Buying Band saw- advice needed- mild steel cutting

[BusaC]

Hi I am looking to buy a Band saw or scroll saw to use cutting aluminium and mild steel, sheet and tube.

Silverline do a 350 W band saw with a 14 tpi blade for =A385 but I cant find any information about cutting metal. I don=92t want to spend money on something that will have blunt blades in 5 minute=92s.

I want to replace hack sawing, drill and filling curves in steel sheet that is to thick to cut with tin snips.

Any advice welcome

Chris

[John]

Silverline do a 350 W band saw with a 14 tpi blade for £85 but I cant find any information about cutting metal. I don?t want to spend money on something that will have blunt blades in 5 minute?s.

I want to replace hack sawing, drill and filling curves in steel sheet that is to thick to cut with tin snips.

Any advice welcome

Chris

I used a bandsaw a lot when I was a toolmaker. The key is to use enough pressure to make the blade actually CUT and not merely RUB. Curves are a bit limited by the blade depth

[Mike]

Try posting this to rec.model engineering. Mike

[The Medway Handyman]

Have you considered a really good jigsaw like the Makita 4350? Quoted as having 10mm capacity in steel if thats enough? You would be looking at £120 ish mind, but its much more versatile.

[Peter Lynch]

I've not done this seriously, myself (just the occasional bit of metal cutting). One thing I would say is that cheap bandsaws come with cheap blades. You'll do yourself a great favour chucking the blade it comes with and forking out for a proper one for metalwork. Bandsaw blades come in many different lengths, to fit the huge number of different makes. There may be some milage in reversing the problem. Find a supplier of reasonable price/quality blades, then look for a bandsaw that takes those length blades.

[Tim Lamb]

Er.... commercial hat on..... I have a Startrite 14RWF needing tlc in respect of the table mounts. Spares come to more than I paid for the machine and my original intention was to fabricate one out of mild steel. However, a working order Wadkin Bursgreen came my way so the metal cutting Startrite is taking up space.

Probably too large for the OP but might suit others. Blade welding/annealing built in and lots of speed choices......

regards

[BusaC]

Thanks for the info

Chris

[BusaC]

Thanks for the info Chris