inexpensive band saw?

Yes, it will work great. There are alot of us who have them. Also, make sure you go online and print out the page showing the on-line price as well as the coupon before you go to the store. They will honor the on-line price and give you the 20% discount with no shipping charges.
 
I want one of those too hehe.
Can anyone post a few pictures of this saw in the vertical position?
Thanks!
~EP
 
Personally I would buy better blades than Harbor freight. Either check with Tracy or search lennox blades.
Harbor freight blades are not the best quality.
 
What is the difference in the 10/14 vari bimetal blades and the 10 regular bimetal blades?
 
The blades will make or break your saw. Using cheap carbon steel blades for what we do with a bandsaw means you'll go broke buying blades. In my experience choosing the correct TPI (teeth per inch), as well as choosing a quality blade over a less expensive one will make all the difference in the world. Personally, I achieve the best cutting, and the longest life with 18 tooth "cobalt" blades.

Variable tooth blades (such as the 10/14 you mentioned) generally have 3 of the 14 pitch teeth, then one of the 10 pitch teeth, repeated for the entire blade. Likewise with 14/18, and 18/24 variable toothed blades. I've never had good luck with the variable tooth blades....what always seems to happen is that just as the blade gets "broke in", one or more of the larger pitched teeth will break, causing a terrible "Thump" and "grab". Usually, once a single larger pitch tooth breaks, others quickly follow, and shortly the blade is wrecked.

In recent years I only purchase blade with a single tooth pitch. 10 or 14 tooth blades get used for softer things like G10, Micarta, or non-ferric alloys such as nickel silver, brass, copper, etc. 18 toothed blades for steels, and 18 or 24 tooth blades for thinner titanium and such. I do a lot of "accordion" cutting on Mosaic billets up to 1 1/2" square, and always use 18 tooth blades for that task.
 
Gahagan said:
where do you get cobalt blades from?
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I was always under the impression that "bimetal" is the cobalt. Cobalt alloy teeth brazed onto a carbon steel body.

Of course, many variations exist. M35 and M42 being the most prominent. Such designations are an indicator of the particular cobalt alloy being used.
M42 has the highest practical amount of cobalt in the alloy (8%?).

The function of the cobalt is to provide retained hardness during high heat applications. IOW, the teeth stay sharp for a longer period of time when heat builds up from friction.
The same concept is also applied to drill bits.
 
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Gahagan said:
Would this be the blade I need?
http://www.harborfreight.com/64-1-2...nch-bimetal-supercut-bandsaw-blade-97119.html
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Don't get those blades.
One blade will come with the saw. Use it up but don't replace it with the same thing. A better blade is worth the few dollars more by far.
Generally, you want a minimum of 3 teeth to contact the part being cut. This doesn't always work with the thinner knife steel.
You probably want a 14tpi for thicker stuff and 18 for thinner stock.

http://www.usaknifemaker.com/drills-taps-saw-blades-saw-blades-for-band-saws-more-c-98_91.html

Break the blade in by cutting at a slower than normal speed for the first 5 to 10 minutes. What does that mean? Don't push hard on the piece being cut. Let the saw do most all the work. After that feel free to push with some force. The break in period slightly rounds off the initially crazy sharp teeth. This sounds like you wouldn't want that right? If you don't do that, the teeth tend to grab and break off sooner than they would otherwise. Once you loose a few teeth on the blade, it is done.
 
EdCaffreyMS said:
Variable tooth blades (such as the 10/14 you mentioned) generally have 3 of the 14 pitch teeth, then one of the 10 pitch teeth, repeated for the entire blade. Likewise with 14/18, and 18/24 variable toothed blades. I've never had good luck with the variable tooth blades....what always seems to happen is that just as the blade gets "broke in", one or more of the larger pitched teeth will break, causing a terrible "Thump" and "grab". Usually, once a single larger pitch tooth breaks, others quickly follow, and shortly the blade is wrecked.
Click to expand...

I'll second that, Ed.

Variable-pitch blades are often misunderstood. They perform well when used in the intended application, though.

The variable-pitch was designed for a specialized application- to lengthen blade life during interrupted cuts in metal. Interrupted cuts meaning those cuts where the blade may be in contact with more than one cutting surface at a time; e.g., pipe, tubing, channel, I-beam, or angle (if cut at other than a right angle). IOW, structural steel.
These types of cuts introduce severe harmonic vibration to the blade, and the variable-pitch is designed to help tune out that vibration. So the intent is not to affect the quality of the cut, but to lengthen blade life during those types of cuts. Lessening the vibration increases the amount of time before the blade breaks due to fatigue.

The problem is that many people use the variable-pitch as an "all-purpose" blade, and sooner or later a solid piece (e.g., flat stock) is cut that is thinner than what the coarser part of the pitch is designed for, resulting in a broken tooth. And we all know that one broken tooth leads to others.

I have spent a lot of time (and $$!) sorting out the "ideal" blade for different applications. I have one wall of the shop filled with different blades hanging from it, and another shelf is filled with differing coil stock.
There is no "one size fits all". Yes, we can get the job done with something not particularly "ideal", but the tradeoff is either poor quality cuts or decreased blade life.

Constant-pitch: Used for all flat stock and smaller barstock. Examples include initial profiling of knives, steel strap, plate, etc.

Variable-pitch: Used for all structural-shaped steel, and some of the larger bar stock.
Examples include BossDog's NWGS, stands or frames, or any other application where an extended interrupted cut is possible. Basically any application calling for use of structural steel.
Also, I have experienced longer blade life using variable-pitch on larger solid bar stock.
 
Sorry for not being clearer....I was talking in my own little world. Rob is right, I should have said "M42 Cobalt" blades. I buy them in bulk (10-100 blades at a time) and generally purchase blades about once every 16-24 months. The reason I buy in bulk is because I get them for just over $2 per blade for my 44 7/8" saw....where buying them in single quantities are $5+ per blade.
 
From my experience, the saw posted will work very well for what you're looking for and is similar to mine. The weak spot I've encoutered with them is the gearbox, but I log a lot of time on the saw with metal much thicker than most knife steel. I got the saw 30 years ago because the gears were out of it and it was headed for scrape. The gears are brass and must run in lubricant, and it tends to leak out over time. Pack the gearbox often and try to avoid the grabbing of the blade by the steel. They change the supplier of these saws all of the time, so geting the gears can be a nightmare. No one wants to sell their gears for someone else's saw. If you will spend slightly more, you can get the same saw from Grizzly and the have very good support and parts. After replacing the gears in my saw 3 times, the saw was down for a month each time waiting on parts, I replaced the gearbox with one from an industrial flail weed mower. It has 1 inch shafts in and out. I no longer have had any gearbox problems. It's now a Frankensaw, but it fits with everything else that Frankenwhatever in my shop. I'm driving it with a 90 volt DC motor an controller I made. The variable speed makes a big difference in the life of the blades for me. I will use the same blade for 1/8" steel or 1" steel, but at different speeds.
dennie
 
Hmm... I may have to check on this HF saw soon. I got a $100 Lowes card yesterday and was going to look at them there...
 
For a number of years I owned and used one of the Jet 4x6 bandsaws. I used it for about 12 years before repair it just wasn't worth the effort anymore. I thought it might be appropriate to mention the issues I had with that saw...... straight cuts were always an issue. I was able to track it down to the roller guides. As soon as they got even slightly worn, the cuts would start going all "wonky" and would keep getting worse until I replaced the roller guides. The ones that came on the saw lasted all of about 3 months. I ordered new ones from Jet, and those went in about another 3 months. After that I started purchasing guides (they are nothing more that a specific size bearing/race) at a local bearing shop. Locally they cost me about twice as much as those from Jet, but the life was literally double. I also had to replace the bushing in the bearing in the idler wheel a total of 4 times over the life of the saw. As it neared the end, it seemed like I was replacing this or that part on a weekly basis....so it found it's way into the back of my truck, and took it's "last ride" to the scrap yard.
For the last 5 years I have been using a Dewalt Porta-band, setup on a vertical stand in the finish shop, and have a large 7x12 Wilton "wet" saw in the blacksmith shop. The Dewalt porta-band is without a doubt the best metal cutting saw I have ever used for knifemaking purposes. And for the "heavy" jobs, I go to the 7x12 Wilton. I've come to understand that the smaller saws work OK for small stuff, but trying to do anything beyond light size/gauge material on them just tears them up. Although it's not possible for everyone to afford two different metal saws, I can see now that although it took me a long time to get them both, it's saving me time and money because I'm not having to repair them all the time, and can count on them to work when I need them.
 
I've got an old saw like that I've had for probably twenty years. They don't track the greatest and the little table on them isn't great for vertical work but they are very good for what they are. It was the only metal saw that could be used vertical that I had when I started knifemaking so I used it making knives for a long time. I don't use it for knifemaking any more but it's still out in the welding shop and running as good as ever.

A friend has one from Grizzly that is very bad about the blades coming off. I've not had that problem with mine, it's been very dependable.

Edit, Take Tracy's advice and after the original blade wears out buy some good ones and you'll be good to go. Mine will go very slow and I always run it on that speed.
 
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So I got my HF bandsaw for Christmas and got it put together. I am amazed at how well it works. I have needed this for a while.
 
Ernie Swanson said:
Personally I would buy better blades than Harbor freight. Either check with Tracy or search lennox blades.
Harbor freight blades are not the best quality.
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That IS the most important aspect of using this band saw, I use the Orton Bi-Metal blades they work VERY well, funny this came up at this time, I highly recommend getting the extra warranty, mine recently pooped out, found my paper work, took it in, NO, as in ZERO questions asked, had another one coming in on the next truck, picked it up the next day. I had 23 days left on the warranty! This time I did build...well, my wife built me a table to mount it on, with wheels! So I can tuck it out of the way when it's not in use, also I would highly recommend making a new cutting table for it, all I did was pick up some scrap aluminium not real thick, matched up the screw holes, cut it a tad bigger. It worked very well after that, before I made the table for it, I had a real problem with the blade coming off, it would pop off every time I put a little pressure on anything I was cutting. The new table didn't stop the blade from coming off, but it made it occur less. Also, when putting the new one together and reading the directions, yes I do read the directions, and Harbor Freight machines of any kind have the most awful directions I've ever seen, and the silliest warnings ever, almost comical, except for the reason why it's in there, because some genius did what they warn you not to do. Like "sticking your hand in the cutting area while running will result in cutting your hand", or something like that. I found how to align the blade better, so that shouldn't happen as much now, matter of fact I did some cutting on it last night and it didn't come off one time!

For the money, it is the best out there, that is FOR the Money! It is by far, NOT the best, but it will get the job done, it will not cut tight radius's. But you can cut them by making small cuts from the edge into the radius close to your line, I make several cuts to my line then come back and make angled cuts to get closer to the line until I can get the saw blade next to my cut line, it's so much easier to forge those curves into the blade than it is to cut them in with this bandsaw! All the other bandsaw's will cost in the $800+ range, while some of them are better at cutting most of them aren't much better than this one. You will see this same bandsaw every where you look, I think the company in China that makes this one makes several others just like it with a different paint job, but the same exact saw. And they charge a lot more for it, to boot! I think you'll be pleased with this one if you follow a few suggestions, cut the radius's like I mentioned, always use quality blades, NEVER use the HF blades they're worthless! My new one came with a blade on it, the first thing I did was to take it off and put my old Orton blade on it, it will cut better and longer than the HF one and I've been using it for a couple of months! Of course I kept it, if the one I have breaks, the HF will do until I can either order a new one or pick one up, provided I can find it. I've been meaning to order some from BossDog, but I keep forgetting. It's a good idea to keep a few extra on hand, they run around 20.00 but not over 25.00, although I haven't looked at them in a while, they should be about that price now. Just remember, a good way to look at tools or whatever you want to buy from Harbor Freight is, first of all look at the price compared to what a better quality name brand model would cost, 2nd, take into consideration how much you plan on using it, I bought my welder from them, I've never welded anything before buying that welder, I bought a 240 volt MIG welder on sale for 179.00, with a 20% off coupon I got a great deal on it,(under 150 with tax!) and learned to weld, it's paid for itself already with the few tools and stands I've built AND I can weld now, not great...or even good, but what I do weld usually sticks together, not a pretty weld, but I'm getting better at it with each project. Once I wear this one out, I'll decide if I should buy a better quality one that will last for years, or if I don't need one that costs as much, it will depend on how much I plan on welding. The cost of a good one will be around 600.00+, and that will be for a 110 volt, not very strong and very limiting to the thickness of the steel I could use. It's factors like that you want to take into consideration, you should come up with your own formula that fits your needs, I hope this helps and maybe you can use these tips for how to make your purchases from Harbor Freight, Rex
 
EdCaffreyMS said:
The blades will make or break your saw. Using cheap carbon steel blades for what we do with a bandsaw means you'll go broke buying blades. In my experience choosing the correct TPI (teeth per inch), as well as choosing a quality blade over a less expensive one will make all the difference in the world. Personally, I achieve the best cutting, and the longest life with 18 tooth "cobalt" blades.
Click to expand...

Ed are you making your own blades? If not, where do you get your band saw blades? Even though I have no idea how to make them, if I could get them for around 2 bucks per, I would be interested in learning how to weld them up, I have seen some higher end saws that have a blade welder built into them, Thanks for sharing your knowledge! Rex
 
I got the HF portable bandsaw last february and I am happy with it. Like I said you need better blades but mine has worked good so far.
I mounted it to my bench and made a cutting table for it.

It is a little loud, especially in my little 6x8 shop.

As soon as this one craps out I am going to buy the bigger HF bandsaw.

Next I want to buy a bandsaw just for wood.
 
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