Horizontal Bandsaw ?????????

[Dirtbmw20]

I'm exploring the possibilities of buying me a horizontal bandsaw, mainly to do my radiator frames and of course any other thing I would need to cut. I'm just not having good luck nor am I happy with the results from my chopsaw and I'm looking at them.

SO........ does anyone have any experience with any horizontal bandsaws ???? There are SO, SO many variables between all the different ones. Some are wet cut some are dry cut, some have manual feed and some have hydraulic feed, some cut 45's & 90's in BOTH directions and some only cut right hand 45's & 90's, some have swivel tables and some don't, the variables can go on forever. I don't have any experience using ANY of them but I really like the hydraulic feed and the swivel base so far, don't know if I would need a wet cut saw or not. Anybody have any tips or suggestions ???????????

[Riven]

Well the only ones i know are large industrial ones.

I do know a wet cut will make the blade last longer but its a pain in the ass & makes a mess. If the coolant mix is off it can go bad & will grow some kind of bacteria that REALLY stinks & is hell on the skin if it makes contact. I blister & go all red! YUCK.

For the amount you will be cutting i think a dry saw should be just fine. You can get some solid blade lube sticks that you just rub on the blade every now & then.
If you can get a hydraulic i would & one that swings both ways would be nice so you wont have to flip your part to cut some of your angles.

Just to give you an idea about the lube.
http://www.axminster.co.uk/product--Blade-Lubricants-23521.htm

[BOOMERANG]

Boilermaker says you don't need a wet cut unless you are cutting stainless steel. His choice would be the hydraulic feed and cuts both directions.

[Dirtbmw20]

Excellent. THat's good info on the wet cut, I don't want to hassle with a big mess with the limited use it will get, plus I won't be cutting any stainless steel.

Hey Boomerang, ask ole Boilermaker if he has any suggestions as to which brands to look at for moderate home garage use. Here are some of the ones I am looking at.......

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200331568_200331568

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=200189452059&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=010


http://cgi.ebay.com/SHOP-FOX-M1013-5-x-6-Metal-Cutting-Bandsaw_W0QQitemZ310012886756QQihZ021QQcategoryZ20 784QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


I really like the hydraulic downfeed feature, the auto stop feature, and I really like the swivel base because that way it lets it swivel BOTH ways and the whole base swivels, not just the vise. Out of the three posted above I like the HDC one on ebay of course because it has all the features that I'm looking for at half the cost of the others.

[BIG_T]

In my experience, a wet cut is the way to go if you're cutting much. It's a bit messy, but the smoother cuts and longer lasting blades make it worth it.
As for angle, get one that will cut pretty much any angle. It's nice to have one that can cut both directions, but you really only need it to cut to one direction. You can flip the material around just fine.
It depends what you mean by hydraulic feed or manual feed. The most common ones I've seen, and also my favorite, have a little shock that you can adjust and gravity pulls it down, but u can adjust the shock to change the feed speed.

Have you looked at a cold saw? It's similar to a chopsaw, but is a wet saw and uses an actual saw blade to cut, not a grinding wheel. The cut quality is excellent, just as good as any you would find from a band saw. A cold saw is my preferred choice for any steel bar.

[Riven]

We used coolant for everything we cut. Well most everything.

Steel, stainless, brass, bronze, tool steel, titanium. 99% of the stuff we cut needed coolant.
Only cast iron & 2 or 3 exotic metals did not use fluid.

Cold saw will not be as good on light angle iron. The ones i used liked to grab it & bend the crap out of it before breaking the blade. But they are great on heavy solid bar.

[Dirtbmw20]

Tim, It won't be used for cutting ALOT. It will sit for weeks at a time without use at some times so I'm kinda scared away from the wet cut. A hydraulic feed is just what you are referring to, the little shock that you can adjust the speed/dampening on, the manual feed you actually feed it down by hand.

I have actually looked into the cold saws but they are just as exspensive as a good bandsaw, they are high dollar and the blades are about $100 bucks each too. I'de have to actually SEE something like that in person before I bought one, I'de love to see one cut though.

[BOOMERANG]

Lee, I will get him to look at your choices tomorrow night. He did have a couple of tips for you.

By the way, where has Amy been lately?

[Dirtbmw20]

Thanks Boomerang, Tell Boilermaker I'm all open for all tips. I'm just getting into these bandsaws, never owned one OR even used one before, I just got it stuck in my head that's what I want.

Amy is still here,lol. She doesn't work an office job right now, she has gone back to waitressing so she doesn't get to stay on the computer like she use to. She even said tonight how long it has been since she logged onto the forum, but she is still here, I won't let her go anywhere. I appreciate you asking about her and I'll be sure to let her know you asked about her.

[BIG_T]

I've used the cheap chinese made wet band saws as well as the multi-thousand dollar band saws with electronic feed (not hydraulic or manual) and they both worked well.
The only thing I'll say about a dry saw is you better be ready to replace blades. Other than that you'll be fine. The one other disadvantage to dry saws is they get hot, and they make the metal hot too. I've melted skin after cutting with a dry saw. It will anneal the metal, if that were a concern for you.

[Dirtbmw20]

I can get a wet cut saw for about the same price as that Jet or that Shop Fox saw, maybe $100 bucks more. I'm just worried about it sitting for extended lengths of time without being used. I mean, I only make about one frame every two weeks right now so it won't see much use at all. The biggest thing I have INTENTIONS of cutting in quantities is 1 1/2" angle iron, nothing big at all and it won't be cut in any king of mass quantities or anything like that. It would be no different than cutting it with a hax saw being such a small piece of metal, it shouldn't get that hot. Another thing I have to keep in consideration in I have a VERY small one bay garage that is already filled with a welder, plasma cutter, bench grinder, drill press, vises, air compressor, welding table, tool box, AND I stuff my two four wheelers in there too, so I really gotta keep space in mind and the NON wet saws are alot smaller footprint than the wet saws. I'm a teeny tiny operation in a small limited space.

[Rubberdown]

Why not get some fixtures made up for the chop saw to clamp the parts down at the exact angles you want every time?

[Dirtbmw20]

I think something is wrong with my chop saw or something is wrong with me, most likely the later of the two, but for the life of me I can't get my chop saw to cut straight. The blade flexes too bad and cuts at an angle and I'm tired and aggrevated and fed up with it. If you just lay a piece of metal against the back fence like you SUPPOSE to be able to do, the saw blade won't make a complete cut all the way through the material. YES I have used brand new blades, multiple different ones and I've used every adjustment on the saw and it just won't cut all the way through the material. The material sticks too far forward and won't let the saw blade cut all the way through it. When tried to brace it, the blade flexes and cuts at an angle. It pisses me off.

[Dirtbmw20]

I ONLY need for left and four right 45 degree angles for what I'm doing.

[BIG_T]

Have you looked at different blades for your chops saw? I've heard of people using a metal blade to cut steel with a chop saw.

[Dirtbmw20]

The only metal blades I have been able to find are the ones used for a wet chop saw. BUT, I didn't look deeply into that because the blades were almost $100 bucks each, when I saw that I stopped looking,lol.

[Rubberdown]

I'd look at a new & better chop saw before I dropped a shit load of coin on a band saw....but thats me.

[Dirtbmw20]

A new and better chop saw is just as much as an in-exspensive band saw. I didn't go buy no cheap ass chop saw either, I THOUGHT I was buying a nice saw when I bought a Ridgid, I think I payed close to $200 for it when I bought it several years back. Plus, I'll be able to use a band saw for alot more things, being it is a horizontal and vertical bandsaw. Bandsaws make much nicers cuts too. I'm still weighing my options between the two. It would be ideal if I could figure out what is making my CURRENT saw do this, correct IT so I don't have to buy anything, THAT would be the perfect scenerio.

[cd]

I personally wouldn't own a dry saw, my dad has an air cooled ellis and where I used to work we had all liquid cooled and our blades lasted much much longer. also if you use the right stuff the fluid doesn't get as rank, however I just use soluble oil in the lathe and I can't say I smell it?

[Dirtbmw20]

Ahhhhhh hell........ now yall are confusing me. For the little use it will see I am just wondering if a wet saw will be worth my money. Again, SPACE is a factor.