very small band saw to cut brick

[Tom Walz]

I need one. Any suggestions?

The actual application is various kinds of fire bricks for kilns and ovens. The dust and grit is really hard on tools so cheap is important.

Thanks,

Tom

[Burt Alcantara]

I think your concern would be the proper blade. You can pickup a cheap bandsaw at Harbor Freight. Would a tile saw work?

Check out Lennox for blade selection. They make blades to cut just about any material available to a civilian.

[Tom Walz]

We are cutting insulating brick, really soft stuff. Not so much a problem with dust as grit.

We have a hand saw with as laser hardened edge that cuts just fine. Would like a band saw for longer runs.

[Ed Hazel]

I picked up a 10 inch tile/brick saw at HF last week on sale for $229 it is water cooled so there is no dust or grit flying around as it is trapped in the water.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95385

[William Falberg]

What do you mean "long runs" - cut depth? As in standing the bricks on end and cutting length-wise? Are you having to make two passes to get through? I still don't understand why you need a bandsaw for this; but if so, why not add a water-feed to a cheapie bandsaw with a carbide blade? You're not giving us much to go on here. More details?

[Perry Holbrook]

Tom, you may want to consider the small metal cutting band saws that can be used horizontal or vertical. Nothern Tools, Harbor Freight, Jet or some other imports on Ebay are several options. They run at 3 or 4 blade speeds. They can only use 1/2" wide blades so cutting small radius curves is a challenge. But they do a pretty good job. A bi-metal blade is a real plus.

Perry

[Dave Lehnert]

Just another idea.
Would a cut off saw work? I picked one up for around $50. Kinda a cheap saw but works for my limited needs.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/91900-91999/91938.gif

[Paul Atkins]

I've cut that brick with a various tools and my experience is that a band saw would be great. The stuff is really brittle and will absorb water like a sponge so the slurry in a wet saw will get into the pores. I'd use a vacuum of some sort to keep the saw from getting too much junk into the bearings etc. quite as fast. The band saw will cut curves and make slots and make custom cuts very well. In this case cheap is probably good - sort of a disposable saw. You might find a spiral type blade that might work too.

[jim carter]

Just another idea.
Would a cut off saw work? I picked one up for around $50. Kinda a cheap saw but works for my limited needs.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/91900-91999/91938.gif


this is what i would use

[Tom Walz]

Thank you all.

It is soft, crumbly brick.

This is the hand saw we use and sell. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auweg3LP0Tk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auweg3LP0Tk)

We would like a really cheap band saw. If it were just me than I would go with the vacuum system. But, in a shop with many users, I think we better figure the saw as disposable.

[Loren Hedahl]

I would think most any band saw would work fine, but I would go with simple guide system that uses steel or wood blocks, rather than ball bearings.

If I were preparing a bandsaw for this application, I would replace all bearings with the best sealed bearings available. I would also stock replacement guide thrust bearings, because these would be affected the most.

Other than providing vacuum dust control, that's about it.

[Craig Coney]

Check with jewelry makers, they use a version of what looks like a Delta 14" BS with a diamond blade and water. I have seen some used on CL. I think they call them diamond band saws if I recall correctly.

[Tom Walz]

Thank you all.

Appreciate the help.

I think we will go with the cheapest we can find. Not the way I like to do it but these bricks are so abrasive they actually score the table badly.

tom

[Curt Harms]

Thank you all.

Appreciate the help.

I think we will go with the cheapest we can find. Not the way I like to do it but these bricks are so abrasive they actually score the table badly.

tom

I was in a Bosch service center today. They had a Skil 10" band saw with induction motor for $79. I don't know where that falls on the cheap meter.

[Kevin Groenke]

How about a glass cutting bandsaw with a diamond impregnated blade?

The Inland one seems to start at ~$200, others go up from there. If the bricks are so abrasive that they'll wear the table, you might put them on some sort of sacrificial sled.

The diamond blades start at ~$75, so the saw itself seems to fit your cheap bandsaw criteria.

http://www.delphiglass.com/glass-tools/glass-bandsaws/


http://images.delphiglass.com/image_new/171769.jpg

http://www.glassmart.com/images/db100lg.gif

http://estore.websitepros.com/stores/1762167/catalog/f2_1_151_1.JPG

Of course you could also use a wet brick/tile saw. The cheapest of these would probably come from Harbor Freight or similar.



g'luck

[Jim Finn]

[QUOTE=Tom Walz;1121840]Thank you all.

It is soft, crumbly brick.

I have had good luck cutting soft chalky stone with a section of broken wood band saw blade installed in my scroll saw. Cuts it like butter with minimal airborne dust.

[Tom Walz]

Good ideas

Thanks, all