Vertical band saw workholding question

[Glenn Brooks]

I’ve been thinking about buying a vertical bandsaw for metal working. A retired machinist in our live steam club may be selling two of his bandsaws. So, in look8ng at these machines, I am wondering about proper operation and safety regarding working holding while cutting say, 1” steel plate or actually any dimension metal stock. What are some proper work holding methods to feed stock through these machines???

BTW, I’ve recently decided Iam not taking off any more tips of my fingers by hand holding stock on my drill press. So made up some clamps, T nuts and angle plates for the DP. Can only imagine what a mess might occur with a monster, finger and bone eating bandsaw mistakes!).

Thanks

Glenn

[whateg0]

The bandsaw is pretty slow as cutting tools go, so you'd likely not lose much of a fingertip in it, especially at metal cutting speeds. That said, big parts aren't usually a problem unless they are so big as to be awkward to hold. Little parts, though can be a challenge, especially round parts that might want to spin when the blade first takes a bite. I use vise grips to hold some stuff, a Palmgren drill press vise to hold some stuff. When you get close to breaking through the final bit, use a piece of scrap to back it up. This accomplishes a couple of things. It keeps your fingers a safe distance from the blade, and it keeps the work piece from going flying as it is finally free of the blade.

Dave

[John Hasler]

Glenn writes:
> What are some proper work holding methods to feed stock through these machines???

Pretty similar to a table saw. Most bandsaws don't seem to have fences. Mine (converted from a horizontal) does and it's invaluable.

[Harold_V]

While blade speed is generally slow, that's not always the case with vertical bandsaws. Aluminum, for example, can be sawn at blade speeds that boggle the mind, and it's a requirement for friction sawing.

That said, please follow this link: Thttps://www.bing.com/images/search?q=image+of+a ... ORM=IQFRBA
The device, top left hand side of the picture, is invaluable. I wouldn't operate my bandsaw (a DoAll V-36) without one. My purchase of the saw was conditional on the seller including a new one.

The device is intended for use either manually (you can see the handles in the picture, although not attached to the device) as well as for use with DoAll's power feed, which is a weight mechanism that is adjustable to apply the desired pressure.

If you haven't sawn thick steel, you may not understand the need for additional power, but it's very tiring without some assistance. Been there, done that, own the power feed now.

H

[John Hasler]

That's a great gadget. Yet another tool to make.

[SteveHGraham]

Scary things can happen when you cut anything that doesn't lie flat on the table. Anything that can turn can be caught and rotated suddenly, pulling your fingers into the blade, and your first clue that there is a problem will be the sight of your mutilated hand.

Push sticks and similar devices are great. It's silly not to use them.

Remember to keep the guard (the part that lowers when you crank the saw down) as low as possible when cutting. There is a reason for that crank. I've seen people cut thin material a foot of blade showing. There is no good reason for that. Lowering the guard also puts the bearings closer to the work and shortens the part of the blade that runs without support.

[Rich_Carlstedt]

A drill press vise is the best, like a Palmngren , but not a ordinary vise!
You want one that has the same height at the handle end as it does at the Jaw end
That way you can invert the vise to grab long stock and not have it rock. You also
want to have square perpendicular sides, not flanges as some do. This lets you turn the vise on it's side and clamp
short pieces which can get very close to the blade...saving fingers
. See this model...but it is too big ---a 2 to 3 inch size is much handier
Rich
https://www.amazon.com/Palmgren-Drill-p ... B006JHLEFI

[NP317]

Glenn:
A fence on a vertical band saw tends not work as well as they do on a table saw. The narrow blades like to cut curves, and that's one of the advantages of band saws!
With the large DoAll saw at the UW Shops, I always free-handed the cuts, and ofter used the device recommended by Harold. It was the best for larger plate cutting.
I also frequently used an inverted vice as shown by Rich C.
~RN

[Glenn Brooks]

Thanks all for your comments. Iam heading over on Wednesday to look at the machines. I actually have a small 3” vise similar to that described by Rich. Bought it to use on my Burke #4 horizontal mill, then moved it over to the DP. So it’s available. Don’t have Harold’s tooling but could easily order or make a similar fixture. It looks like the perfect thing to have, although I don’t understand how the auto feed thing works. Iam on a slow track on this due to several machine rebuilds Iam just finishing. Don’t want any more parts bins or partially dissembled machines laying on my workbenches until the current four rebuilds are finished and done with.


Glenn

[Harold_V]

although I don’t understand how the auto feed thing works.

It would be quite involved to add it to a saw, as there's weights in the base that are on a long screw. The weight can be added to or subtracted from the cables that are routed to the table via a few pulleys, and are then attached to a length of chain, which, in turn, wraps around the holding device. There's a quick connect that permits instant connection of the chain.

They're quite proud of that device, by the way. If memory serves, it was about $100 many years ago. It wouldn't be all that hard to build something similar, however. It need not be complicated---just a cradle with handles, easily cut from some hot rolled steel plate. It makes steering the cut much easier, and keeps hands away from the blade.

I agree--it's more useful for large pieces than it is for small pieces. I use a push stick in that case, assuming I'm free handing the cut. I like to keep my hands away from a moving blade--I don't care how fast it's moving. If you slip when pushing, even a slow blade can inflict serious damage.

H

[John Hasler]

Glenn:
A fence on a vertical band saw tends not work as well as they do on a table saw. The narrow blades like to cut curves, and that's one of the advantages of band saws!
With the large DoAll saw at the UW Shops, I always free-handed the cuts, and ofter used the device recommended by Harold. It was the best for larger plate cutting.
I also frequently used an inverted vice as shown by Rich C.
~RN

I've had pretty good results using a fence. I always push the piece with the miter to keep it square while pushing it over to stay tight against the fence. It's particularly useful when I need to cut off several pieces the same width. The finish is also better than when cutting freehand.

[SteveHGraham]

At least when it comes to wood, blade wandering is caused by poor setup.

A guy named Mark Duginske has a fantastic book on band saws, and it includes a ton of setup stuff.