Bandsaw tooth count question

I should have added brand recommendations too. I also have to figure out how to keep it from freezing
 
Word of warning on chinesium blades. I got two, they were made of good bimetal stock, no complaints about the bulk material. The workmanship on the join was inexcusable, the welds were crooked and made my saw do the jitterbug, flexing the whole frame as the back side of the blade was shorter than the cutting edge. I removed them before they ruined my saw. Now I have to cut and re-weld them, something I'm not too keen about doing unless one actually breaks. Never expected chinese band saw blades to come as a kit, but lo and behold. And band saw welders used to cost $50 on ebay before the pandemic, just look at what they cost now! I didn't know they had a half ounce of gold inside, but apparently they do.
 
pontiac428 said:
Word of warning on chinesium blades. I got two, they were made of good bimetal stock, no complaints about the bulk material. The workmanship on the join was inexcusable, the welds were crooked and made my saw do the jitterbug, flexing the whole frame as the back side of the blade was shorter than the cutting edge. I removed them before they ruined my saw. Now I have to cut and re-weld them, something I'm not too keen about doing unless one actually breaks. Never expected chinese band saw blades to come as a kit, but lo and behold. And band saw welders used to cost $50 on ebay before the pandemic, just look at what they cost now! I didn't know they had a half ounce of gold inside, but apparently they do.
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My buddy has a saw welder
 
Batmanacw said:
Precision Matthew's PM712G.
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I have the Harbor Freight "equivalent"; I'm curious what you think of the 4-wheel system for moving the saw. My HF has two wheels at the motor end, foot pads on the opposite and a pick-up handle to move it like a hand truck. With the saw down, I'm guessing it's a good 40 lbs. lift to get it off the pads to wheel it around. Lifting the saw to the vertical position puts it at a good balance point, just a few pounds to lift it. I've had putting wheels at the handle end on my "list of good intentions" (the base has the holes for the through-axle there) for years though I'm curious how it steers. It would seem that 4 fixed wheels would want to go straight and not turn without dragging the front wheels. I was thinking of swiveling casters instead.

Another thing I found with my saw is a problem with coolant getting back into the tank. The chip pan on mine has the return drain in the middle under the saw. The problem with mine is the pan is flat, so not a lot of help from gravity getting it to the drain. I ended up putting a 2nd drain in the back corner and un-leveled the saw to make that a low point for better drainage.

Congrats on the purchase! Sure beats a hacksaw!

Bruce

www.hobby-machinist.com

2016 POTD Thread Archive

Can you describe the pump used? Is this something the typical garage hobby guys like me should stay away from? Looks like a really interesting addition to a machinists collection of shop made stuff! I assume the rubber gasket is placed around the permitted to match the shape being milled and...
www.hobby-machinist.com www.hobby-machinist.com

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I would keep it simple and just use one blade, it would be a real PTA to be switching blades and it is not like and extra minute in cutting time is going to make any difference. I have been using a bimetal variable pitch 10-14 bandsaw blade on mine (same model as yours), it cuts ferrous and softer materials just fine, I use the low speed for harder metals, the high speed for aluminum/softer materials. The stock blade that came with mine lost a few teeth over time and also the weld was not ground smooth, I eventually replaced it with a Lenox and been using the same blade for like 6 years and it is getting ready to be replaced. I have a Bacho bimetal blade that I will try next. I would not use a coarser pitch, I cut stock as small as 1/4" and up to 5-6" with no problems.

In the initial couple of years, I did use the coolant (Koolrite) in a 10% emulsion and it had a very long tank life without going bad. Other coolants I tried did not last, and had more issues with rust. I have also seen Trim 690XT recommended and it is more readily available then the Koolrite. I also recommend pulling the sump/pump regularly to clean it out and checking the pump impeller. The sump tank is baffled, but it gets pretty nasty after awhile. I added a second coolant port/valve on the return guide side of the blade to wash the chips off the blade, otherwise they will accumulate inside the wheel compartment. Periodically swing the bandsaws to the viatical position and swing open the blade shield to clear the chips. One word of caution is that when swinging the bandsaw to the vertical position do it slowly as the momentum when going vertical can cause the saw to tip over. I added leveling feet in a 3 point configuration to make it more stable and also to level it so the coolant drains properly.

Metal Bandsaw .jpg
 
I bought two I-Machinist 10/14 tpi for $26 each on Amazon and an Olsen hard back 14 tpi wavy set for $20 on Ebay. Still looking for options to keep on hand.
 
It seems to me everything in this world is more complicated than it needs to be. Maybe I'm just simple or not fussy enough. I have the Harbor Freight 4x6 for 15 years and just use the 10/14 p blade on the medium speed. I keep the spring tension set for sheet metal and have a few weights that I drop onto the carriage when I need more down force for heavier stock. I've cut everything from sheet metal to 4x4 solid stock without a problem. I used to use lube but I've even eliminated that as it's too messy.
 
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