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Band saw + blades recommendations?

The Ryobi should work fine; you're not doing huge parts or lots of fine woodworking. I personally prefer a finer-toothed blade (~14tpi) than the coarse wood-cutting one that the saw probably comes with. Blue or pink Boelube seems to help the cutting process, particularly with the thicker flat stock and the extruded angles. Just don't try to rush things with a bandsaw, and be very deliberate with every movement.

Oh, and cut just wide of the line, and get a good vixen file to clean up to final size.
 
I use an old Sears 3 wheel like this.

480


I have found it to be fine for 95% of the cutting I needed-------once in a while the throat is just too small, so I rough cut with a sabre saw then finish with the band saw or belt sander.

I would recommend against a saw band like this.................

100_2010_1-e1298415709345.jpg


A table top belt/disc sander will come in really handy too.

st11_figure2.jpg
 
That super-cheap Ryobi bears a striking resemblance to my super-cheap Harbor Freight band saw, which works just fine. I use the wood blade it came with... a little finer toothed blade would be good, but this one hasn't had a problem so I'll use it until it needs to be replaced.

Just remember ear plugs and eye protection, always.
 
A tip that I learned the hard way.....when cutting larger thickness alum don't push the stock into the blade, feed it slowly otherwise you wont cut a straight line. Also don't expect the band saw to cut radius, make a lot of short straight cuts and cut off pieces as you go.

Just my experience.

Jim
RV9A
 
When using a band saw for cutting metal, a couple things will affect how straight a line you can maintain. First is the tension on the blade. Use the proper tension (and not the minimum tension) for the blade you have installed. Second is the thickness and width of the blade. a wider blade (front to back) is harder to make curves but makes much better straight lines.

Here is what I ended up with in my workshop ...


click for short description
 
The Ryobi looks like a later version of the one I bought from Home Depot. They do have finer blades in stock. 14TPI or was it 18? It will require adjustment for all guide wheels to cut properly, even then it will not cut thicker material in a straight line. I made do but wished for a better saw anytime I cut thick angle. The fine tooth from HD will not cut steel and be usable for something else.
That big blade is typical for any lumber mill if you were wondering.
 
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That Ryobi (older version) has worked fine for me for ~7 years. I use a finer blade for almost everything aluminum, including thick parts. Be sure to lube it well if you are cutting thick parts.

Greg
 
The Ryobi is so-so

I have the ryobi band saw with a 60" Magnate (18 tooth i think?) blade. It was really hard to find a fine tooth blade for the 60" ryobi band saw. Had to order it from Amazon.com.
In my opinion the band saw does ok to cut the major portions of aluminum. I find mine shakes a bit too much to be precise. I do a rough cut and then turn to my ryobi sanding station or my ever growing selection of files.:eek:
 
Get a band saw; worth the $

I picked up a 10" Craftsman for about $190 a bit back (wanted a step up from HF/Ryobi). I found that the stock wood blade worked pretty well on alumnium, but left a bit of a rough edge and was not suitable for steel. I replaced the blade with a Lenox 10/14 x 1/2 x 0.025 blade and *love* it. Cuts aluminum like butter. I finally got sick of using my scroll saw to chop up all those "make from" parts; it worked but was a PITA sometimes. I highly recommend a band saw.
 
Here's the blade I use for that bandsaw:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0078YA3HQ

It's not exactly 60" but it fits just fine. It works ok now after adjusting the guide bearings a bit. Also, cut a piece of plywood about the size of the bandsaw table, run it half way through the bandsaw, and clamp or screw it into place as a base. It works better than the base that's there.

I'm just about finished with the fabrication for the RV-14 tail kit and the bandsaw worked great. So far I've only used the metal snips to cut the straps on the crate and to open a few of those obnoxious plastic packages things come in. I haven't touched a piece of aluminum with them.
 
Yes, you definitely want a band saw. I have a Sears from quite a few years ago (80s) that I absolutely hate, though I finished a '10 with it.

Now my wife is using it a good bit and I still hate it. No matter how much I adjust it the blade cut will never align with the table, the light flickers, it's just cheap. The Ryobi may be a step up.

But for you tool fools - who makes a good/high quality bandsaw? Brands, models?

BTW, I also have a recent vintage Sears combination belt and disk sander. Works fine but the safety switch failed on. :eek::eek:

I'm so done with Sears stuff. I'll go the HF for cheap stuff, just don't know where to go for good stuff.
 
I'm actually really pleased with my Craftsman 10". Of course, I had been using a Black & Decker 3-wheel that was ancient when my dad bought it refurbished in '97.
 
Any cheap one!!

As has been recommended, get a reasonably cheap one. It will get you through your project. Don't rely on using the fence for cutting straight. They don't work well on a band saw unless it is a commercial version.

Also, required is a belt sander set up like Mike S noted. This will be used to true up the band saw cuts. I use the cheaper belts from Harbor Freight. They are cheap and don't last long.

Regarding blades, definitely spend a little more and get the better blades. The Powertec sold on Amazon are junk. Read the reviews on any of them. Most will show they cut fine on plastics and wood but when you go to aluminum they don't work. I bought some and dulled one out in a few minutes cutting some .060 aluminum for a mounting bracket. Forget anything over 1/8" thick. And, they aren't much cheaper that "name brand" blades.

I personally like the Dewalt blades from Lowes. Pay a little more and eliminate a headache source. The Craftsman blades are best but they only make sizes for their saws. Bummer.
 
I have a video of the Grizzly band saw that I bought for the project on my build site, I use it for a ton of other things also, this is the BEST tool I have ever bought!
 
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