Shopsmith Forums

If I am operating the Bandsaw on the Power Station with the Power Station operating at its low speed (875rpm) the bandsaw blade is traveling at how many feet per minute?

The Bandsaw Handbook (by Duginske) recommends that the bandsaw blade should be traveling at no more than 3100fpm.

Based on this, is the Power Station a proper power source for the Shopsmith Bandsaw?

Assuming the wheel is 11" in diameter, at 875 RPM the blade will be moving at 2,520 Ft/min. Therefore the maximum speed for 3100 ft/min would be 1076 RPM.

The formula is:

speed (ft/min) = 0.262 x Diameter (inches) x RPM

Also, on the mark V, the lowest speed is 750 I believe and the manual states not to go above setting D which is well above the 750 mark or even your 875. I think the Power station should be just fine.

Here's an answer from left field. The PowerPro electronic chart suggests 950 RPM for the bandsaw when using a 1/4" blade while sawing hardwood. Sorry, can't quote any other combinations from memory. 875 should be just fine!

An explanation and clarification (correction) of my original question is in order. I have for all of these many years been blinding following the speed charts associated with the equipment without understanding why the charts say to use a particular setting.

Recently I read somewhere about belt sander speed for hard wood and the discussion was all in ft/minute. Then more recently I read in the above referenced book about bandsaw blades traveling at so many feet/minute for each classification of woods.

Thus the question.

The Shopsmith manuals provide formulas for ft/min movement for both the bandsaw and the belt sander. But this time, rather than just following along blindly (as before) I wanted to understand better.

(9.42xRPM)/12=SFPM for the belt sander

2.88xRPM=FPM for the bandsaw

and then Michael gives me speed (ft/min) = 0.262 x Diameter (inches) x RPM

All of these work and I can make sawdust without understanding why - as I have been doing but NO. That is what I have been doing.

Thank you Michael for your contribution. At least this formula relates to the physical properties of the band saw.

Knowing 72" blade length, 48" belt length and respective rpms seems to me to be all of vitals required to answer this question. So why do I have a waste basket full of scratch paper?:mad:

dusty wrote: Knowing 72" blade length, 48" belt length and respective rpms seems to me to be all of vitals required to answer this question. So why do I have a waste basket full of scratch paper?:mad:

Because blade/belt length has NOTHING to do with the its speed. The speed is only a function of RPM and diameter. The formula I gave and the two from the Shopsmith manuals are exactly the same - they simply plugged in 11" diameter for the bandsaw and 3" diameter for the belt sander.

dusty wrote:An explanation and clarification (correction) of my original question is in order. I have for all of these many years been blinding following the speed charts associated with the equipment without understanding why the charts say to use a particular setting.

Recently I read somewhere about belt sander speed for hard wood and the discussion was all in ft/minute. Then more recently I read in the above referenced book about bandsaw blades traveling at so many feet/minute for each classification of woods.

Thus the question.

The Shopsmith manuals provide formulas for ft/min movement for both the bandsaw and the belt sander. But this time, rather than just following along blindly (as before) I wanted to understand better.

(9.42xRPM)/12=SFPM for the belt sander

2.88xRPM=FPM for the bandsaw

and then Michael gives me speed (ft/min) = 0.262 x Diameter (inches) x RPM

All of these work and I can make sawdust without understanding why - as I have been doing but NO. That is what I have been doing.

Thank you Michael for your contribution. At least this formula relates to the physical properties of the band saw.

Knowing 72" blade length, 48" belt length and respective rpms seems to me to be all of vitals required to answer this question. So why do I have a waste basket full of scratch paper?:mad:

There is an old story of a young boy who asked his father "how does this light work?" His father then proceeds to explain how power is generated. How power is transmitted. How the house fuse box (I said it was an old story) was made. All of it was interspersed with all of the proper laws and theories of the process so that the lad would have a good understanding of the whole process. When the father was done the now properly confused boy turned to his mom and asked "How does this light work?" The mom just said "you just flip that switch over there on the wall..." The boy smiled and said "OK, thanks" and went on to something else...

I always liked that story.


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robinson46176 wrote:There is an old story of a young boy who asked his father "how does this light work?" His father then proceeds to explain how power is generated. How power is transmitted. How the house fuse box (I said it was an old story) was made. All of it was interspersed with all of the proper laws and theories of the process so that the lad would have a good understanding of the whole process. When the father was done the now properly confused boy turned to his mom and asked "How does this light work?" The mom just said "you just flip that switch over there on the wall..." The boy smiled and said "OK, thanks" and went on to something else...

I always liked that story.


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I have a feeling you are trying to tell me something:rolleyes:. I just don't get it!

dusty wrote:An explanation and clarification (correction) of my original question is in order. I have for all of these many years been blinding following the speed charts associated with the equipment without understanding why the charts say to use a particular setting.

Recently I read somewhere about belt sander speed for hard wood and the discussion was all in ft/minute. Then more recently I read in the above referenced book about bandsaw blades traveling at so many feet/minute for each classification of woods.

Thus the question.

The Shopsmith manuals provide formulas for ft/min movement for both the bandsaw and the belt sander. But this time, rather than just following along blindly (as before) I wanted to understand better.

(9.42xRPM)/12=SFPM for the belt sander

2.88xRPM=FPM for the bandsaw

and then Michael gives me speed (ft/min) = 0.262 x Diameter (inches) x RPM

All of these work and I can make sawdust without understanding why - as I have been doing but NO. That is what I have been doing.

Thank you Michael for your contribution. At least this formula relates to the physical properties of the band saw.

Knowing 72" blade length, 48" belt length and respective rpms seems to me to be all of vitals required to answer this question. So why do I have a waste basket full of scratch paper?:mad:

Dusty, think of the old-fashioned pennyfarthing bicycles.

Some have huge wheels; some have smaller wheels.

For the same speed, you use different RPMs to get there.

Ditto cutting wood. There's a 'sweet spot' in terms of feet per minute.

The bandsaw has a big wheel, so less rpm.

The router has tiny rpm, so huge rpm.

[quote="hdtran"]Dusty, think of the old-fashioned pennyfarthing bicycles.

Some have huge wheels]Good analogy!