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Thread: Any advantage with different bandsaw speeds?

  1. #1

    Any advantage with different bandsaw speeds?

    My 24" SCMI bandsaw has a 3 phase motor that I use to power with a shop rotary phase converter. It's close to a 12" Northfield jointer that also is 3 phase powered. I generally have to plug/unplug one or the other to use them. I was thinking of powering the bandsaw with a VFD and single phase 220VAC so as not having to make the switch. If there is an advantage of having the option to run the bandsaw at a different speed it would make my decision easier to make considering the expense involved. The SCMI bandsaw is for woodworking not metal working so it's already running at an appropriate speed.
    Last edited by Steve Mathews; 08-12-2022 at 1:46 PM.

  2. #2
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    I run my Centauro 24" 10% over normal speed when making shingles using a VFD. It will run for an hour at the time, and the motor never gets warm. That's through soft Cypress though, and never over a 6" deep cut, so it's little effort for the saw anyway. I can cut a pair of 28" long shingles as fast as I can push the sled through the saw and it seems like the saw didn't know it did anything.

    For more normal, short runs of something, I don't think there's much advantage to increasing the speed.

  3. #3
    Any circumstance in which running it a slower speed is beneficial?

  4. #4
    David Kumm and Jack Forsberg are very knowledgeable on that. Jack pointed out to me there were different speeds on one of the bandsaws I have. Just cant remember the story right now.

  5. #5
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    I cut aluminum every so often on my wood working band saw, wish I could slow it down. Doesn't sound like you would ever have the need.

  6. #6
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    Slower speed is an advantage when cutting metals like aluminum and brass.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by roger wiegand View Post
    Slower speed is an advantage when cutting metals like aluminum and brass.
    Yes, but how about different species of wood?

  8. #8
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    I do not think it matters much since you just slow down the feed rate in harder wood and thicker cuts. The power braking might be good for some people. Don't go crazy on the deceleration rate or the blade might have issues.
    Bill D

  9. #9
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    Wood blade performance is measured with chip load, just like router bits. So tooth count has to be part of the equation and not just speed. As Bill said, the final variable is feed speed. To summarize; tooth count, blade speed, and feed speed are what you can modify to change performance. If you are cutting wet wood for turning, or making your own lumber, you need to keep the blade cooled so the wet sawdust does not stick to the blade. For wood species there are some wood that is problematic. Teak for example. If you overload the blade in teak, the sawdust sticks to the blade and the gullets stay filled. When that happens the blade can barrel bend and you don't get a straight vertical cut. How many species are there? Hard to describe how each would react to the chip loading calculation. Sorry, no simple general rules in machining wood.
    Last edited by Richard Coers; 08-12-2022 at 7:02 PM.

  10. #10
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    This is from a small data pool, so take it for what it's worth. I rescued an old Oliver 36" bandsaw that someone started to try to modernize. It was a line belt machine and they had apparently cobbled together whatever pulleys they had around to adapt on a motor. When I first fired it up, it was doing 5000 fpm. That is screaming fast, actually scary. It came with a stack of used blades, so I tried it out at that speed. It cut really well, but when something started to wander, it did so dramatically. Used blades, unknown condition, you can imagine that there were some issues. It had a far too small aftermarket Carter guide system on it and the blade wandering destroyed the lower guide faster than I could respond. That caused a pause to consider a more studious approach. Lennox recommends 3000 fpm for the blade and condition I wanted to use, so I switched pulleys and tried again with one of the old blades. Huge difference, much more controllable. Guides were still toast, so I switched them to a really good Tannewitz set that actually fit the saw and it is now a beauty to run. Summary, 5000 is way too fast, 3000 is nice. Follow the blade manufacturer recommendations. I've never seen a wood blade rec over 3000. I did try a couple other speeds on the quest to find the right speed, around 4500 and 2000. Neither one of which was acceptable. The 2000 was not a good cut quality, again could have been the blade. 4500 was functionally the same as the too fast 5000.

    I do quite a bit of work in metal too, those blade speeds are roughly 1/3 of wood blade speeds. On a wood/metal bandsaw, there is a 2 speed option that gears the blade down. If you try a metal blade at wood blade speeds, it gets hot really quickly which ruins it.

  11. #11
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    I think there are some production band saws that do run at 5000 FPM. They and the blades they use are designed to do that. Oliver is likely not one of those. The little Rikon 10-325 is set up for two speeds, 1445 and 2950 FPM. I think the lower speed is for non-ferrous metals, it would also give more torque at the cost of cutting speed, sort of like downshifting a truck.

  12. #12
    No interest in cutting metal on a bandsaw. Id cut it on a metal bandsaw. The tool and die maker I knew had a Roll in saw. In front of me he put a chunk of 5" quality steel. We did other stuff and when we came back the auto feed on it had cut right through, it was square to .005 so approximately a hair.

    I know past threads David and Jack clearly had a big understanding of bandsaws and speeds. Others as well. I still have one to bring to life.

  13. #13
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    The speed on my G0636X that I started this post with is 4500 fpm.

    SPECIFICATIONS:

    • Motor: 5 HP, 230V, single-phase, 22A
    • Max. cutting width left of blade: 16-1/2"
    • Max. cutting height (resaw capacity): 16"
    • Resaw fence size: 6" H x 23" L
    • Table size: 21" x 25-1/2"
    • Table tilt: 5° left, 45° right
    • Floor-to-table height: 35-1/2"
    • Blade size: 160" - 162" (1/8"–1-3/8" wide)
    • Blade speed: 4500 FPM
    • Footprint: 29-1/2" x 23-1/2"
    • Overall dimensions: 35-1/4" W x 33-3/4" D x 78-1/2" H
    • Approximate shipping weight: 784 lbs.

    It's a joy to use and the results are fantastic. Blade speed and horsepower allows faster feed rate with no loss in cut quality. Production saws run even higher.

    John

  14. #14
    saw a past note says high speed production, slower speed resawing.

    Dont bandsaw the messenger.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Curt Harms View Post
    I think there are some production band saws that do run at 5000 FPM. They and the blades they use are designed to do that. Oliver is likely not one of those. The little Rikon 10-325 is set up for two speeds, 1445 and 2950 FPM. I think the lower speed is for non-ferrous metals, it would also give more torque at the cost of cutting speed, sort of like downshifting a truck.
    My previous Minimax (Centauro) MM20 ran at 5,000 fpm as delivered from the factory. My current Yates-American 20" saw built in 1951 also runs at 5,000 fpm as designed and built. I wouldn't consider either to be "production" saws and I've never used anything other than standard off the shelf blades.

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