Metal Cutting Bandsaws

Good metal cutting bandsaws will have a variable speed control to adjust the speed of your blade for the type of metal being cut. Having a system for coolant distribution is also very helpful, but not as essential as the variable speed control. The better models will have a bandsaw blade welder attached to the bandsaw as metal cutting bandsaws use a lot of blades during their lifespan. Metal dulls the blade faster than wood will and the variety of metals that are cut in a metalworking shop are vast as the products being produced. Making your own band saw blade at the time when you need one can be more cost effective than stocking them for use. Metal cutting bandsaws can go through blades at an alarming rate during production.

The last metalworking shop I worked at had the length for the bandsaw blade marked out on the floor with reflective tape for better visibility. This helped tremendously in making new blades. The steps in making a band saw blade are relatively simple when the bandsaw blade welders are attached to your metal cutting bandsaws. The first step is to cut off the bandsaw blade material to the length needed for the bandsaw blade. To use a bandsaw blade welder attached to your bandsaw, it is necessary to have evenly matched ends to the bandsaw blade. This can be simply accomplished by placing both ends of your newly cut bandsaw blade to the wheel of a grinder with the smooth side and teeth side together. Make sure that both ends are parallel by holding the blade with both hands set at least a foot apart on both ends of the blade.

When you have evenly ground ends to the blade, place both ends into the welder with the join touching. Activating the welder at this point will create a large spark and if you are not prepared for that spark, you may jump a bit. If both ends are even, then you will have a new bandsaw blade almost ready to use at this point. The last step before using this newly welded blade in your metal cutting bandsaws is to smooth out the weld until the there are no ridges able to catch on your blade guides. You can use the same grinder you used to even the edges before the weld, but take care not to remove too much material or to remove it too fast. Having a thinner spot then the rest of the blade is just as bad as having too much material there. Removing it too quickly will change the temper of the bandsaw blade in that area also reducing the lifespan of your newly welded bandsaw blade.

Making your own bandsaw blades for your metal cutting bandsaws can save you money and increase the production rate of your metal cutting bandsaws. Knowing just how well the blade is made will increase the confidence of your metal cutting bandsaws operators and keep them cutting.