Which bandsaw to choose

Date 10-20-2003 11:22

Chevytown:

I think you may want to get a saw with coolant system and air or hydraulic lowering, since cutting thin wall tubing is really hard on blades. Try Busy Bee Tools, since exchange on the Canadian dollar might let you get more bang for your buck.

http://www.busybeetools.com

By CHEVYTOWN13 (**)

Date 10-20-2003 15:53

Thanks for the avenue hometown.

I'm crusing down the avenue now!

RM

By CHEVYTOWN13 (**)

Date 10-20-2003 17:35

Hometown!

That's a killer company. I'm looking into it to see how much it would cost to ship. Possibly they have a supplier near the border on our side of the fence.

Can't thank ya enough on the start of this little journey.

BTW...killer bandsaws for low bucks!

RM

By robism

Date 10-20-2003 17:51

hey HOMETOWN, i see your slowly building up your shop, thats cool maybe one day i can drop by and check it out and also check your chevy out! Have u updated your site with any projects??

By CHEVYTOWN13 (**)

Date 10-20-2003 18:46

Sup brotha!

I'm trying to build up the shop slowly. I'm gettin' there.

I'll be moving soon to a bigger house in Topanga. It's tri level and below are 3 bedrooms. I'll be using one to make the killer noises like the chop saw and grinding.

And finally! A garage to play in...

Anytime hometown.

RM

By Arcandflash (**)

Date 10-20-2003 23:37

I don't think Busy Bee ships outside Canada like Grizzly doesn't ship outside the US. Very likely Grizzly has the same/similar bandsaw available.

Hope I am wrong if you find a good deal.

By robism

Date 10-21-2003 00:08

so are u saying your leaving east los!!! What a shame, but the three levels sounds greeeat.

By CHEVYTOWN13 (**)

Date 10-21-2003 03:21

I'll check out Grizzly AF. Been searching the net for Band Saws. Haven't heard from Bee yet. Over a grand is out of the question. Under is possible (plus shipping).

Yeah hometown...Left East Los many many many moons ago...

Just movin' on down da road in life...

Stay cool.

RM

By CHEVYTOWN13 (**)

Date 10-21-2003 03:29

Cool site bro.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/item.cfm?itemnumber=G4030

Sounds like a deal...watcha fellas think? Might be overkill...

By kam

Date 10-21-2003 15:37

Hey Bro

North welder has a very good point. Tubing is hell on blades.....at least this stainless I cut everyday such eats the blades.....fast. I sometimes use my sawsall to hack them to bits and after about 2 cuts the blade is finished. I also have an abrasive water cooled cutoff saw and it makes short work of them. Also not sure what kind of finish you need to have but you might even want to consider a plasma cutter....few more bucks but you can do alot more with it.

later man

kam

By billvanderhoof (****)

Date 10-22-2003 03:43

When cutting anything thin you need very small tooth pitch. If there isn't always a tooth on the work the blade can fall or spring down, the work then catches in the gullet and the tooth can break. Once one breaks the others follow in turn. Automatic feed (real slow) helps. Stainless is worse.

Bandsaws are fairly common industrial auction items. If you have time that might be worth looking into. You can easily spend all day waiting for the lot you want to come up and then find that someone else wants it way more than you do though.
Bill

By dknightd Date 10-21-2003 23:21

Is Grizzly stuff like harbour freight - i.e. made in china, or is it good quality stuff?
You said you had $500 and that meets your price point. Even the cheap HF bandsaws do an OK job. I suggest you spring for a bi-metal blade.

By TimGary (****)

Date 10-22-2003 00:59

Hey Chevytown

I was wondering if you checked out a couple of portable tool options, like Milwaukee's Portable Band Saws and 14" Abrasive Cut-Off machines?
Either of these would be good for cutting the tubing you are using plus alot of other shapes. Also, their portability obviously makes them more versitle.
Check out www.milwaukeetools.com to see the tools.
There are many other manufacturers of these tools as well in all different price ranges.

Good Luck!
Tim

By CHEVYTOWN13 (**)

Date 10-22-2003 05:34

Thanks a ton fellas for the help and suggestions. They are greatly appreciated.

I have the chop saw already. But where I'm going, it's a really quiet neighborhood from what the realtor told us. I was looking into a machine that might be more quiet. I looked into the portable band saws and stationary band saws but wondered how much noise they make...or if it would even be worth it.

I know, it sounds dumb, but I have no studio/shop to work in and the new home will have to do for now (unless the chair buiz takes off). Where I'm at now, no one seems to care. There are quite a few neighbors doing the same, making machine noise.

I know there's rules and regulations about making rambunctious noises like the chopsaw in neighborhoods. That's why I'm taking one of the bedrooms for the chop, grinding etc. Minimize the noise as much as possible. But now I'm worried about fumes!

Now that I think about it, there is no way around the noise. Hope no one rats me out at the new place...The welding doesn't make too much noise, so I'm not too worried about that. It's only the chop saw. But again, the room I'll be taking has cinder block walls so I know it won't be that bad. Again, it's just the fumes and such.

Sorry for the false alarm hometowns...

Just trying to figure things out befo I move Holloween day!

RM

By TimGary (****)

Date 10-22-2003 12:02

Hi again Chevytown,

I'm probably stating the obvious, but I hope you are taking steps to fire-proof the bedroom. The sparks from your work, especially while using a chop saw, will find every nook and cranny in the room.
I'm sure we would all hate to hear about your new crib going up in smoke!

Tim

By CHEVYTOWN13 (**)

Date 10-22-2003 16:05

I hear ya brother!

The only problem will be the ceiling(sp). Can't remember what it's made of. But the walls are cinder block and the floor is concrete. I'm looking into buying some protective blankets (4'x5') like I have seen at WeldingDepot.com to protect the ceiling in case it's made of wood or the like. The only thing I'm worried about are the fumes and hopefully the right mask will take care of that.

Greatly appreciate your input hometown.

RM

By TimGary (****)

Date 10-22-2003 17:53

Hey again,
It sounds like you need a fume extractor of some sort.
You could go out and spend some big bucks on a portable extractor that filters the smoke, or you could make you own setup for under $100.
All you need is some 4" PVC pipe, a 4" "Y" fitting, some flex duct, rope & pulley, a hole in the wall, and a squirell cage blower.
If you attach the blower to the branch of the "Y" and set it up to blow outside through the pipe, the airflow will cause a venturi type suction through the outlet of the "Y" fitting. If you attach the flex duct to to fitting outlet and hang it from the ceiling where it will drop down over your work, it will suck out the smoke and blow it outdoors. This way you don't send sparks and dust through the blower fan which would mess it up. If the blower is inside the room as well, it's natural suction will also remove senondary smoke that escaped the flex duct suction.
Ceck out this link to give a picture of a similar setup (without the blower)
http://westcoastenvironmental.com/extractor_arms.htm

Just a thought...
Tim

By CHEVYTOWN13 (**)

Date 10-22-2003 18:28

Can't thank you enough Tim!

Sounds like a deal...going to investigate a set-up once I go through the walk through this Saturday before the keys are handed over...it will give me a good heads up approach to the room I'll be workin in.

Muchas gracias HOMETOWN. I have a lot of homework to do.

RM