A new toy

John Wilson said:
I run mine on the fastest setting. I started slow, which was painfully slow, then went to the middle for a long time. Finally I tried it on the fast speed and found the blade still lasts months and months cutting stainless steel. I have tried several brands of blades and get the most life from Starrett blades. 14 to 18 tpi seems to be the happy spot where it cuts fast enough without stripping teeth prematurely. 24tpi cuts clean but requires entirely too much pressure from me pushing the steel into the sawblade to get it to cut.
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Can't go wrong with Starrett ANYTHING ... what a great company.
 
The 14 to 18 tpi seems to be the common number. How does that go on the thin stock as I use a bit of 1.5mm 12c27 but most is 1/8 or thicker.
 
I use the 18tpi and it does well until I drop down below .090. When I cut .072, I get a lot of chatter and vibration. Still cuts, but not as efficiently as .090 and above.
 
DanF said:
I use the 18tpi and it does well until I drop down below .090. When I cut .072, I get a lot of chatter and vibration. Still cuts, but not as efficiently as .090 and above.
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Thanks Dan. The 1.5mm is about the same as .090 so the 18 tpi should be good as replacement blades when these are done.
 
John Wilson said:
I run mine on the fastest setting. I started slow, which was painfully slow, then went to the middle for a long time. Finally I tried it on the fast speed and found the blade still lasts months and months cutting stainless steel. I have tried several brands of blades and get the most life from Starrett blades. 14 to 18 tpi seems to be the happy spot where it cuts fast enough without stripping teeth prematurely. 24tpi cuts clean but requires entirely too much pressure from me pushing the steel into the sawblade to get it to cut.
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I just cut out a blade and changed the belt on the pulleys to the fastest speed and it does make a lot of difference so with the excellent tips from you guys I have saved a great deal of experimenting to make this saw give of its best.
18 tpi at the fastest speed will be my set-up going forward.
 
Von Gruff said:
I just cut out a blade and changed the belt on the pulleys to the fastest speed and it does make a lot of difference so with the excellent tips from you guys I have saved a great deal of experimenting to make this saw give of its best.
18 tpi at the fastest speed will be my set-up going forward.
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You will be extremely pleased with your new saw. A light dab of lubricant on the steel seems to speed cutting as well as prolong blade life.
 
I modified a generic-Chinese 14" bandsaw for cutting thin metal. Anything about 3/8" or less cuts well with an 18tpi blade.
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Not to hijack the thread, but will a porta band set up in a table cut 1/4 inch carbon steel? Also, has anyone here built their own table? Thinking about getting a Dewalt 120 and building a table for it. Thanks!
 
Ember Knives said:
Not to hijack the thread, but will a porta band set up in a table cut 1/4 inch carbon steel? Also, has anyone here built their own table? Thinking about getting a Dewalt 120 and building a table for it. Thanks!
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I've seen a few folks on the Internetz that have built tables, but nothing as nice as the SWAG table. I've thought about doing the same thing, so if you do.....keep me/us posted ;)
 
Keep in mind- SWAG offers a simple version that is nothing but a plate with folded down wings and it costs next to nothing. I had that one and it was fantastic. You clamp the wing into your bench vise and when you aren’t using it you put the saw away. The table/plate stays mounted to your portaband.

SWAG Offroad makes some really great tables but you don’t have to get the mack daddy version.
 
John Wilson said:
I run mine on the fastest setting. I started slow, which was painfully slow, then went to the middle for a long time. Finally I tried it on the fast speed and found the blade still lasts months and months cutting stainless steel. I have tried several brands of blades and get the most life from Starrett blades. 14 to 18 tpi seems to be the happy spot where it cuts fast enough without stripping teeth prematurely. 24tpi cuts clean but requires entirely too much pressure from me pushing the steel into the sawblade to get it to cut.
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I moved my belt to the fastest speed, and oh-what-a-difference that made, it's like a different saw now!
Another benefit was the faster speed took the chatter and vibration out of cutting my thinner stock.
 
Have upgraded my saw. The little 1/2 hp motor was prone to allowing the blade to jam and stalling the motor which would burn the capacitor so after doing that twice I decided to give it bit more ooomph. Have just installed the 1 hp motor I took off my grinder when I upgraded it to a 2hp 3 ph a while back. Have it running through a foot switch so should have a trouble free run now.
 
Von Gruff said:
Have upgraded my saw. The little 1/2 hp motor was prone to allowing the blade to jam and stalling the motor which would burn the capacitor so after doing that twice I decided to give it bit more ooomph. Have just installed the 1 hp motor I took off my grinder when I upgraded it to a 2hp 3 ph a while back. Have it running through a foot switch so should have a trouble free run now.
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That's a nice upgrade. I like modifying and working on my tools and equipment as much as I like to use them.
 
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