Does anyone know how to make the HF 4 by 6 horiz/vertical bandsaw safer to use on vertical position?

Re: Does anyone know how to make the HF 4 by 6 horiz/vertical bandsaw safer to use on vertical posit

I'm actually with Tony on going dry. If anything I use just a whisper of stick lubricant on the sides of the blade and that's it.

-frank
 
Re: Does anyone know how to make the HF 4 by 6 horiz/vertical bandsaw safer to use on vertical posit

francist said:
I'm actually with Tony on going dry. If anything I use just a whisper of stick lubricant on the sides of the blade and that's it.

-frank
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What do you use for stick lubricant?
 
Re: Does anyone know how to make the HF 4 by 6 horiz/vertical bandsaw safer to use on vertical posit

"Another thing is make a new base for that saw if you have the stock base and it will make it more stable weight wise and length wise.[/QUOTE]"

I wouldn't throw away a good start for a great base. Just a few pieces of wood makes that base solid as a rock and gives you lots of storage for cutoff's and inventory.

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Re: Does anyone know how to make the HF 4 by 6 horiz/vertical bandsaw safer to use on vertical posit

All in the blade I would say. Alum is nasty and will gum up a blade real fast. I also cut dry. I just made this base yesterday out of bed frame and 1x1 scrap

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Re: Does anyone know how to make the HF 4 by 6 horiz/vertical bandsaw safer to use on vertical posit

I agree.
Tony Wells said:
I guess I'm going to go against the grain here a little. For sawing aluminum, totally dry is my recommendation unless you have flood coolant. Any oily, dribbled on lube will likely allow chips to stick to the blade and be carried all the way around to the cut for a second time, whereas dry they tend to just fall away. 7075 is not a gummy material, and especially if the proper tooth count is used, the chips will not stick in the gullet and pose problems.I know that for most of us, keeping several different blade on hand for different materials isn't really practical, but there are valid reasons for using different pitches for different types of cut.Your 1/2 x 1" should cut clean with a 10 pitch blade. Light pressure makes for thin chips, and highest blade speed you have will work best.
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Re: Does anyone know how to make the HF 4 by 6 horiz/vertical bandsaw safer to use on vertical posit

as Far asHF blades go I use their 10-14 Vari, Premium Bimetal Blades #97119 ( made in USA) with vary good luck I tried there other blades and I think I could get better cuts from metal banding. I believe someone on the yahoo 4x6bandsaw group mentioned using a wood blade for AL. I would check that group for help. I use push sticks, clams or a special block vise I made for small parts.
 
Re: Does anyone know how to make the HF 4 by 6 horiz/vertical bandsaw safer to use on vertical posit

its a slow moving saw so what i would do if you are that worried . . . use a piece of card board and just clamp in on so its a makeshift extended guard.

now having said that. THIS IS NOT A METHOD TO TRY WITH A TABLE SAW OR ANYTHING ELSE.

if you have doubts . . . double up a piece of cardboard and push it against the moving blade for just a moment. shure it will bite it but it wont cut it and more importantly it wont cut you.

if you want to get real fancy then make one out of somthing lite thin and a bit stronger like masonite [the stuff they make clip boards out of]

if your cutting oil or wd-40 then forget cardboard. and build somthing stronger to clamp on.

anyway. cardboard is cheap plentiful, you probably have some laying around, if it gets chewed up you can make a new one quick.

hey if your into safty then think about getting a deadman switch you can use with everything

http://www.woodcraft.com/product/2020165/20868/onoff-deadman-style-momentary-footswitch.aspx
 
Re: Does anyone know how to make the HF 4 by 6 horiz/vertical bandsaw safer to use on vertical posit

It might be difficult to see in the photo but, it's a 20 minute mod. Take 4 pieces of angle iron and re-use the exiting holes and bolts to stiffen it up. I also raise height enough to put it at a sane working level. I think on one of the legs, you need to grind a little contour at the top -so I lied, it's a 25 minute mod.

See photo...

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Re: Does anyone know how to make the HF 4 by 6 horiz/vertical bandsaw safer to use on vertical posit

for the upper blade guard did you pull out the tightening nob and move it to the second threaded hole? i thought for a while that the guard could only be moved down untill there was like 4 or 5" of blade exposed, but if you move the tightening hand wheel and pull the guard down you will see a second threaded hole for it.


Todd
 
Re: Does anyone know how to make the HF 4 by 6 horiz/vertical bandsaw safer to use on vertical posit

Menards has some good quality American made band saw blades for this saw for $12-$18. That's where I get mine. I've been using the same one for about a year now. If you don't get crazy with them, they will last quite awhile. This saw will never be a Kalamazoo or DoAll, but they work pretty good for what they are.

GG
 
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