Band Saw Blade on Bone

I don't understand why you can buy wood cutting band saws for a dime a dozen but it costs several hundred more to slow one down for metal work.

js
For exactly the same reason a metal lath costs more than a wood lathe. Rigidity and more stress on the parts. A bandsaw for wood doesn't need the same blade tension a metal bandsaw does. Blade guides don't have to be rollers for wood but are much desired for metal.
 
"Where did you find pulley to fit the Ryobi."
I had it left over from a robotics project- polycarbonate plastic, 77 tooth, made by hand with a jig
Eventually I wanted to add a countershaft for additional reduction- but for now it's working well
Mostly use it for aluminum so it's ok that the speed is still a bit high
Ryobi BS903 with ball bearing guides
 
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I was looking at that today after installing a new blade. It is specked at 2500 fpm so 10:1 is more like what is needed.

Where did you find pulley to fit the Ryobi.

I don't understand why you can buy wood cutting band saws for a dime a dozen but it costs several hundred more to slow one down for metal work.

js

Yes I know. I purchased a 12” Craftsman for $50 at an auction. The belts, bearings, and pulleys was $150. Not counting the material for the Jackshaft or the plate for the motor and jackshaft mount


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For exactly the same reason a metal lath costs more than a wood lathe.

That is a bad analogy. The major cost in a metal lathe is in the precision with which the position of the tool can be controlled.

> Rigidity and more stress on the parts. A bandsaw for wood doesn't need the same blade tension a metal bandsaw does. Blade guides don't have to be rollers for wood but are much desired for metal

The Ryobi has bearings but the rest is a "get what you pay for" business. If you could slow it down substantially, you could still get a lot of use out of it for simple metal cutting.

js
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The Ryobi is lightly built, and has many nooks and crannies to catch chips- hardly an ideal saw for metal or wood
It'll serve till my dream saw shows up
 
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