Metal cutting

[george wilson]

You need to rig up a gear head motor,or a pulley system to slow the blade down. 75 feet per minute will cut tool steel. You probably can get by with 100 or so. You also need a proper metal cutting blade,with hacksaw like teeth.

If you try to run too fast,you'll quickly burn up the blade.

Brass cuts o.k. on a wood bandsaw,if yours has enough oomph. We used to cut brass up to 5/8" thick on our 20" Delta,before we got a proper saw. Do clean out ALL the chips,or they'll end up chipping your planer.

I want to remind you that if you get the metal sheared,there will be a rounded over edge where ever it was sheared. You might want to allow an extra 1/8" per rounded edge. Try to get it sawn.

[Joe Chritz]

I used to profile tool steel for knives I was grinding on a no-name import bandsaw that I rigged a pulley to slow the blade speed down. Using a cutting wax and going slow it gave passable results.

I wouldn't want to do it on my good bandsaw.

Unless you are set on doing it yourself you can likely get it done cheaper than buying the stuff to limp through it.

Joe

[Mike Heidrick]

I have a portable Dewalt metal bandsaw and a Milwaukee abbrassive cut off saw. You could pick up a HF version of either of tehse on teh cheap and it will work fine and may cost less than a new bandsaw blade. The dewalt bandsaw has its own oiler. The chop saw makes TONS of sparks.

A jigsaw or grinder will also work. So will an air saw if you can use one of those depending on thickness.

[Dave Verstraete]

Brian
If you were closer I'd introduce you to my "Bandsaws" for cutting metal. They are a little more precise than you need.