Cutting Steel On Bandsaw?

[markus shaffer]

Hello,

I'm working on a project that involves 16 guage sheet steel. I need to cut about three linear feet in total. My prototype was done with a jigsaw which sufficed but the final product I would like to be much cleaner. Given the small size of what I'm doing, it was hard to clamp the steel down after the bulk of the excess was removed. I was hoping someone here might know if it would be wise or unwise to cut steel with my bandsaw (Delta 14"). Obviously I would need to get the right blade and leave the dust collection off. This is a one off project and I'm hoping the next one will be the final. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

-Markus

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Not unless you have a scrap blade. And you will need to have more than a few teeth in contact with the blade at all times (try for 4 - 6), You will want to consider whether you want to get oil on your rubber tires. You may - ot not - want to cut with oil as a coolant/lube and some tires don't work and play well with oils.


It won't wreck your band saw beyond getting steel chips and oil in the rubber tires. - which may - or not be an issue.

Of course there is the speed question. How slow can you go?? Steel wants to be cut S-L-O-W-L-Y.

[nic obie]

Markus,

Don't even think of it. Your Delta spins close to ten times too fast. I'd go to HF and buy one of their electric shears. They look like a regular drill with short snips attached. Use a straight edge and you will be all right.

Before you buy it make sure it will cut 16 ga. steel. It should say what it's capabilities are on the box.

[Dave Richards]

Markus, surely you could find someone with a shear that could make the cut for you. Network.

As was already mentioned your bandsaw moves the blade much too fast.

You might get a cutoff wheel that would fit your circular saw. If doing it that way, I would make a scoring cut and then bend it until it breaks. Make a few passes draw filing it and you'd be done.

[Jeffrey Makiel]

Metal bandsaws cut at less than 100 feet per minute. Your Delta saw is probably about 3000 feet per minute, and you cannot slow it down enough with a pulley change.

I recommend a jigsaw, but use a straight edge with it. Use a fine tooth bi-metal blade, do not use the obital setting if your jigsaw has this feature, use a slow speed, use some lubricating oil, and again, use a straight edge guide. I'll bet you'd be happy with the cut then.

Oh...wear eye protection! The small metal dust particles will adhere to your eyeball and start to rust. What an awful thing.

cheers, Jeff :)

[Julio Navarro]

heavy duty shears is the way to go, I just finished cutting 22 ga steal witha pairt of electric shears from northern tools. There are two types of shears; shear types and scissors types(not sure what the names are) then there is the nibbler. The nibbler is excellent for cutting circles and close tight patterns.

I bought the shears for 59$ the nibblers where about that same amount.

I would advise other than HF shears, I bought a pair from them and they lasted squat.

Make sure you verify theu can cut 18ga, I used them on 22ga so your application is much more difficult.

I would also advise trying to find some one who will cut it for you.

[Bruce Page]

Markus,
16ga is just shy of 1/16 inch thickness (.0598). I’m not sure if the hand held shears will cut that thick of steel stock. Look around in the YP for a sheet metal shop or maybe even a heating/ air conditioning shop that has an industrial shear. As mentioned, a wood cutting BS won’t do it.

[Steve Clardy]

I have a 10t metal blade for mine I use ocasionally.
Its a bi-metal blade I used to use when I was making paring knives out of 1-1/4 band saw blades, used blades from my woodmizer.
Have to go slow, eye protection is a must.

[Barry O'Mahony]

How about an abrasive blade in a circular saw and a straightedge?

[Hoa Dinh]

I wouldn't do that, even though my 14" Rockwell BS can go down as low as 80 fpm. It is a very messy operation.

I'd pay a friendly machine shop $20 to do it for me. I'm sure they can cut it really clean.

If I had to do it myself, I'd sandwich the piece of steel between two 1/2" pieces of sheetwood, and use a circular saw with a blade that can cut wood and nails.

[Frank Chaffee]

Markus,
With an appropriate blade, your bandsaw will cut 16 ga. steel sheet just fine. You could even make a three foot cut dry if you stopped a couple times to let the blade cool down. Personally, were I to do this, I would have an assistant spray water soluble lubricant, or even WD40 unto the moving blade.

I assume your cut is not straight, and that is why you need to use a jigsaw or bandsaw to make it. Is this correct?

If so, rather than investing in a one time use bandsaw blade, and if you have a good jigsaw, then I would use a jigsaw for the cut. If clamping is a problem, could you create a base of complementary curves on either side of the cut line, and move clamps as cutting progressed?

With the old Milwaukee and Bosch jigsaws, I have made many very accurate cuts in sheet steel. I finished templates for curves with a file, and at that time I felt I was achieving +/- .005” accuracy to a scribed line. Wear safety glasses or goggles that provide an absolute seal to your face when cutting steel! A full face shield will prevent hot chips from igniting your beard, as well.

Frank

[markus shaffer]

Thank you to everyone for the replies. I had suspected that it was not the best idea and after further consideration, I have decided to make due with a jigsaw again. While not overly intricate, what I am cutting out does end up being fairly small. It is also something I am going to have to live with as functional adornment to my motorbike, thus I am expecting no less than perfection. Given my lack of experience with metalwork, I may need to attempt multiple tries before this project comes to an acceptable conclusion.

Again, thank you all for your advice. I very much appreciate it.

-Markus

[Jeff DeVore]

I would normally cut a piece like this with a torch and then grind down to finish. Get a seated comfortably and then steady with your left hand and draw with your right.

[Frank Chaffee]

Marcus,
If the shape you wish to cut is intricate, then glue your 16ga. sheet to a wood substrate with hot melt glue and have at it with the jigsaw. Only very little heat will be required to break the glue bond after cutting.

Another method to keep in mind for this project or one in the future is to have the cut made by a plasma torch. When I was in metalworking, we used optical tracers following full size black ink drawings. Today I expect that .dwg files are used.

Frank

P.S. Oxy-acetylene will warp 16ga. more than I think you want for this.

[Julio Navarro]

What exactly are you doing, am curious to see pictures of your project and your motorbike. Consider a nibbler, its not expensive and great for patterns and such.