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What cutting tools do you guys use?

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Gamble97

15+ Year Contributor
2,642
63
Jan 3, 2006
small town, Illinois
I have this bandsaw (9" craftsman)
Sears: Online department store featuring appliances, tools, fitness equipment and more
Bought a metal blade for it and used it for a short while until the blade wore out and it was fine for wood and .063 aluminum. I bought another blade, lasted me maybe a week of super light use. Bought another blade and put it on today and took my sweet time setting up the guides and everything. The stupid blade has popped off 3 times trying to make 2 cuts of .080 aluminum. I've about had it.

What do you guys use to make long cuts on aluminum or steel? I have a chop saw which is good for other types of cuts but won't work for cutting 12x12 sheets.
 
That saw you bought is for wood cutting (2460 fpm). Metal cutting bandsaw run at slow speeds (600 fpm) so they don't overheat as well cut properly.
 
I use a cnc plasma table, air cut off wheel and a hand grinder with a cut of wheel, chop saw hand plasma band saw. Electric shears for light gauge steel/aluminum. I've pretty much got access to any sort of cutting tool I need.
 
That saw you bought is for wood cutting (2460 fpm). Metal cutting bandsaw run at slow speeds (600 fpm) so they don't overheat as well cut properly.

This^^^^^^

Depending on how the saw is set up you may be able to change the pulleys to slow it down.

My friend bought a harbor freight unit and changed the pulleys and it work quite well on metal.

Kevin
 
This^^^^^^

Depending on how the saw is set up you may be able to change the pulleys to slow it down.

My friend bought a harbor freight unit and changed the pulleys and it work quite well on metal.

Kevin

Which saw and where did he get the pullies from?
I can't find a saw that cuts at a lower speed or made for metal.
 
I have been successful with: Dremel, Harbor Freight Angle Grinder, and a Sawzall. Most of the cuts are not pretty...

I keep seeing commercials for this: Dremel Saw-Max Multipurpose Saw | ToolGuyd

But have not yet pulled the trigger. I do not do enough fabrication to justify it. I do, however, want to get into welding.
 
I have been successful with: Dremel, Harbor Freight Angle Grinder, and a Sawzall. Most of the cuts are not pretty...

I keep seeing commercials for this: Dremel Saw-Max Multipurpose Saw | ToolGuyd

But have not yet pulled the trigger. I do not do enough fabrication to justify it. I do, however, want to get into welding.

I saw that and it's cool, but I want to be able to make long straight cuts, I honestly can't cut straight worth a shit probably due to having one bad eye.
 
I have an angle grinder, chop saw, sawzall, cutting torch, air nibbler, tin snips and a band saw. For the longer cuts i use my angle grinder and a cut off wheel. Thats how I notched my front bumper for my front mount. used something like 6 4.5" blades but it wasn't to bad really. Took maybe 20min to a half hour with changing blades out. I also have a die grinder too, but I use that to help clean up the edges after my cuts mainly.
 
I have been successful with: Dremel, Harbor Freight Angle Grinder, and a Sawzall. Most of the cuts are not pretty...

I keep seeing commercials for this: Dremel Saw-Max Multipurpose Saw | ToolGuyd

But have not yet pulled the trigger. I do not do enough fabrication to justify it. I do, however, want to get into welding.

Stay away from the harbour freight welders they're junk. I have a little 110 lincoln and I've build trailers and welded in new frame section to hold thee wheel lift in a medium duty tow truck and went and towed a f450 wight a quad cab and 8ft dump box on it and it didn't even creek or nothing. The cheaper units just cannot put out that kind of voltage and amperage control even for a 110 unit.
 
Stay away from the harbour freight welders they're junk. I have a little 110 lincoln and I've build trailers and welded in new frame section to hold thee wheel lift in a medium duty tow truck and went and towed a f450 wight a quad cab and 8ft dump box on it and it didn't even creek or nothing. The cheaper units just cannot put out that kind of voltage and amperage control even for a 110 unit.

Very off topic, but I love my HF 90amp mig. It is perfect for little projects around the house and on the car. To continue this conversation, go to this thread: http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/custom-fabrication/419147-welder-choices.html. Back on topic.
 
Which saw and where did he get the pullies from?
I can't find a saw that cuts at a lower speed or made for metal.

He has a standard wood band saw from HF. The pullies came from Motion Industries Inc which is a local place here. He changed his over a long time ago. I plan on doing what he did before to long so I can have my own.

Also if you go to HF web site you can search for metal band saw. The have two Horizontal/Vertical Metal Cutting Band Saw that you can purchase. With a little bit of work you can build better table for them to make vertical cuts.

Just some ideas for you.

Kevin
 
He has a standard wood band saw from HF. The pullies came from Motion Industries Inc which is a local place here. He changed his over a long time ago. I plan on doing what he did before to long so I can have my own.

Also if you go to HF web site you can search for metal band saw. The have two Horizontal/Vertical Metal Cutting Band Saw that you can purchase. With a little bit of work you can build better table for them to make vertical cuts.

Just some ideas for you.

Kevin

I saw the horizontal/vertical one but it seems to limit how big/long of cuts you can make since the blade is not straight.
Can you get pics of your friends setup? If you can get me those pullies I will buy that saw.
 
I saw the horizontal/vertical one but it seems to limit how big/long of cuts you can make since the blade is not straight.
Can you get pics of your friends setup? If you can get me those pullies I will buy that saw.

To be honest a picture in this case will do you no good. You will need to go and measure the pullies and determine what is the largest and smallest pullies you can get to slow it down as much as you can. My friend has had his unit for a very long time and I can't even gaurantee they are made the same. So, my leg work stops here.

I really do hope what i've told you will get you on the way to what you want,


Kevin
 
Ok here is what a quick google search produced. There are always tons of threads like this on HF converions and how to make the HF tools work better or even if they are total junk and not worth your time. I always doa search before I pick up anything from them.

Look I even did a bit moren work for you.

Wood Bandsaw Conversion - Car Craft Magazine
 
I have a 4x6 HF bandsaw with many upgrades (or improvements to keep it from being trash)

Also have about any die grinder both air and electric you might want, a chop saw those round out the "hand tools"

Then my latest is the Hypertherm 45 plasma cutter, capable of 100% DC at 1/2" steel and max severence of 1 1/4" both mild and stainless and 1" aluminum, I bought the CNC ready model with plans to build a CNC table but have yet to get that far.. really would be nice to make some extra money doing ornamentals and signage with a CNC setup though :D
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Stay away from the harbour freight welders they're junk. I have a little 110 lincoln and I've build trailers and welded in new frame section to hold thee wheel lift in a medium duty tow truck and went and towed a f450 wight a quad cab and 8ft dump box on it and it didn't even creek or nothing. The cheaper units just cannot put out that kind of voltage and amperage control even for a 110 unit.
Yea, not sure how you got HF welder from my post or were just putting it out there. I have their angle grinder and have put that thing through hell and it works great. If it ever does break on me, it has served me well for the $30 I spent on it.
 
I have a 4x6 HF bandsaw with many upgrades (or improvements to keep it from being trash)

Also have about any die grinder both air and electric you might want, a chop saw those round out the "hand tools"

Then my latest is the Hypertherm 45 plasma cutter, capable of 100% DC at 1/2" steel and max severence of 1 1/4" both mild and stainless and 1" aluminum, I bought the CNC ready model with plans to build a CNC table but have yet to get that far.. really would be nice to make some extra money doing ornamentals and signage with a CNC setup though :D

Which one? I have been thinking about getting a cnc too.
 
didn't pick a table yet and can't recall the ones i was looking at (kits basically) but my plasma is a Hypertherm, Powermax 45.. it has the plug in the back for the 50;1 divider and CNC control, and all i have to do is swap torch heads to a straight one to lock into the CNC head and i'm there, i can use it manually right now...GREAT UNIT and great service from hypertherm.. I blew the unit the FIRST 3 hours i had it (not sure if it was me or a defective unit) but ihooked it to a generator and it kicked the breaker twice, then the third time a rgeen spak flew out of it and the plasma shutdown.

the regional rep hand delivered a brand new one to my house that night in person no questions asked, told me i can run it on a generator and if it does it again i'll get another or they'll make suyre to iprove it and i'll get one that meets my needs no extra cost..

since then the new one has been awesome, never breaks a sweat cuts anythin i ask and blows through it's max severence ratings like a knife throughbutter

I cut 1.25 inch thick aluminum stock with it once to prove to some one on the miller welding forum that it was as badd-ass as the add said..wasn't a pretty cut but 1.25 inch aluminum is damn impressive! especially for a machine weighing in under 49lbs and can be carried in the pasenger floorboard of my mitsubishi
 
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