Need advise on cutting 3-1/4 round bar aluminum on vertical band saw

[ColdPlate]

I need to cut 3-1/4 round aluminum bar into 1-1/4 thick blanks. I only have a vertical band saw and would like to do t myself instead of paying someone to cut it for me. I am thinking about clamping it to a flat bar to prevent it from spinning while I cut it. Has anyone tried this before or know a better way? Thanks for any advise.

 

[Barry Weeks]

On my Roll-In saw, I basically clamp the round stock to an angle plate and saw away. Clamping the stock between a couple of angle plates might work even better for you.

 

[Scottl]

Not sure about 3-1/4" but I've had success with smaller round stock by using a drill press vise upside down. I'm talking about the "square" type, not the low profile ones. If you use an angle plate the "Strong Hand" clamps work well because they come with a pivoting V-block that screws to the fixed jaw.

 

[JW Machine]

I also have a Roll-In saw, and do this regularly. Clamp it to the angle plate like Barry says, use a coarse blade, turn up the speed, and let 'er rip. Squirt a little Tap-Magic on the blade when it gets sticky.

 

[CarbideBob]

Yup, easy when clamped to a angle block or decent sized piece of angle iron.
Tap-magic is nice, a generous amount of WD-40 from the spray bottle works better.
I know WD-40 is not a favorite among many here but this is one place that it shines extremely well..
Normally in stock this size you would go to a coarse pitch blade but for a few, who cares about a extra 60 seconds.
Doing 500-1000 or more and it will be worth the time to buy a blade for this size.
Below this, it's not worth the expense and effort to tool up the saw for a special run to me.
Bob

 

[bryan_machine]

If your vertical bandsaw has a miter gauge, and any sort of assist to push on that smoothly (like some of the gravity feeds or crank turn feeds on doalls) use that (along with your angle iron) - it will help keep it straight and help you keep even pressure.

 

[Krutch]

You must anchor the work somehow. I have a large V-block but when the stock is too large for that, I use an angle plate or wood nailed together however it will help hold the work. Anything to keep the work from rolling or grabbing and pulling you into the blade. Fasten the work to the "pusher" and use the pusher to feed the cut.
In high school the instructor used parallel wood clamps like machinist clamps to hold large work or unusual shaped work in the band saw. I've done that with my clamps but they are not very big and so have limited use like that. I also use a pusher scrap piece of wood. One has a large V cut into the edge for guiding work and another is just a straight slat to keep my fingers out of the way.

 

[swatkins]

I've been buying tools for 45 years now. By far the best money I've ever spent was on one of these Horizontal Band Saws My first one was 100.00 and about the same quality as the Northern Tool one.. After 10 years I wore it out and purchased a better quality Jet Brand Saw which I gave to a friend when I bought a larger capacity saw with coolant.

If you're going to be doing metal work its really a tool that will be used a lot. I have a Do-All 26" band saw with a hydraulic feed table and I still would pass that saw by to get to the horizontal. Faster, easier and safer to use..... Put the stock in and go do something else while it cuts a nice straight cut then turns itself off....

 

[kpotter]

I used to be one of those do it yourself guys, then one day I was at the metal supply place and I asked them how much to saw 3in round aluminum into 1 in pieces I use these pucks in one of my products. I used to do it in my horizontal band saw then face them off in the lathe. I would do a couple hundred at a time. They did them for 10 cents a cut on an automatic high speed cold saw. I dont need to face them off since they are perfect and I dont have to do any work. But if you are determined to d it yourself get a really coarse blade like a wood saw blade and run your saw as fast as it will go.

 

[jkruger]

I used to be one of those do it yourself guys, then one day I was at the metal supply place and I asked them how much to saw 3in round aluminum into 1 in pieces I use these pucks in one of my products. I used to do it in my horizontal band saw then face them off in the lathe. I would do a couple hundred at a time. They did them for 10 cents a cut on an automatic high speed cold saw. I dont need to face them off since they are perfect and I dont have to do any work. But if you are determined to d it yourself get a really coarse blade like a wood saw blade and run your saw as fast as it will go.

Someone near you does this for a nominal fee. Your fingers are worth far more than money not well spent.

 

[ostie01]

What I did when I was working as a setup guy, I bought a small 5in milling vice, bolt it to a 1/2 or 3/8 steel plate, add a 3/4

runner under the 1/2 plate (the slot was 3/4 wide).

The vice should be close to the blade, that's why it need to be bolted to the 1/2 plate.

The runner should be place so you can adjust the angle if the cut is not straight, hole in the front and slot on the back.

You can even add a cable from the runner, add some weight at the end of the cable and use it to feed or ease the cutting

process.

If you set it up to have the weight maybe 4 inches above the ground, it will stop feeding by itself since your stock is 3 1/2in and

you can do something esle at the same time.

Hope it's help, sorry, English is not my primary language.

Jeff

 

[jmcvo]

When the horizontal is tied up I typically grab the Palmgren drill press vise (one is stored by the vertical bandsaw for this purpose), lay the vise on its side with the jaws toward the stock, clamp onto the OD of the round stock, and saw.

If you clamp round stock against a flat surface (i.e.- with angle plate or similar as mentioned above) be certain to position the clamp correctly to prevent the clamp from loosening when force from the start of the cut tries to rotate the stock.

-Jeff

 

[randyc]

What I did when I was working as a setup guy, I bought a small 5in milling vice, bolt it to a 1/2 or 3/8 steel plate, add a 3/4

runner under the 1/2 plate (the slot was 3/4 wide).

The vice should be close to the blade, that's why it need to be bolted to the 1/2 plate.

The runner should be place so you can adjust the angle if the cut is not straight, hole in the front and slot on the back.

You can even add a cable from the runner, add some weight at the end of the cable and use it to feed or ease the cutting

process.

If you set it up to have the weight maybe 4 inches above the ground, it will stop feeding by itself since your stock is 3 1/2in and

you can do something esle at the same time.

Hope it's help, sorry, English is not my primary language.

Jeff

Wow, I read about that technique some years ago and forgot about it. Thanks for the wake up call, great idea !

 

[Frank Ford]

I manage it on my old Delta 14" band saw, with a simple slide pulled by a weight on a cable. Here I'm splitting a two-inch thick piece of 6" diameter steel:

That shot bag is just a bit of ballast because the stock is so short there's a bit of a balance issue.

For the full article on the saw modification: HomeShopTech

For aluminum, I'd use wood cutting speed and probably push the slide by hand.

 

[Don Clement]

I cut aluminum rounds of 4.5" diameter all the time on my horizontal bandsaw using a Lennox 4-6tpi blade running at 255 FPM as shown below. In addition to the advice given about holding the round, I would say to use a coarse blade 4-6tpi for aluminum.

Don Clement

 

[vanguard machine]

sorry for the hijack but Don Clement, where did you find that scissor jack jaw holder spacer thingamajigy for your band saw fence, it's freakin brilliant.
i hope this isnt a common thing and ive just never seen one.

in an attempt to stay on topic, OP, i would invest in a cheap horizontal saw for this and other cut off related stuff, even those cheap little jobs work well for stuff like this when set up properly with a good blade and what not.

 

[bigjon61]

I'd probably go even coarser than the 4-6 TPI like some have mentioned. I would run a 2-3 TPI if you can find one for your saw.

 

[mfisher]

Vanguard,
"that scissor jack jaw holder spacer thingamajigy" that I know of are generically called Lab Jacks. They come in all sizes, qualities, and precisions.

 

[Don Clement]

sorry for the hijack but Don Clement, where did you find that scissor jack jaw holder spacer thingamajigy for your band saw fence, it's freakin brilliant.

Thanks. works very well for me in cutting off short pieces. Its called a labjack. Pretty common item. Lab Jack : Laboratory Scissors Jack

Don Clement

 

[crossthread]

I'm not trying to step on this thread but noticed some interest in the lab jack. One of the best uses for the ones that I have are blocking the blades of a bush hog hard against the bottom of the deck so you can side grind them in position safely and easily. For anyone who sharpens bush hog blades they know the blades are articulated and a bitch to hold. That jack does a great job. I have also used them on the mill table for some extra support on long jobs. They are worth every penny.