mini Bandsaw, or mini Scroll Saw ??

[Russ BParticipant @russb]

Michael,

If it could cut metal well I'd be interested, but Norman is certainly saying otherwise, as a scroll saw project this could be right up someone's street – but as a metal cutting saw, maybe not mine?

I'm still undecided, internal cuts would be of great use to me, and I could suffer the rest – its still got to be easier than hand cutting. – PLUS i seem to think the plate where the blade goes through is removable, meaning in my head, custom shapes, maybe a file could be modified and mounted to further modified mounts….. I don't know…

to many things to consider for a Friday night, I'll keep pondering

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Second Thoughts:

This video reveals some of the constructional detail of the Scheppach

It looks very flimsy: Compare those arms with the Hegner ones.

… I would look elsewhere, for a more substantial "kit of parts"

MichaelG.

[Cyril BonnettParticipant @cyrilbonnett24790]

I've had a hegner scroll saw for years and have cut 1/4 mild steel on it, it will cut 2mm aluminium easily.

There's one on ebay. item number 171208875706 £152 at the moment mine cost over £500 10 years ago!

I also have a small band saw which is good for roughing out but I've only used that for wood.

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

I bought an old, home made(quite well made) scroll saw at a church jumble sale, when I get round to it, I'll do some modifications to it. Briefly, it has an 18" throat, wooden arms top and bottom, a 1450rpm, 1/4hp motor. Got it along with a home made bench grinder, with a similar motor, all for $NZ10. We'll see. Ian S C

[VersabossParticipant @versaboss]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 03/01/2014 18:15:50:

Second Thoughts:

This video reveals some of the constructional detail of the Scheppach

It looks very flimsy: Compare those arms with the Hegner ones.

… I would look elsewhere, for a more substantial "kit of parts"

MichaelG.

Michael, as a former Hegner owner I dare to say that in no way these arms are flimsier than the Hegner arms. It seems that this saw is almost a 1:1 copy of the Hegner, although the one I owned had no variable speed.

After building the band saw from one of the first MEW issues there was not much use for the Hegner, so I sold it. Cutting metal is a very slow process with a scroll saw.

Greetings, Hansrudolf

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Hansrudolf,

Thanks for the information !!

[… I thought the Hegner arms had diagonal webs in the casting.]

Maybe I shall be having Third Thoughts

MichaelG.

[Russ BParticipant @russb]

I've been looking at those 2 link above again, and it appears the case of the 350w is not plastic and is possible cast aluminium/monkey metal, but I think I'm still leaning towards the old sheet metal design,

– It looks to have larger diameter wheels, and is a good 10db quieter (3+ times quieter then?)
– I prefer the simplicity of the main wheel adjuster, it looks more robust and upgradable/repairable
– The lower blade guide looks much closer to the table (its mounted outside the case under the table, as opposed to inside the case)

Tool station had these on sale once at £65, they are now only selling the new version for £100 – I think it's unlikely I'll get hold of one again for that price, might just have to watch ebay and keep my ear to the ground.

[Billy MillsParticipant @billymills]

Russel

Had a look at your first choice bandsaw, the blades run about 3000 ft/min which is fine for wood but you want 100-300ft/min for a wet bimetal metal cutting blade. There is a useful table of cutting speeds for various metals at:-**LINK** ( as well as a lot of other stuff).

So that little saw would need a reduction of 10 to 40 times to get the blade speed down to the range needed to cut metal reliably with a bimetal or carbon steel blade. Quite a rebuild but if you have some spare pulleys and bearings it could work, the reduction would give a useful torque increase for the small motor.

The real question is if it is worth doing, that depends on how well made the patient is before you start surgery. If the the wheels are well supported and the guides are half rigid then it could be viable if decent blades are available in the size needed. Still a lot of work.

Billy.

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Russell

I know THIS is a bit away from your target price but maybe it would be more suitable – OR perhaps suitable for modification?

I have no personal knowledge of this machine ( other than use of a similar one some years ago to cut up some bar) but it does say that it can be used vertically and a table attached. Others may have first hand knowledge.

Sorry to say cheap gear is seldom good gear.

Good luck!

Norman

 

Edited By NJH on 05/01/2014 18:39:02

[Russ BParticipant @russb]

Billy, that really puts things in to perspective and that data sheet is a keeper thanks! – you've changed the game for me here. I over looked that vast difference in speed ………. there is certainly no way a speed controller will manage that sort of reduction.

I think the cheapest/easiest way to go is down the route of a plain pulley reduction, I don't wan't to get to complicated with this as my ambition and my ability are nearly as far apart as those blade speeds…….

Norman, its a great piece of kit but far to large for my needs , I'm looking for something portable enough to be shoved under a bench or above a cupboard when not needed.

[Billy MillsParticipant @billymills]

Norman's link is more or less the same machine as I have. Yes it is a bit big but it will cut anything you want with certainty, there are a few improvements that are fairly standard. I stow mine under a high bench. If you want to do a lot of sawing then this is a very inexpensive way to do it even including the bimetal blade that is a very desirable extra. If you can find the space then this is a very good tool for the workshop.

With the blade vertical and mounting a table on the lower guide you have a good vertical bandsaw which can do fine cutting on a broad range of materials.

Although there are always exceptions to any generalisations….. wood bandsaws tend to have rubber tyred wheels, high blade speeds, dust extraction, no blade lube, vertical blade. A metal bandsaw tends to have slower speeds, metal wheels, no dust extraction, often horizontal blade, better machines blade lube/coolant .

My view is that this is about the cheapest reliable way of cutting a fair bit of metal however the Evolution Rage sliding saw is less expensive , takes up less space and has other tricks. Aldi were selling a compact hand circular saw recently which is the lowest cost option and within your budget, When mounted inverted and with a few extra bits this could be a useful tool for light use, Mike Cox reviewed the saw on his website which I mentioned earlier.

Billy.

[Russ BParticipant @russb]

So many good options….. I've been looking about and speaking to a few leading bandsaw companies (be it for blades or machines) and both suggest the tri wheel machines are contenders.

Since we're already looking to a smaller machine its obviously not get used on an industrial scale so the the larger dual wheel machines ability to make blades last longer is of little relevance, and they are typically bigger machines overall with less throat.

Sooooo………. that considered, a Burgess (aka Powerline) just popped up, very locally and I might just go for it, furnished with a brand new bi-metal 1/2" x 0.020 blade – it already has a belt driven pulley which has 2 speeds, 3000ft/min for wood and 350ft/min a metal – as standard, made in the 70's still made now to a similar design – I wonder if they kept the dual speed setup……

Could these triangular machines have been the turn key solution all along? …………

Edited By Russell Bates on 09/01/2014 12:49:59

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Russell,

I was just browsing the archive …

There was a tidy little 3-wheel Bandsaw project in issue 2 of MEW

It's probably worth a look; either to build it, or as a source of ideas for upgrading whatever you buy.

MichaelG.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 11/01/2014 00:15:12

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