Portable bandsaw cutting lube?

[John Gray 7Participant @johngray7]

So I treated myself to a Scheppach MBS1200 portable bandsaw, and it seems fine. However, the document that they call a handbook does say not to use liquid cutting fluids as they will leave deposits on the driving tyres. Doesn’t seem quite right to me to run dry, so what are you using? Same machine seems to come in a whole variety of different names, so I’m guessing there’s loads of them around? The supplied blades are M42 rather than plane carbon steel, so I’m guessing that they may handle dry cutting better. It’s got to be better than the cutoff disks in an angle grinder that I had been using, that at certainly did the job but left me with many fire worries from all the sparks. I used to quite enjoy manual hack sawing but my health will no longer allow that, so what lubricant if any are you using with portable bandsaws?

[jaCK HobsonParticipant @jackhobson50760]

Trend TRENDIWAX Lubricant Wax Stick 342gm

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I always run my Femi bandsaw dry, it’s what it says in the manual.

[DalboyParticipant @dalboy]

I have one like that and don’t use lubrication, so far no trouble with mine. I did how every buy spare blades of a better quality than what is fitted. I got them from Tuff Saws

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

I’ve got essentially the same saw. In four or five years of use I’ve never used any lube.

The saw is designed to be run without cutting lube. If you start spraying lube on things the drive belts won’t grip the sides of the blade properly and the chips may start to accumulate inside the housing in an unhelpful pasty mush that will not aid performance.

[John Gray 7Participant @johngray7]

Sounding like dry is the way to go! I’ve used Tuffsaws for my bandsaw blades for many years, and I now wouldn’t go anywhere else. Thanks to all.

[MacolmParticipant @macolm]

I have a Femi that I mostly use dry, and a small hobby (“wood”) Dewalt that I use for cutting sheet steel. The latter definitely benefits from lube such as a wax stick. However, it is all too easy to overdo the amount, and what I do is to apply a thin smear to the work along the cutting line. This seems to be enough to help keep the blade sharp, yet not enough to end up on the pulleys etc.

I use the same technique on anything particularly difficult on the Femi, just a trace along the blade path.

[HollowpointParticipant @hollowpoint]

I have the Warco version. I use it dry. No problems so far.

[Paul LousickParticipant @paullousick59116]

I have a small bandsaw, like a Femi and use a wax stick to lubricate the blade. It is in a big stick about 70mm dia and I just run the blade thru the end before cutting metal. The wax is also good for lubricating hand saws for cutting wood. The saw and the stick are about 7 years old and the wax does not cause the band to slip on the rubber drive wheel.

I use bi-metal blades on my saw. They cost a little extra but last way longer than standard carbon steel blades.

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, I run my Warco bandsaw dry, and I’ve never had any problems with it.

Regards Nick.

[Paul LousickParticipant @paullousick59116]

I have also run my bandsaw dry but it cuts better with a little lube, less friction and the blade lasts longer.

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

If it has rubber bands on the wheels, it is likely not a very good idea to get them oily.

[Paul LousickParticipant @paullousick59116]

As I have already said, the drive wheels on my bandsaw have rubber rims and they have not slipped in 7 years while using wax lubricant. Oil would be different.

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