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meat cutting band saw conversion

challenger

Stainless
Joined
Mar 6, 2003
Location
Hampstead, NC-S.E. Coast
I have a chance at a real nice band saw that is all stainless however is for cutting meat. It look as if it would be easy to convert but would this saw be OK for a metal band saw-w-some work?
 
Maybe 12 years ago I thought I found a great meat cutting bandsaw to convert. Good deal, so I bought it. It's like this one.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v19/ceethese/Posted%20photos/BIROmod3334.jpg
It is still waiting for me to get to converting it - way down the list of priorities. I have used it a couple of times for cutting foam using the serated blade that came on it, does a great job. It is a type of stainless (poorer grade SS cabinet has a ugly rust finish growing on it having been stored outside) but the aluminum and the better grade SS components are still bright.

CONVERSION, On my Biro, I think blade guides to replace the polymer guides, 16" rubber tires to allow for blade tooth set, a pulley change and a VFD is all that would be needed. Oh, and time to make the changes.
The pluses are a rollin table, and a wide range for band saw blade length (big throw on the blade tension adjustment).

Modified - sorry other link didn't work.

[This message has been edited by Steve Stube (edited 08-08-2004).]
 
I don't know what you might be wanting to cut with it, but it would make the conversion to a woodcutting one moreso than a metal cutter.
HF does have the $199 metal cutting bandsaw on sale for $149. They send a coupon with the ad and I was able to pick mine up for $139. It's extremely hard to beat at that price. New blade, couple minor mods and it will cut any metal that I have tried with ease and straight.
For woodcutting, they have a 14" bandsaw that often goes on sale for $219. This is also hard to beat. New blade, blade guides and riser kit and you have a mean wood cutter on the cheap.
I just tend to think that unless someone was nearly giving you the meat cutter, you would be better served going the dedicated route.
 
Arrgghh! And here I'm LOOKING for a meat saw, and you have one rusting away sitting outside? LOL!
 
Yeah, Ray's BBQ Ribs in Yemassee, SC is looking for a meat band saw, to of all things, cut meat !!
 
the HF (and grizzly and enco) 199 or less bandsaw is a POS...

there's one in my shop... and I will think HARD about using a hand hacksaw before using it, even with a new blade...

it wanders like a crackhead, the blade guides are MILES apart, and don't even THINK of using it in the horizontal position... will wander .25 per inch....

I've often thought of one of these meat cutting saws reworked for wood, as the throat is HUGE on them, which will take rifle stocks, easily.

jeffe
 
I have sold many Hobart meat saws as foam cutting saws they are a very good quality machine, built to run for ever. but never tried metal on them and can't say for sure what fpm they run at. should work just fine though. The sliding table is perfect for foam, but may be a bit loose for steel. I used to have a supermarket warehouse in the same complex that gave them to me as they upgraded to all non painted models.
 
If you're going to convert a meat saw to a metal cutting bandsaw slowing the motor with a VFD won't work very well; it will stall easily under metal cutting loads. You need to mechanically reduce the RPM of the drive wheel with belt and pulley ratios or gears.

They cut wood as existing very well.

And yes, the blade guides will have to be addressed. I suggest Kool Bloks for wood and a roller guides like Carter for metal.
 
Now I am hesitant. The thing is all stainless and looks awesome and I really thought it would be an easy conversion. I don't mean to offend anyone but the tools from HF are POS IMHO. I am not trying to put down anyone who buys them as it is very hard to quantify the value/price considering the prices of USA machines. For me it is more political that I don't buy Chinese. Anyone know what RPM I should be looking for for metal? If the rpm's are close does this make it more appealing?
 
challenger:
What you are looking for is "Feet Per Minute", not RPM. You need to caculate the shaft speed of the bandsaw drive wheel (RPM) times the circumference(pie times D) to give inches/min. Divide by 12 and you get feet per min.
For bimetal blades :200- 250 FPM for steel(stainless slower maybe 75-100 FPM) and about 1500-2000 for aluminum should get you in the ball park.
Cheers Ross

[This message has been edited by AlfaGTA (edited 08-09-2004).]
 
Forrest, you got me rethinking my similar project bandsaw. I've got an old Craftman bandsaw that was on a big stand rigged up with a jackshaft and a series of 4 step pulleys to give a total of 16 speeds. I trashed the stand in favor of a smaller footprint one, and was thinking of a vfd set up. I guess I need to keep the step pulley arrangement after all.
Thanks,
Bob
 








 
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