Today I spent the afternoon cleaning and tuning up the green metal bandsaw. My goal is to get this thing cutting square so that I can cut my aluminum extrusion. Most hobbyists cut this stuff with a chop saw, but that requires a specialized blade, and even then is pretty sketchy. Chop saws like ours run too fast and are designed for wood - not metal.
Adjusted auto-shutoff pusher (wasn’t working reliably)
Adjusted depth stop (it had been resting on sheet metal guard)
Squared both blade guides vertically
There is some adjustment to square the blade horizontally, but it was at the end of its range and still not square. Perhaps it was bent. I was able to get it closer with a “precision shim” I fabricobbled with aluminum sheet and snips. That got it pretty close. Also the blade doesn’t actually have to be square with the frame, just square with the vise.
I was able to cut my aluminum extrusion about as square as I can measure, so that’s good! The machine runs at an appropriately slow speed, is quiet, and is just way calmer and safer than a typical chop saw.
The cut isn’t super clean and the surface finish is, uh, not great. The blade is also pretty gunky with lubricant and metal dust from cuts passed, and that gets all over the work. I lightly deburred and cleaned them up with a rag.
The blade tracking is pretty good and stays on indefinitely when it’s not under load. I found that if I let the saw cut under its own weight, the blade would stall and pop off, requiring reinstalling, retensioning, etc. There is a spring adjustment to counter the weight, but it’s also at the end of its range. Maybe the blade needs sharpening/replacing.
Worth noting that I didn’t use any cutting fluid of any kind. But the cut was still quiet and the work was cool to the touch after cutting.
I know there used to be some AL cutting fluid under the lathe, but I couldn’t find it there or in the chemical locker. I’ll pick up a bottle of this stuff unless anyone has a preferred product that’s available near VHS.
Awesome! Maybe first you can have a quick look at the blade that’s on there. To me it doesn’t seem that bad, but I’d like a second opinion.
Quick question: I have, on rare occasion, used that saw to cut ABS tubes.
Does all this cleaning and upgrading make that off limits now? I don’t
want to ruin the work you’ve put into it, but that was definitely the best
tool for the job
I’ve cut plenty of aluminum on my horizontal bandsaw and just use a tiny bit of Rapid Tap cutting fluid. From what I’ve read in several places, you don’t really need a coolant for cutting aluminum as it is already very good at conducting heat away from the cut. What you really need is a lubricant of some sort like a kerosene/oil mixture.
KBC Tools on Annacis Island has all sorts of metalworking coolants and is a great place for tooling, etc.
The woodworking bandsaw will do an excellent job of cutting ABS tubes if you make a wooden V-block to hold the tube securely. If you build a V-block with a bar that runs in the mitre slot you’ll have no problem getting nice, straight cuts. I use my woodworking bandsaw for cutting 4" PVC sewer pipe on a V-block with excellent results. FYI - I use the 4" sewer pipe for my dust collection system.
