looking for metal bandsaw advice

[jshander]

I am looking for a hobby grade saw for cutting aluminum, small bolts, 5/8 diameter steel rod, thicker brass bars and small sheets of thin stainless for model boatbuilding. I have tried thicker brass and stainless with my scroll saw but pieces get hot and blades break easily.

I use the Harbor freight cut off tool for smaller diameter brass and stainless rods and tubing.
I often use large pieces of aluminum angle iron for motor mounts from the Hardware store. My regular wood Delta band-saw from my father in law cuts too fast and I ruin metal cutting blades very quickly.
What do you use for cutting metal besides a hacksaw or cutoff blade?

Has anyone had experience with the slower speed Model Expo Proxon band-saw? or with Micro Mark's band-saw?

Does anyone have other suggestions in the less than 500 range?

Thanks,
Jim

[fgroza]

I use a metal band saw, the drop arm type, that you can get from harbor Freight for around $180. It will stand upright as well as cut off horizonally. You can also change speeds by moving the drive belt to a different step on the pully.
Frank

[norgale]

I use a Craftsman band saw with a metal cutting blade from Sears.Don't remember the cost but it was around a hundred I think. The extra blades were $7 and I cut everything on it. Works well for me. Pete

[Schrott]

you can cut metal or stainless up to 1/8 or even 1/4 with your handheld scroll saw, I love my Dewalt 18V, variable speed and adjustable forward movement of the blade.
But you have to oil the blade, either use every 6 inches several drops of motor oil on the blade or spray it with wd40.
especialy if you work copper, alu or any other high conductor material oiling is important. Those materials will allow the cutting heat to spread in front of the blade, heat moves faster than you cut in those materials, because of it oiling is important. Not that big a problem on read or black iron, you cut faster than the heat spreads and your blade does not get stuck.
But generally just put a few drops of oil on the blade, you will be amazed how smooth that blade will go through the material, than check on your blade, the harder the material the finer.

Stainless is a pig for any saw blade, I would advice to use a very thin cut off blade. I work a lot of stainless in my business, welding and cutting, shaping and so on, its a pig to work with, especialy the cutting

[fooman2008]

I know that Harbor Fright sells a variable speed that you can plug a scroll saw into, not sure if it would work for a bandsaw though.
Foo