unless you're prepared to spend a lot of money!!

Have to stick with an angle grinder and hand hacksaw then!!

Richard


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## Hitch (30 Dec 2013)

What are you trying to cut out Rich?

Grinder with ultra thin discs can be very accurate in the right hands.


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## woodfarmer (30 Dec 2013)

I have a clarke 4 1/2" bandsaw. Can be used as a normal drop onto the work type, or swivelled up and used a a normal bandsaw, available from toolright co uk for £255

you might want to get some better sawblades from tuffsaws.


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## CHJ (30 Dec 2013)

One other modification that may be possible dependant upon type of single phase motor fitted to the saw.

If it has a 2 Pole motor running at 2850 RPM, Then an equivalent 4 Pole motor running at 1425 RPM could be fitted.

This will halve the two available speeds.
Whether you can locate a suitable motor regarding fixings and shaft size is another matter, and still involves considerable expenditure.


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## AndyT (30 Dec 2013)

It sounds like a good excuse to look for a second band saw dedicated to metal. My old Burgess 3 wheeler came with an alternative pulley and drive belt so it can run slow for metal cutting, maybe one of them would do?


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## Eric The Viking (31 Dec 2013)

Looking at the problem sideways, if it's sheet material, I've just bought a nibbler that was on offer at Axminster last month:





I have yet to use it, but it seems sensibly designed and good quality construction. TIme will tell in both cases though. 

I know you waste more stock and cutting in a straight line might be 'interesting' but it is a low cost alternative.

E.


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## AES (2 Jan 2014)

I have exactly the same tool Eric and can highly recommend it - especially useful on large sheets. Mine says it can cut up to 2 mm thick but used sensibly it will handle sheet a bit thicker than that (inc. MS). Only 2 problems with it:

1. It is VERY loud (used indoors ear defenders become an absolute must);

2. The debris sprays all over the place and is often VERY sharp - look for little crescents embedded in the soles of your shoes! I suppose it would be possible to rig up some sorts of collector but as I don't need it that often I just religously use the shop vac to clean up as soon as I've finished cutting with it.

Krgds
AES


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## Eric The Viking (2 Jan 2014)

Thanks for that - I'm supposed to be making a fireplace ash pan some time soon, but it'll be next autumn at the present rate of progress! Based on what you've said I'll probably rig something to catch the bits (sheet to be cut overhanging the bench, so it ought to be fairly easy).

E.


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## RichD1 (2 Jan 2014)

Hi Guys, 

Just to conform what I had in mind, I wanted to have a capability to cut sheet, bar and hollow section MS and didn't really want to buy another machine as I'm already spaced limited and I haven't really fully occupied my newly built workshop.

I've done some more research online and for around £250 I could buy a 3 phase motor and digital inverter from Direct Drives. This would provide speeds down to 1 rpm. 

I've also found some reviews of small portable bandsaws such as the Woodstar PB06 which is around £80 to £100 from various suppliers and there are videos on 'YouTube' of guys making up stands to allow them to be used either as a chop action for bar etc, or locked vertical for sheet material.

The other solution I would like to investigate is replacing the current motor pulley with a smaller version, or possibly changing the speed control pulley to a larger one. In both cases you probably wouldn't get much of a speed reduction. The minimum the Scheppach will go down to is 370 metres/min. would need to get down below 100 for MS.

Richard


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## AES (2 Jan 2014)

Glad to add something that I do know something about once in a while Eric. What material is your ash pan to be? Should be OK on sheet up to about 2.5 mm if fed slowly, inc heat-treated hard ali (NOTE: all bets are off if you're doing SS - I've not tried that, and as we all know, SS is "tougher" than most)

Your catching sheet is a good idea, should work fine, if you spread it out well - and keep any pets out of the way, those little crescents are really sharp.

One other point - I presume you'll be using an electric drill to drive it? If so, if the sheet is of any size,unless you have a helper (or were born with 3 hands) I suggest you rig up some sort of holder for the drill and fix that to the bench or whatever. That will allow you to steady the top handle of the tool with one hand while guiding the sheet with the other.

Works fine after a couple of mins of practice, and MUCH quicker and MUCH less distortion of the sheet than using tin snips (ever aircraft ones).

Krgds
AES


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## AES (2 Jan 2014)

@RichD1:

OK if you want to spend that much money - and I know nothing about converting a bandsaw as you suggest, except that when I looked at converting my own small bandsaw for the same reasons I soon gave the idea up on account of both the cost and the complexity (and I have 3 phase on tap).

In your OP you said you hate using a hacksaw and sure, no one that I know exactly loves it. But approached the right way, it's a lot less hassle than many suppose.

First get GOOD blades (chinese stuff from the market will NOT do here). You need blades from a good manufacturer such as Starret, Sandvik, or Eclipse, and for anything over about 3 or 4 mm thick you need 18 TPI blades - forget the "general purpose" 24 TPI blades you will find in most places - 32 TPI for really thin stuff and 18 TPI for just about everything else. 

Make sure you have a good stance, the work is at the right height (bent elbow), shoulder in line with the work, and SLOW strokes going virtually the whole length of the blade. You'll find yourself going through a lot quicker than you thought. As soon as the blade gets blunt (you'll feel it) change it. Most people make the mistake of making fast short strokes (much less than full blade length) and typically use 24 TPI blades, so end up spending loads too much energy for a slower result than the effort they put in.

And as others have suggested, thin abrasive cut off discs in an angle grinder work very well after a bit of practice. And for small (and not so small) work pieces, the Dremel "Speedclick" abrasive cut off discs work very well indeed. I recently cut 4 X 12 mm SS bolts off flush 'cos I couldn't get anything except the Dremel with a right angle gearbox into the space. 

I cut LOTS of metals of all sorts (inc Titanium sheet) and just do not have the space or budget for a dedicated powered metal saw. I simply use the tools as above, plus the nibbler ETV mentioned, no problems.

HTH

Krgds
AES


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## dickm (2 Jan 2014)

For metal cutting when restoring old Volvos back in the 80s, a Bosch self-contained nibbler, which is the more professional version of the attachment shown, was very useful. It would happily tackle 1.5mm sheet, but 2mm was pushing it, so for sheet of that thickness, it's worth trying a metal cutting blade in a variable speed jigsaw. Quite slow and difficult to follow a line very precisely, but it works.

(Just don't forget to set any pendulum action to zero  )(And if you use a nibbler, don't use it anywhere that you might subsequently have a bike.  again)


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