Bandsaw Speed Advice

[PsyMan]

Hi,

I have recently acquired a Record DMB65 band-saw and there are 2 speed settings, 440m/min and 960m/min, considering I am mainly using it with a 3tpi 1/2" blade for cutting turning blanks from logs which speed is better?

A quick note on when to use the 2 speeds and for what would be really handy as a google search seems to throw up a lot of unrelated information.

Many thanks

 

[Steve Maskery]

HI Simon
Generally, you would use the higher of the two for wood. Lower speeds are for heat-sensitive materials like plastic and metal, where the higher speed would make the plastic melt or he metal harden.

If you are cutting rounds, you might like to use a blade that is narrower than 1/2". 3/8 or even 1/4 might give better results.

Cheers
Steve

 

[PsyMan]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for that, after using it on the lower speed, the higher one seems a bit scarey but I suspected that to be the case as cutting on the slower speed seems a bit ...well...slow

I just spent an hour cleaning and tuning it all up so am confident to crank it up now.

Cheers again

 

[PsyMan]

What a marked improvement that's made, I do flit between a 1/2" and 1/4" but am generally cutting blanks of 8" round and above so it seems to cope pretty well, the packaging for my Axminster blade states that a 1/2" blade is good for down to 2 1/2" radius, there is no way on earth it will go that small, are they mad? I find 8" is about the bottom limit even after rounding the back of the blade, maybe its my method though.

Thanks again, its like a new saw all over again now

 

[CHJ]

It's very easy to be mislead by Radius and Diameter. Most references refer to radius but of course what we see as a finished item is the diameter.
This simple table may help. inch/metric comparisons are only approx. but they are near enough for a this purpose I think.
I too find that the minimum sizes quoted tend to be on the theoretical minimums and if the blade is not sharp or has lost some of its set then trying to cut them may prove counter productive and take the easy route of going one size narrower blade.

 

[PsyMan]

Just looked again, you are right, 2.5" radius, I thought too that was a tad ambitious

Cheers