Coronet imp bandsaw Versus Dewalt

[Wildman]

I currently have a number of bandsaws including a dewalt 2 wheel, it is slow enough to cope with aluminium but not steel. Reading the speck on the old Coronet Imp its seems to indicate it is suitable for cutting steel can anyone comment, compare from experience? I need some space and some bandsaws will inevitably have to go. I have an excellent dedicated woodsaw. so a narrow blade steel cutter is on the list. Any comments welcome.

 

[9fingers]

The imp seems to have 3 speeds which suggests a single belt drive (if it had two belts there would be an even number of speeds)
A single belt is very unlikely to give the 50:1 speed range needed to go from wood to steel.
If you are prepared to modify the drive to two belts - possibly toothed belts to get small pulleys to grip, then you should be able to get down to steel speeds of 50 -100 FPM.
The other way would be to fit a 3 phase motor and drop some of the speed with an inverter. Expensive if you have to buy all the bits new but if you are a dabbler and can scrounge used bits then it might be a viable solution.

Bob

 

[Wildman]

inverter I have, so may be a solution using one of my existing saws. cheers for the lateral thinking. my brain ceased doing that some time ago. hee hee

 

[9fingers]

I have such a set up on my bandsaw and currently run the motor on 10hz ie 20% of plated speed and the rest of the speed reduction using belts. I loose quite a lot of power as the inverter is a simple non vector type.
I would suggest you try and design around 20Hz minimum lossing half the revs that way unless you have a vector type inverter.
This will also have thew advantage that motor cooling is improved as on my set up, the inveter shuts down after a while thinking that the motor is going too slowly and therefore will be getting hot - too clever by half some of these inverters!

Good Luck

Bob

 

[Wildman]

Ok I now realise that the speed is much simpler than I thought at the imp was designed to be driven off of the nose of the coronet lathe which already has 5 speeds so reducing again would be a simple matter now all I have to do is work out what further reduction I need from the current 750 RPM of the slowest spindle speed to the bandsaw. I have a screw on pully 3" in dia but that seems a bit big no idea yet of the driven wheel size of the imp but assuming around 6".. 18.85 inches per rev so if my maths (never a strong point) serve me correctly that is 18.85inches x 750RPM /12 (to get feet)= 1178 ft per min and therefore a further 11-1 reduction at least required, damn the maths have beat me that can't be right help please.

 

[9fingers]

Assuming a 6" driven wheel (which does seem small?) your figures are correct.
You want about 60 rpm at the driven wheel. Even less if it is bigger diameter.

Bob