Band Saw Stop

SamI

SamI

Registered
Registered
Joined
May 31, 2018
Messages
184
Hi guys,

I was giving my band saw a workout over the weekend prepping the material for a small batch job I'm working on 1 3/8" tube, 1/4 wall. No pictures to hand but it's a generic import machine.

I was wondering if anyone has any ideas for an improved stop. I am finding that, when the blade breaks through the bottom of the work piece being cut it pulls the piece and jams at an angle between the remaining bar stock / blade and the stop. It seems to happen on most sizes I have cut using the stop.

I tried moving the stop around so it contacted different areas of the bar stock but that didn't offer any significant improvements. Sometimes it can jam quite forcibly up against the blade which can't be good for it! Any suggestions would be welcomed!

Thanks,

Sam
 
When working with tube on a horizontal band saw it's best to hold back the saw when cutting thru. If you noticed, the saw cuts slowly at first, then just drops, and then goes back to cutting slowly. If you had a hydraulic feed you would avoid this, as it's not doing your blade any good, so your stop isn't the problem. A stop that swings away would keep your part from jamming, but the way it cuts would be the same regardless.
 
Thank you for your input. I must say I have seen a lot of people going down the hydraulic downfeed route and until your comment just now I kind of figured "what's the point?"! But that makes total sense now.

Not sure it's worth modding my saw mind. Typically it's been too small for most jobs I've been wanting to do recently so i suspect a larger saw will be on the horizon!
 
Having a hydraulic cylinder downfeed definitely helps get cleaner cuts and better blade life.

The issue you describe though, the twisting and jamming of the off cut piece, might be caused more by the stop setup as you first thought. Are the pieces you are cutting fairly short? If so, it has more to do with the teeth grabbing the last little bur at the bottom of the cut (after breaking through). When cutting small pieces with a stop, I like to use a 2-stage stop. Basically a fixed stop and a removable spacer inbetween that stop and the piece. You set the length you want against the removable (can be flip up too) stop, clamp the work, then remove the spacer. It can no longer be twisted and trapped when the cut finishes.
 
That's very similar to the woodworking practise for crosscutting on a tablesaw -- you can set a stop using a block on the rip fence as long as the block stops short of the blade. That way, when the material is ultimately severed at the end of the cut there is no longer a constraint to cause pinching.

-frank
 
That is exactly what is happening! The pieces were between 50 and 100 mm long but not huge. You solution seems like a very practical one for the task and I'm confident that would do the trick! Best not tell the wife though - that was going to be a key part in my justification for a bigger saw! ;)
 
On a horizontal band saw the blade is going to pull the cutoff in the direction the blade is traveling. Clamp or bolt a piece of angle iron taller than the part on the out side of the blade in line with the fixed jaw of the vice about 1/8" from the blade. When the blade goes through the part can't move
 
Assuming that the stop adjusts in and out on a shaft, make or buy a set-collar or clamp collar to fit the shaft. Put the collar outboard of the stop and adjust the stop using the collar, then lock the collar on the shaft. Rotate the stop (which now is rotating freely on the shaft) up inline with the stock, pull the stock out against the stop and close the vise. Allow the stop to rotate down out of the way. Cut, rinse, repeat.
 
The best way to solve this issue is to extend another back stop on the front side of the blade.
This stops the part from moving when it is cut off.
Also do not have the length stop create a bind between the blade and the stop.
See picture below293738
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top