Thanks Thanks:  0
Likes Likes:  0
Needs Pictures Needs Pictures:  0
Picture(s) thanks Picture(s) thanks:  0
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 16
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    South Coast of New South Wales Australia
    Posts
    296

    Default Steel plate orientation when cutting on a bandsaw.

    Steel plate orientation when cutting on a bandsaw.

    Someone told me that if I'm cutting say a 10mm by 100mm steel plate, that instead of standing it up so that the saw was cutting through the height of 100mm, that I should in fact have it laying down and the blade will last longer.


    This doesn't make sense to me, but is he correct?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Laidley, SE Qld
    Posts
    1,038

    Default

    Don't really know, but my instinct is that if you cut on the edge each tooth is working as it goes past. If you cut on the flat the teeth are more rubbing than cutting.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Toorloo Arm, VIC
    Age
    39
    Posts
    1,270

    Default

    Yes, laying it flat is generally considered to be the correct way to do it. Never made much sense to me either, but yesterday I was cutting a piece of 10 x 80mm aluminium in the coldsaw, standing on edge (being lazy). I noticed it seemed to be chattering a bit during the cut, as the jaws don't hold it right next to the blade, so the unclamped end is free to vibrate a bit. I would be guessing this is the reason for cutting it laying flat, as the cutting force is then applied perpendicular to the longer side, which of course requires far more force to be deflected. As with all machine tools, rigidity in setup is key!

    Also, if you are running a fairly coarse TPI on your blade, you may not have the recommended number of teeth in the cut at once when the plate is standing on edge?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    9,088

    Default

    Yes, if you are working for a living and have the correct TPI for 100mm then lay it down. I'd be surprised if you do.
    Standing it up with to course a pitch* isnt good for the blade, but laying it down with to fine a blade isnt good either as the gullet fills up. and the swarf rolls along in it(or trys to), you'll get through in the end though.
    For 10mm as long as you have more than 10tpi I'd say you'll be fine. As long as you carefully control feed you can get away with even less if you have to, I've cut 2mm on a 9-14(?) blade,,,,,,,, but dont tell anyone.
    The world isnt always perfect.

    Lay it down and walk away has an appeal all of its own.

    Stuart

    *this inculdes were the blade is joined.

  5. #5
    Ueee's Avatar
    Ueee is offline Blacksmith, Cabinetmaker, Machinist, Messmaker
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Canberra
    Age
    39
    Posts
    4,515

    Default

    If your cutting say 50x6 lay it down, it will chatter. But i agree with Stu, anything over 10mm with the standard 14tpi blades its much faster to stand it up. With stuff that is too wide if you stand it up it will chatter due to the size of the vice. I have found for wide pieces lying it "flat" but angling it from the top of the fixed jaw to the bottom of the moving jaw gives you the best of both worlds.

    Ew
    1915 17"x50" LeBlond heavy duty Lathe, 24" Queen city shaper, 1970's G Vernier FV.3.TO Universal Mill, 1958 Blohm HFS 6 surface grinder, 1942 Rivett 715 Lathe, 14"x40" Antrac Lathe, Startrite H225 Bandsaw, 1949 Hercus Camelback Drill press, 1947 Holbrook C10 Lathe.

  6. #6
    BobL is offline Member: Blue and white apron brigade
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    7,183

    Default

    Standing up is more likely to take the blade off the wheels on my BS so I usually lay mine down.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Australia east coast
    Age
    71
    Posts
    2,713

    Default

    I clamp wide stuff at an angle, neither standing up nor flat, maybe 30 deg from horizontal. That way you get more teeth in the cut, but not too many.

    Rule of thumb is - IIRC - minimum of 3 teeth in the cut or you risk stripping them off.

    PDW

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Norwood-ish, Adelaide
    Age
    59
    Posts
    6,542

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by PDW View Post
    Rule of thumb is - IIRC - minimum of 3 teeth in the cut or you risk stripping them off.
    The other one I've been told is a maximum of 10 teeth in the cut (mainly as a guide when you should go to a coarser pitch blade)

    Michael

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Mackay North Qld
    Posts
    6,446

    Default

    Where I work part of the job is to cut up welder procedure and welder qualification coupon plates.

    Initially we wore out a few bandsaw blades prematurely due to poor run in procedures and cutting plate section in the wrong orientation.
    I contacted the blades manufacturers-in this case TK.Morse -and found out that too many teeth in the cut overheats and blunts the blade edges.

    Coupons come in tee sections as well as flat butt section with the result that coupons could be fitted to the jaws presenting as a inclined cut for the tee pieces.

    I found butts cut well when presented vertically to the blade. at times they will vibrate if the thickness to height relationship is too great. Some blades ,we only managed 15 or 20 cuts from when the butt coupons were placed in the jaws in a flat flat orientation.

    Since changing to a vertically orientated position the blade has lasted over 30 cuts and still cutting well at the last job. Being a large industrial band saw Industrial coolant -Rocol Ultracut 5%- was used at all times.
    Hope it helps
    Grahame

  10. #10
    jatt's Avatar
    jatt is offline Always within 10 paces from nearest stubby holder
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Bendigo
    Age
    51
    Posts
    760

    Default

    I've cut 2mm on a 9-14(?) blade,
    that thick!!!! ummm my best is around 1 mm. The saving grace here is its bent into a u shape, but one still needs to pack it out in the vise and on the other side of the cut. Not an ideal solution, but angle grinder tends to burn the paint and having some sort of shear made up to cut sounds awfully pricey.
    Frisky wife, happy life. ​Then I woke up. Oh well it was fun while it lasted.
    From an early age my father taught me to wear welding gloves . "Its not to protect your hands son, its to put out the fire when u set yourself alight".

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    4,779

    Default

    Hi there,

    The rule of thumb according to the manufacturer of my BS blade is a maximum of 6- 8 teeth in the cut at once. With my latest project, a sheet folder I have had need to exceed both recomendations in terms of minimum or maximum No. of teeth due to the need to cut some big pieces of steel. I too have experienced real problems with cutting large sections laying down with too fine a blade where the cut clogs with swarf and places so much strain on the blade that it jumps off the wheels. Luckily I have 2 blades, a (approx) 8 TPI that it came with and a 10/14 TPI. Lately I have found myself using the 8 TPI because if I take care, I can use it for both situations. As Stuart says, if you are very careful with your downfeed, you can cut some reasonably thin stuff with a (relatively) coarse blade. The 10/14 M42 bimetal is awsome but try cutting anything wider than about 150mm and it's touch & go. I've used the 8 to cut 10mm plate and while it does not like it, due care and attention will usually see me through. What makes this practise even more dodgy is the fact that the blade is missing a couple of teeth and it's quite obvious when that part of the blade passes over the material


    I have also used all sorts of steel pieces and spacers to fill out the vice jaws to enable better clamping when I employ questionable cutting practises! I always stand clear of the blade and the material though.


    Simon
    Girl, I don't wanna know about your mild-mannered alter ego or anything like that." I mean, you tell me you're, uh, super-mega-ultra-lightning babe? That's all right with me. I'm good. I'm good.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    9,088

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by simonl View Post
    that the blade is missing a couple of teeth and it's quite obvious when that part of the blade passes over the material
    You just need to work on your rhythm and "lift" the load off the blade as that point goes over the work

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    NSW
    Posts
    537

    Default

    lay it down and use a coarser blade . If you stand it up it could vibrate and chatter even with a fine blade until it gets down but by then it could have run off the cut. The less the bandsaw arm has to travel to complete the cut the better . 100 x10 is fairly rigid and not that high so you could edge cut it but it may make a bit of extra noise .
    The volume of a pizza of thickness 'a' and radius 'z' is given by pi z z a.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    4,779

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Stustoys View Post
    You just need to work on your rhythm and "lift" the load off the blade as that point goes over the work
    If I have to nurse this beast then I may as well use the spark maker! I didn't mention that I'm starting to get a bit cocky. Last time I did a big long cut I left it and watered the veggie patch!

    Simon
    Girl, I don't wanna know about your mild-mannered alter ego or anything like that." I mean, you tell me you're, uh, super-mega-ultra-lightning babe? That's all right with me. I'm good. I'm good.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Norwood-ish, Adelaide
    Age
    59
    Posts
    6,542

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Stustoys View Post
    You just need to work on your rhythm and "lift" the load off the blade as that point goes over the work
    Those of us mortals with small bandsaws may have to do this but I would have thought that with all the hydraulics on Simon's saw it would feed evenly and not even notice a few missing teeth.


    Michael

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Similar Threads

  1. Steel Sheet or Plate
    By Metal Head in forum METALWORK GENERAL
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 31st Oct 2010, 10:25 PM

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •