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Cutting thick angle....

danielhv

Well Known Member
Ok, help me figure out what im doing wrong...

Having trouble with the bandsaw... cutting small thin things goes fine. Throw some thick angle on there, and it wonders all over the place. I almost NEVER get a straight cut. Blade is a few weeks old (and yes its a metal cutting blade), installed and tensioned per the manual, going slow not pushing too hard, boelube, etc.

Im using a Delta benchtop band saw. Any thoughts?
 
Daniel,
Is it always turning in the same direction? If so, it could be the kerfs got dulled on one side.
 
Bandsaw

First, the top sawblade guide should be adjusted as close to the work as possible. Next the teeth per inch should be matched to the thickness of material, the thinner the material the more teeth per inch, and vice versa. You can find some numbers in a Machinery's Handbook. Double check the blade tension, too little tension will make it wander. You said it is a metal cutting blade, but there are a couple of different types. There is a carbon steel blade, a high speed steel blade and a bi-metallic blade. I have had the best luck with the bi-metallic blade. You can get these made to the length for your saw at an industrial machine dealer. Finally, there are different tooth offset types depending on the material (first tooth offset to right, next to left, or a wavy offset - couple of teeth one way, couple with no offset, couple of teeth the other way). Check some online sawblade catalogs.
 
I used my table saw with a carbide tipped plywood blade. Feed slow and steady using a miter gauge and it makes smooth straight cuts.
 
wood blade

You should use a wood blade. Aluminum is soft. The tiny teeth of a metal blade are too small to remove material when cutting aluminum and the blade just gets gummed up. Get a small tooth wood blade. Check out Timber Wolf Blades at this URL. Anything that cuts wood can be used on aluminum.


http://www.suffolkmachinery.com/
 
I agree with pretty much all of the above, but also check all of the guides--- rollers or whatever----there should be one on each side of the blade below the table, one behind the blade again below the table, and another set on a movable arm that is above the table. This is the one you set to the height of the piece you are cutting.

All of these must be in correct alignment if the blade is going to cut straight.
 
I use my DeWalt 12" miter saw with a fine tooth carbide tip blade. Perfectly straight cuts in a couple seconds. I have cut 1-1/2" X 1-1/2" aluminum bar stock with no problems what so ever and it is my saw of choice working in the shop when I need some aluminum cut. My other saw is just a cheap Harbor Freight 3 speed band saw. I only use Bi-Metal blades when I need to cut metal including aluminum and run the blade as slow as the pulley's go. I have never had any luck using HSS or Flex-Back blades. I usually get my metal working supplies from here: http://metalworking.mscdirect.com/cgi/NNSRHMW They have online application guides for choosing the proper blade and tooth.
 
Go ahead and cut the aluminum a little long and then use the miter gauge on your disc sander and sand to your finish line. Aluminum is a pain to work with on a band saw. I agree with everything you've read prior to my post. The bandsaw will require special attention when cutting thicker aluminum. Cut it long and then sand the end smooth with the miter gauge set at a perfect 90 degrees. You can be very precise doing it this way.
 
I use my DeWalt 12" miter saw with a fine tooth carbide tip blade. Perfectly straight cuts in a couple seconds. I have cut 1-1/2" X 1-1/2" aluminum bar stock with no problems what so ever and it is my saw of choice working in the shop when I need some aluminum cut. My other saw is just a cheap Harbor Freight 3 speed band saw. I only use Bi-Metal blades when I need to cut metal including aluminum and run the blade as slow as the pulley's go. I have never had any luck using HSS or Flex-Back blades. I usually get my metal working supplies from here: http://metalworking.mscdirect.com/cgi/NNSRHMW They have online application guides for choosing the proper blade and tooth.

Very interesting... do you have a link to the blade you are using in the miter saw? That would make it a much easier (and probably faster) process for cutting this thick angle stock!
 
Another option is to use a 2"-3" cutoff wheel in die grinder. I also have a large 12" one that I mounted in my chop saw but found it was faster for me just to use my die grinder instead (mainly because of workshop space issues, my chop saw is not sitting on top of bench so I have to pull it out and set it up).
 
Use caution with abrasive cutting devices made for ferrous metal-------if you use them for aluminum, after using on iron/steel, you can create a really interesting, but not too rewarding, experience known as a thermite fire.
 
I use my DeWalt 12" miter saw with a fine tooth carbide tip blade.
I also use a power miter saw and fine tooth blade for anything thick. But, wear your hearing protectors and safety glasses! It can make a heck of a racket and throw a lot of chips. Very fast and true though. Clean up the saw marks with a file.
 
I've built most of the plane with a 14" bandsaw with 14 TPI blade, then dressed the edges on a craftsman belt / disc sander, and polished on the scotchbrite wheel. I still think it's the best.
Later I added a pistol grip 3/8' wide belt sander. Very useful. :) It trims edges of fiberglass or aluminum right where you are fitting, saving alot of time and gets very close to the finished edge, little hand work remains.
I have cut aluminum with a carbide blade using a Skilsaw and also a tablesaw, they throw big hot chips that try to go down your collar and end up @ your waistband :mad:
 
Band Saw

The band saw I use is actually a metal cutoff bandsaw used in the vertical position. Reason I mention this is that the blade speed is quite low. If your Delta bandsaw is designed for wood, the blade speed might be too high for your thick aluminum.
 
Hack saw

Does anyone do anything by hand anymore, I have found the hand powered hack saw to be the fastest and easiest to use for all the angle I cut, but then again my shop is my garage so to move another saw around to cut something is always a burden for me.
 
A miter saw does a great job

I use my DeWalt 12" miter saw with a fine tooth carbide tip blade. Perfectly straight cuts in a couple seconds. [SNIP]

I have used a plain Craftsman miter saw with the carbide blade it came with for all of my aluminum angle and bar sawing on my slow-build -7. If you feed the saw blade slow and steady, it makes really clean, square cuts that polish up nice with a quick pass across the scotch-brite wheel. And, of course, cutting at an angle is a snap.

A miter saw is, without a doubt, a must-have tool in my shop. Actually, I use it a lot more often than than I use a bandsaw.
 
Built my entire plane

Another option is to use a 2"-3" cutoff wheel in die grinder. I also have a large 12" one that I mounted in my chop saw but found it was faster for me just to use my die grinder instead (mainly because of workshop space issues, my chop saw is not sitting on top of bench so I have to pull it out and set it up).

this way. Initial cut with die grinder and finish the edges with a table belt sander.
 
Hacksaws and bandsaws are like Ouija boards. The more you try to influence their behavior, the more miserable your life becomes.
 
carbide tipped blades in miter saw

Can't go wrong with a carbide tipped finish blade.

As others have said, the finish that you get is easily cleaned up with a few light passes with a vixen file followed by the scotch brite wheel. I bought a little 7.25 miter saw just for this use, though I have a larger 12 inch sliding compound for wood work.

I find the blades to be quite inexpensive and they last a long time... still on the one that came with my saw and I've cut a ton working on the fuselage.

IF you want to work hard deburring/polishing your cuts... use a bandsaw, hacksaw, grinder, abrasive cut-off wheel or butter knife.:D
 
Does anyone do anything by hand anymore, I have found the hand powered hack saw to be the fastest and easiest to use for all the angle I cut, but then again my shop is my garage so to move another saw around to cut something is always a burden for me.


I agree!! My hack saw hangs at the end of my bench on a nail just under my vise. I keep a good 24 tooth blade in it. By the time you get out your miter saw, set up for the cut and do it................ I will have a finished part in my hand.
 
After my last post, I went back and looked at the original question. Here is where this thread got off track..........................:rolleyes:

I bought a cheap chop saw and put a cut off wheel on it for thick materials.

Roberta

I just had to do it.....................:D
 
Update...

Ok, so today I picked up an 80T saw blade from Lowes, slapped it in my miter saw, clamped the 1/8" stock down, and gave it a shot... I only have one question at this point:

Why didn't I know about this before!?! :eek:

Man, what a delight using this method vs what I have been using up to this point. SO much easier, SO much cleaner, SO much faster!!!

WOW. Thank you guys!!!!
 
cheap bandsaw can cut thick angle straight...

I have the $89 Ryobi bandsaw.. and put on a metal cutting blade. The trick in cutting thick angle is to spend the time to adjust the blade guides. There are 2 little pieces of metal and a roller bearing mounted above the table, and the same below. Each is adjustable. The pieces of metal are on the sides of the blade, and the roller bearing is at the rear of the blade. You can move all of them with an allen key.

If you make it so everything is just barely touching the blade, the blade can't move any direction and then it cuts straight. Do this after setting blade tension.

I found if I just throw a blade on without the adjustments, it wanders as described.

Good luck!
 
One characteristic of band saws is the blade tends to cut at an angle. Wood workers actually figure out this angle and will feed stock in at that angle and will end up with a square cut. Strange, but it works.

But, of course, a miter saw works best. But when cutting sheet metal, you can tell that to follow a square line you actually have to hold the work at a slight angle. If you feed it square, the cut will drift every time.
 
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