Options for cutting stock to length

[projectnut]

There are a few currently on eBay. I would have bought a few, but I have plenty in stock right now. Last count was about 80. There are some others out there that are ridiculously priced. A few sellers are asking more than double what they're selling for at the industrial supply houses.

Simonds Red End Power Hacksaw Blades 14” 1 1/4” 4tpi box Of 12 NOS USA | eBay

Never Used open box of Red End Molybdenum Hack Saw Blades.

www.ebay.com

 

[rwm]

Here is another direction. If your stock is small diameter this is great!

I love this because I can cut stock in the parking lot of Stockcar Steel and get it in the SUV! I rarely if ever use stock greater that 2" diameter in long lengths.
I looked at buying an Ellis but then realized that this was just too easy. I used it to cut railroad rails...

 

[verbotenwhisky]

Good morning all,

I am considering adding a some type of horizontal bandsaw machine to my shop.

This machine would be used to cut structural steel and bar stock to length. It would be used for both rough cutting and finish size cutting.

Currently I am using a combination of corded jig saw, abrasive cut-off ( which I do not like for many breasons ) hand sawing with hack saw or flame cutting.

My shop space is not large but could accomodate an older iron horizontal saw.

Material sizes would range from 6" channel, beam, tube, angle over all down to small rounds 1/2"ish.

I have seen a couple DoAll C-12 units on the net. I have a DoAll vertical contour saw and absolutely love it!.

The C-12 is on the large size, any other DoAll's or other good saws that one should consider?

What suggestions or machines do you all like and use tgat would work for my application.


Thank you,

Rick

I bought a 300 dollar band saw from Harbor Freight and it will cut 4"x6" without issue, relatively speaking it cuts well and reasonably straight, I have been satisfied with the results.

 

[Pevehouse]

I have an older Taiwan made Enco and I can’t kill it. Granted, it’s not in the league of an Ellis but it does what I ask it to do and then some. Once I figured out that a good Lennox blade was the way to go.

 

[Windy city]

Cosen for a mitering band saw, Haberle for cold saws. I have had Haberle cold saws for over 35 years, best in the business.

 

[rls1160]

GeneT45,

Thank you for the reply. From what I can tell, everyone that owns an Ellis saw loves them.

The ability to mitre the saw versus the vise appears to be the preferred approach.

 

[matthewsx]

+1 on a cold saw. I lucked into a free one and love it. Mine is little ~8”, still need to mount it properly and set up coolant.

John

 

[rls1160]

Any thoughts on either of these cold saws?
Cold saw super brown special IBP

Or

Startrite CF-350M 14"

 

[projectnut]

I'm not familiar with either of those machines, but I can tell you that from experience Startrite makes good machines. My Horizontal bandsaw was built in the 1980's. It spent its first 15 years in a commercial shop running 40 hours or more per week. The owner got several large contracts and needed to upgrade to a larger faster saw. It's been in my shop going on 20 years. In that time, it usually works 5 or so hours a week but has been known work as much as 20 hours a week. to So far, the only repair it's needed is a grease seal on the right-angle gear box.

When looking for a cold saw my priorities would be 350mm (14") blade with either a 32mm or 40mm pilot, infinitely speed from around 25 rpm to 125 rpm, ability for the head to swing for mitering or slotting, American style vise, and a large coolant reservoir with baffled return section. It would be nice if it has single phase power and a VFD to control motor speeds.

My machine has a 3hp 220-volt 3 phase motor controlled by a VFD. The coolant reservoir has sufficient volume, but it's not baffled and doesn't allow chips to be washed off the deck and back into the tank. It is a bit of a PITA to clear chips from the cut area. The chips have to be manually removed from the table since there is a filter screen that prevents them from flowing back to the tank. It also has a European style vise that works ok on larger cutoff lengths but doesn't hold short pieces very well.

I've always wanted a cold saw, and when this one became available, I couldn't pass it up. I was taking a chance since it was a basket case when I found it. It spent the first 11 years of it's life in a production situation. It was ridden hard and put away wet. I was able to purchase it for about the same price as a higher end blade would have cost. It took a couple months to bring it back to life and put it to work. I still have less than $1,000.00 invested. Most of it for new blades.

Here are some pictures of the machine as it looked when I purchased it and after I refurbished it. Note the vise style on the later pictures. The half holding the stock to the left of the blade is more or less a standard vise with a quick lock lever. The half holding the cut piece is just a bar to keep it from falling. This is the European style vise. Pictures 1409 and 1410 show the swarf left on the table after cutting about half a dozen pieces of 2" 6061 round stock.

On Edit: I forgot to add that if you’re patient you can find blades at more reasonable prices on eBay. I was able to purchase 3 blades (2 for steel and 1 for aluminum) for $45.00 each. I also had the original blade retoothed for $35.00 and purchased another aluminum blade for $149.00 from The Cold Saw Store in Grand Blanc Michigan.

 

[Smithdoor]

Good morning all,

I am considering adding a some type of horizontal bandsaw machine to my shop.

This machine would be used to cut structural steel and bar stock to length. It would be used for both rough cutting and finish size cutting.

Currently I am using a combination of corded jig saw, abrasive cut-off ( which I do not like for many breasons ) hand sawing with hack saw or flame cutting.

My shop space is not large but could accomodate an older iron horizontal saw.

Material sizes would range from 6" channel, beam, tube, angle over all down to small rounds 1/2"ish.

I have seen a couple DoAll C-12 units on the net. I have a DoAll vertical contour saw and absolutely love it!.

The C-12 is on the large size, any other DoAll's or other good saws that one should consider?

What suggestions or machines do you all like and use tgat would work for my application.


Thank you,

Rick

I use 4x6 saw does everything for small shop. If I need larger I have Sawzall or cutting torch.
I put on wheels and saw horse high.
Look best price I they all look same with different color paint and price.
I have a low cost red.

Dave