One of my customers recently contacted me for assistance in improving their steel cutting production rates. They had run up against a wall in trying to get faster cut times for some large bundles of angle, i-beam, and c-channel. Their saw was running smoothly, but the cut times were way too slow for their manufacturing demands.
I made an on-site visit to get first hand look at what was going on. They were cutting a 12" x 12" bundle of c-channel, approximatley 40 pieces in the bundle, and it was taking about 50 minutes to make the cut. That was a metal removal rate of 1.38 sq. inches per minute! No wonder they were panicked! They should be cutting around 7-10 square inches per minute!
Ok, what was the problem then....well, it all came down to proper tooth selection. They had never cut those large bundles of steel before, they were used to cutting one and two pieces at a time. When they went to a larger cross section of material, they never changed the tooth pattern. They basically had about 60 teeth in the workpiece at one time- 3x too many. I brought them a much more aggressive tooth pattern, broke the blade in for one cut, then i proceeded to cut that same bundle in 9 minutes! 50 minutes to 9 minutes- ya think they love me or what!? If you want me to improve your cutting rates, improve your production output, or help with your band saw blade life, look me up at www.detroitbandsaw.com
Stay warm,
Joe Bandsaw
Friday, December 10, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Using a wood saw to cut metal
Too often, a homeowner or hobbiest tries to cut metal with the wood cutting bandsaw they have. Woodworking saws typically run much faster than metalworking saws, and bimetal blades have issues when they are run too fast. Here is a perfect example of a recent situation from a future customer named Dennis:
Joe,
My saw is a Craftsman 12” band saw. It has a 1725 rpm motor. The motor pulley is a 2-1/2” dia. and the machines pulley is a 5” dia. The saw blade mounts on two 12-1/2” wheels.
The saw is mainly used for wood but on occasion I cut metal. The heaviest I’ve cut is ½” thick stainless, but that’s very rare. Usually it’s just like 1/8” steel and nickel plated steel.
When I cut the stainless, I don’t force it, I take my time.
Of course my son has used it too, so you know how that goes.
So, was the blade I was using from McMaster Carr the right one? Bimetal 6’8”L., ½” wide, .025” thk., 10-14 Tpi.
Thanks for your help,
Dennis
Yes and no. I would recommend our M42 dieband blade over the blade McMaster Carr has sold you, but yes you were using a bimetal blade and that would be the right blade. However, I think your saw is running too fast for cutting stainless and that is part of the problem you are having. I do not know for sure the speed in feet per minute based on your response, but stainless should be cut at around 100 surface feet per minute. My guess is you are cutting at a wood cutting speed, and burning up the blades prematurely.
You are probably right about the wood cutting speed. Is your M42 a better blade then the bimetal I was using? If worst comes to worst, I can change drive pulleys to metal cutting speeds and that shouldn’t really bother the wood cutting.
What do you think?
Dennis
Yes, it has a harder tooth. About 69 rockwell. If you can slow it down, it will last longer Dennis. Make a mark on the blade and count how many times it goes around in one minute. Multiply that by the length and that will give you a ballpark of how fast you are going – feet per minute. Shoot for 100 f.p.m. for stainless, 250-300 for mild steel. The harder it is, the slower you need to go. Also the cut ease lubrication stick would help as well.
Let me know if we can help you.
According to the site I sent you for calculating SFPM, my saw runs at 2,821. A little fast to say the least.
As you can see above, the reason for his inablility to cut stainless had nothing to do with the blade, but everything to do with the saw. For a complete line of metal and wood cutting bandsaws, visit www.detroitbandsaw.com
We are here to help, thank you for looking!
Joe Bandsaw
Joe,
My saw is a Craftsman 12” band saw. It has a 1725 rpm motor. The motor pulley is a 2-1/2” dia. and the machines pulley is a 5” dia. The saw blade mounts on two 12-1/2” wheels.
The saw is mainly used for wood but on occasion I cut metal. The heaviest I’ve cut is ½” thick stainless, but that’s very rare. Usually it’s just like 1/8” steel and nickel plated steel.
When I cut the stainless, I don’t force it, I take my time.
Of course my son has used it too, so you know how that goes.
So, was the blade I was using from McMaster Carr the right one? Bimetal 6’8”L., ½” wide, .025” thk., 10-14 Tpi.
Thanks for your help,
Dennis
Yes and no. I would recommend our M42 dieband blade over the blade McMaster Carr has sold you, but yes you were using a bimetal blade and that would be the right blade. However, I think your saw is running too fast for cutting stainless and that is part of the problem you are having. I do not know for sure the speed in feet per minute based on your response, but stainless should be cut at around 100 surface feet per minute. My guess is you are cutting at a wood cutting speed, and burning up the blades prematurely.
You are probably right about the wood cutting speed. Is your M42 a better blade then the bimetal I was using? If worst comes to worst, I can change drive pulleys to metal cutting speeds and that shouldn’t really bother the wood cutting.
What do you think?
Dennis
Yes, it has a harder tooth. About 69 rockwell. If you can slow it down, it will last longer Dennis. Make a mark on the blade and count how many times it goes around in one minute. Multiply that by the length and that will give you a ballpark of how fast you are going – feet per minute. Shoot for 100 f.p.m. for stainless, 250-300 for mild steel. The harder it is, the slower you need to go. Also the cut ease lubrication stick would help as well.
Let me know if we can help you.
According to the site I sent you for calculating SFPM, my saw runs at 2,821. A little fast to say the least.
As you can see above, the reason for his inablility to cut stainless had nothing to do with the blade, but everything to do with the saw. For a complete line of metal and wood cutting bandsaws, visit www.detroitbandsaw.com
We are here to help, thank you for looking!
Joe Bandsaw
Monday, May 3, 2010
Cutting Stainless Steel at incredible speeds!
I have a band saw blade that will literally cut hard materials at a rate you have never seen! In fact this bi-metal bandsaw blade just outperformed a carbide tipped bandsaw blade. When I say outperformed, I mean it cut FASTER than carbide!
Normal rates when cutting stainless steel using bimetal: 1-2 square inches per minute.
Normal rates when cutting stainless steel using carbide: 4 square inches per minute.
Rates when cutting stainless steel using new blade: 5 square inches per minute!
Now, why am I so excited about this you ask? The new optimized bimetal blade I speak of costs HALF AS MUCH as the carbide tipped blade! Not to mention, I can and did cut faster than 5 square inches per minute, but I want the blade to last as long as I can.
I can help you cut 8.5" rounds of stainless steel in 11 minutes. I can help you cut ANYTHING that is hard to cut, or you need to cut faster. Not only will I increase your production, I will save you lots of $$$$$.
Call me
- Joe Bandsaw
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Sawing Fluid for cold weather
As spring approaches and the weather starts to improve, I am a bit puzzled by the increased interest in sawing fluid for cold weather. Either we have a lot of customers who are preparing well in advance for the next winter, or we have many customers that weren't prepared for last winter! Either way, I have a solution to keep your coolant from freezing. Not only are a lot of people out there that have a band saw in a barn, or unheated shop - but many steel yards have saws or saw shacks set up in the middle of their lots where their steel is stored. Instead of moving the material into the facility to be cut - they just cut it where it sits. The biggest problem with that is..... how can you keep your coolant from freezing in the winter?
HURRAY!! I have the solution for you. You need to purchase Koldspot. You DO NOT mix it, just pour it into your saw and use as your cutting lubricant. It can withstand cold temperatures up to minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit. It is specifically designed for cold weather. And I hope you dont need it for many months to come....!
-Joe Bandsaw
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Band Saw Blade Tooth Recommendation
FROM A NEW CUSTOMER:
"Hi. I fabricate custom Jet Ski stands out of 2" square tubing, angle & 2-1/2" angle, wall thickness varies between 1/8" - 3/16". I own the Grizzly G4030 metal bandsaw ( http://www.grizzly.com/products/6-1-2-x-9-1-2-Metal-Cutting-Bandsaw/G4030 ) It does the job fine. I do however need to purchase a great metal blade for my application & I'm hoping you can point me in the right direction. The blade size is 85"x3/4, still unclear regarding the best need of TPI, hoping you can point me in the right direction. I look forward to hearing from you & hopefully purchasing some quality metal band saw blades. Thanks, Carl Petron www.tufstands.com"
I DECIDED THAT THE A 3/4" BIMETAL M42 BAND SAW BLADE WITH A 10/14 TOOTH PATTERN WOULD WORK OUT GREAT FOR CARL. WE DISCUSSED HIS OPERATION ON THE PHONE AND VIA EMAIL.
"Joe, I appreciate your follow up call earlier today, this tells me where I'll be taking my business from here on in. Basically I own the grizzly G4030 metal bandsaw (http://www.grizzly.com/products/6-1-2-x-9-1-2-Metal-Cutting-Bandsaw/G4030 ). It's a simple bandsaw that does the job for the application I am fabricating. As per your recommendations the Bi Metal M42 (10-14 TPI) 3/4" WIDE is the best blade for my needs. I spoke to you about length and I'll require a 85" length (see Grizzly link specs). I look forward to hearing from you. I plane on purchasing well over $100 in blades & take advantage of the free shipping. Thank you sir. Carl Petron"
IF I CAN BE OF ASSISTANCE TO YOU, YOU CAN REACH ME AT www.detroitbandsaw.com
-Joe Bandsaw
"Hi. I fabricate custom Jet Ski stands out of 2" square tubing, angle & 2-1/2" angle, wall thickness varies between 1/8" - 3/16". I own the Grizzly G4030 metal bandsaw ( http://www.grizzly.com/products/6-1-2-x-9-1-2-Metal-Cutting-Bandsaw/G4030 ) It does the job fine. I do however need to purchase a great metal blade for my application & I'm hoping you can point me in the right direction. The blade size is 85"x3/4, still unclear regarding the best need of TPI, hoping you can point me in the right direction. I look forward to hearing from you & hopefully purchasing some quality metal band saw blades. Thanks, Carl Petron www.tufstands.com"
I DECIDED THAT THE A 3/4" BIMETAL M42 BAND SAW BLADE WITH A 10/14 TOOTH PATTERN WOULD WORK OUT GREAT FOR CARL. WE DISCUSSED HIS OPERATION ON THE PHONE AND VIA EMAIL.
"Joe, I appreciate your follow up call earlier today, this tells me where I'll be taking my business from here on in. Basically I own the grizzly G4030 metal bandsaw (http://www.grizzly.com/products/6-1-2-x-9-1-2-Metal-Cutting-Bandsaw/G4030 ). It's a simple bandsaw that does the job for the application I am fabricating. As per your recommendations the Bi Metal M42 (10-14 TPI) 3/4" WIDE is the best blade for my needs. I spoke to you about length and I'll require a 85" length (see Grizzly link specs). I look forward to hearing from you. I plane on purchasing well over $100 in blades & take advantage of the free shipping. Thank you sir. Carl Petron"
IF I CAN BE OF ASSISTANCE TO YOU, YOU CAN REACH ME AT www.detroitbandsaw.com
-Joe Bandsaw
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Cutting bundles of A615 steel-small round bars
Today I helped a customer cutting A615 rebar steel. They had 49 pieces of 1-1/4” solid round bars bundled together. We needed to help them get the fastest cutting time they could, for their production requirements are very high!
Whenever I cut small round bars in a big bundle, I know we are going to have issues stripping out the teeth on the saw blade if were not careful. Since the steel from the mill is never EXACTLY 1-1/4”, or whatever size you have ordered, the possibilities of your bars spinning during the cut are common. When the bar spins, you lose teeth on the blade-regardless of the manufacturer of the blade. To help combat this, we welded the ends of the bar together, clamped the material as tightly as we could using the band saws top and side clamps, and used wood wedges in the event a bar became loose during the cut. We tried a number of different speeds and feeds to try and find the sweet spot for his production requirements as well as trying to give him the best blade life I could. As you know, faster cuts mean less blade life. It’s a balancing act when you need both. We were able to cut his bundle of 49 pieces with 60 total square inches of material cutting at 8 minutes beautifully. We were cutting faster (around 6:30 per cut), but I felt that the increased speed and feed rate in doing that might create an opportunity for more of those spinners I spoke of earlier. As of this minute, the blade has been cutting for 2.5 days and is still going strong!
“Find me on my website www.detroitbandsaw.com”
-Joe Bandsaw
Whenever I cut small round bars in a big bundle, I know we are going to have issues stripping out the teeth on the saw blade if were not careful. Since the steel from the mill is never EXACTLY 1-1/4”, or whatever size you have ordered, the possibilities of your bars spinning during the cut are common. When the bar spins, you lose teeth on the blade-regardless of the manufacturer of the blade. To help combat this, we welded the ends of the bar together, clamped the material as tightly as we could using the band saws top and side clamps, and used wood wedges in the event a bar became loose during the cut. We tried a number of different speeds and feeds to try and find the sweet spot for his production requirements as well as trying to give him the best blade life I could. As you know, faster cuts mean less blade life. It’s a balancing act when you need both. We were able to cut his bundle of 49 pieces with 60 total square inches of material cutting at 8 minutes beautifully. We were cutting faster (around 6:30 per cut), but I felt that the increased speed and feed rate in doing that might create an opportunity for more of those spinners I spoke of earlier. As of this minute, the blade has been cutting for 2.5 days and is still going strong!
“Find me on my website www.detroitbandsaw.com”
-Joe Bandsaw
Cutting tubing in Georgia
I had a really interesting phone call today from Georgia. This gentleman was looking for a band saw to cut angle iron and structural tubing. He needed to have the capabilities to mitre cut, and a saw that would last for years to come. Together we decided that we were going to solve his needs with a Hyd-Mech S20 band saw. This saw is built so much better than most other saws in its class-I know he is going to have great results. We included 6 bi-metal band saw blades as well as a 5 gallon pail of Sawzit 2000 semi-synthetic cutting fluid with the purchase.
He also needed 20’ of roller conveyor to support the material he planned on cutting. His budget really didn’t allow for that though. Our solution was to sell him the actual rollers that go on a roller conveyor, and with his new saw he was going to fabricate the legs and support stands he needed to build the roller table himself! With his new saw he just saved himself nearly $2,000 by using it to fulfill one of his immediate needs. Very cool!
“Find me on my website www.detroitbandsaw.com
-Joe Bandsaw
He also needed 20’ of roller conveyor to support the material he planned on cutting. His budget really didn’t allow for that though. Our solution was to sell him the actual rollers that go on a roller conveyor, and with his new saw he was going to fabricate the legs and support stands he needed to build the roller table himself! With his new saw he just saved himself nearly $2,000 by using it to fulfill one of his immediate needs. Very cool!
“Find me on my website www.detroitbandsaw.com
-Joe Bandsaw
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