Speed Reducer Option

[miken]

Thanks for the link. I will check it out.

Mike

[anith]

Great idea miken, thanks for sharing the details. Also, thanks to SteveMaryland for a helpful site.

[miken]

Great idea miken, thanks for sharing the details. Also, thanks to SteveMaryland for a helpful site.

You're welcome!

By the way, I bought a relatively cheap bimetal, 1/2" x 14tpi, general purpose blade and it cut mild steel like butter. I was very impressed. The speed reducer puts my input rpm at 115 which works out to an SFPM (surface feet per minute) of 331, which is in the ballpark with the cutting speeds for free machining low carbon steels (12L14/1215), and aluminum. Too fast for most harder steels, though it would still cut but damage the blade.

Thanks, Mike -

[edma194]

Yes, still kind of fast, but even at those speeds the blades will cut some pretty hard stuff for a reasonable amount of blade wear. Air cooling can be helpful for both the piece and the blade. Those blades can be pretty inexpensive too. The metal cutting saw I have runs at 135 FPM and has feed rate control, it's using a low cost blade bi-metal blade from Amazon. It had predicted 15 hour life with an old hardened steel blade, that's a good bit of cutting for the price.

You might be able to tilt the table and maintain a gravity assisted feed rate, just a little extra hand pressure to keep it moving, If you are insane you might think of the simple way to turn your saw horizontal. You'd have to be much more insane to try it.

[miken]

If you are insane you might think of the simple way to turn your saw horizontal. You'd have to be much more insane to try it.

No, I am just trying to find a use for the SS bandsaw as I have a dedicated stand alone bandsaw for wood cutting. I will play with this for a while and probably get a portaband at some point. Its fun to experiment.

Thanks, Mike

[Matt50]

Thought I'd revive this and ask how the reducer has held up?

[miken]

Hi Matt50, it is still working great. Which reminds me I really should take it apart and check for wear and add grease. I am still using the same blade as well, so the speed is pretty good for the mostly mild steel and aluminum i cut. The only down side has been the adapter I made to hold the SS drive collar has broken twice. The piece that fits into the versamatic has an end on it that is like a drill bit that's been filed in half. I made my adapter from mild steel and the tip breaks off. Easy to fix but annoying.

[Edit] the tip i was trying to describe is apparently called a Yankee style bit holder.

Mike