# can i cut metal with this craftsman bandsaw?



## jousley (Nov 10, 2013)

Hey guys, so I was wondering - in my small shop I have a 3/4 hp craftsman bandsaw - model: 119.224000. it's 120v. I was wondering if I could cut metal with the appropriate blade... I am not a bandsaw expert by any means. I have happily just got it to cut square and level - but recently came across a project which would be awesome to do - but I would need to cut about 1/8 - 1/25 thick metal. I'm doubting the 1/25 - but maybe the 1/8???

I would appreciate your advice - what bandsaw blade would be best? just a simply Home Depot'er or something else? I'm a newb in this area so all knowledge is appreciated.

thanks in advance for leading me in the right direction.

J.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

The speed of a woodworking bandsaw is too fast for cutting metal, especially steel. You can get away with cutting small amounts of brass or aluminum but very much of it the debris will ruin the rubber tires.


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## jousley (Nov 10, 2013)

so I checked the specs.. I can arrange the bands so they go 1450 or 3000 ft/min. is that enough for metal cutting?
J


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

jousley said:


> so I checked the specs.. I can arrange the bands so they go 1450 or 3000 ft/min. is that enough for metal cutting?
> J


I don't know squat about bandsaws but that sounds WAAAAYYYY too fast to me, at least for anything but aluminum. I'll be interested in seeing what the experts have to say.


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## difalkner (Nov 27, 2011)

You want around 120 fpm for mild steel and about 350 fpm for aluminum. Also, 1/25" is thinner than 1/8" unless you meant one quarter (1/4") which is twice as thick as 1/8". Metal cutting bandsaws typically range from 50 fpm to 500 fpm or so.


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

A metal cutting band saw will run very slow. Closer to 100 than 1000 fpm. You can cut some metals like thin aluminum, brass, and copper with a metal blade on a wood saw, but don't make it a habit or you'll cause other problems. NEVER CUT IRON OR STEEL on a wood saw no matter what blade you instal.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

A metal cutting bandsaw runs at about 100 feet per minute. Your craftsman saw runs at 1620 feet per minute. A metal cutting saw blade is run on a saw that doesn't have rubber tires and is tensioned about 10 times as much as a woodworking blade. You would never get enough tension on a woodworking bandsaw to cut steel. What are you wanting to cut? There may be other ways. 

I have two woodworking bandsaws and rather than try to cut steel on one of these saws I bought a metal cutting bandsaw to cut steel. Harbor Freight sells a pretty good one for about 270 bucks. It can be run either horizontal or vertical.


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## herrwood (Mar 23, 2014)

If its a one time project you could use a jig saw.


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

If it's not hardened steel, you could just use a hacksaw. 1/8" mild steel cuts fast with a hacksaw, and cleans up easily with a file. Brass and copper are even easier, even with thicker metal. Below 1/8" thick, though, you might start to have problems with the metal bending instead of cutting, at least when starting the cut... make sure you back it up well.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*I've been cuttin' metal on a bandsaw for years*

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/members/woodnthings-7194/albums/mobile-base-10-craftsman-ts/

There are 2 things to consider:
The speed
The blade.

As stated above the blade speed should be around 150 FPM. Most woodworking bandsaws run at 3500 FPM, way too fast to cut metal, except aluminum. You must reduce the speed at ratio of 10 to 1 to cut steel. Metal cutting bandsaws have a gear reduction for that purpose, homemade shop versions have used a jackshaft with belts and pulleys. BTDT myself. I have 2 metal bandsaws, one is a Craftsman from the '70's and I'm still using it. The other is an industrial Roll In which can cut an 8" X 10" tube.

The blade...if you get that far should have 3 teeth in contact with the material at all times OR the teeth will get shear right off the blade. Think 18 TPI hacksaw blades. Dry cutting metal won't harm the rubber tires on the wheels in my experience. There are no rubber tires on the Roll In, just bare steel. 

It will probably be more trouble than it's worth to convert a woodworking saw. Just find a machine shop or school shop with a metal saw OR use a saber saw as suggested. :yes:


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

If this is a one-shot deal, farm the job out to a metal fab shop. Those people are long past the experimental stage = you will get it done right.


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## jousley (Nov 10, 2013)

Thank u all for the well informed answers. Learned a lot and now added a metal bandsaw to my want list. Ill check craigs for awhile. 

J


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## Jetmugg (Apr 28, 2014)

Depending on the length and type of cuts (curved or straight) you need to make, a right angle grinder with an abrasive cut-off wheel is a pretty good way to cut sheet metal.

Steve


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## gus1962 (Jan 9, 2013)

You can cut metal on wood band saws, you just have to lower the speed and use the right blade. Goodluck!


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## Chad Holst (Mar 11, 2014)

When we built our RV Ice House we searched long and hard for good advice on this subject. Some said NO steel, so said very thin aluminum with a metal blade, some said aluminum, with the blade in backwards (heard this alot) 

In the end, we didnt need to cut steel, and wouldnt have used our woodsaws on it anyway. 

We did however use all of our saws for the aluminum, with the regular blade, in the correct rotation...and all of them cut like butter. Aluminum is softer than many hardwoods and it shows. We were concerned with the blades getting clogged up, but had zero issues. 

We used our jig saw, table saw, mitor saw and circle saw. 

WARNING... WEAR EAR PROTECTION. Extremely loud. Wear eye protection and long sleeved shirt when cutting. 

We cut regular thickness diamond plate and also ripped sheets of flat aluminum for the siding on the trailer. Cuts were all extremely clean and no strain was put on the machines. It really did eat the aluminum very easily.

Any work on the steel framing was touched up with a cut off wheel on a hand held grinder. In retrospect we would have used a table grinder with a cut off wheel and feed table and jig if we had to do any long pieces with a perfectly squared edge, but didnt end up having to do this.


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## Fishinbo (Jul 23, 2012)

You can cut metal on it ; reduce the speed and change blade. But I wouldn't do it. I strictly cut wood on wood band saw and metal for metal saw.


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