Best tool for cutting 0.065" stainless tube - Band saw or cold saw

[cobymoby]

I do have a 20" disc grinder that is one of the most used tools in the shop.

For the miter cuts on a horizontal band saw, here's what I'm going to go look at today. Unfortunately the mitering/pivot style band saws are too new and there isn't much of a used supply out there.

http://www.baileighindustrial.com/sa...al/bs-250m.php

With a vertical band saw I figure I'll run into issues with operator error not being able to hold the material rigidly enough, thus cuts that aren't square.

[d_adams]

I've been using this for a little over a year now.


IMAG0137.jpg

It's an ellis 1800, picked it up on the cheap. I had to spend maybe $600 to go get it and then repair the damage done by the previous owner. New blade, all new bearings, finally a couple of months ago I had to get a new idler wheel. All told I'm into it for maybe $2500 now, which is a lot less than a new one.

All I really use it for is 18 gauge stainless tubing in various sizes, from 1.5" to 4" for building custom exhaust systems for bikes. It's been one of the best investments I've made for this kind of work.

IMAG0145.jpg

[karchiba]

Cobymoby,

I've cut from 1/2" conduit, using a fine blade, all the way up to 4.5" round stainless solids, with a very coarse blade, using my Ellis bandsaw.

Well worth the money...

It has a feature that automatically turns off the saw when the cut finishes, which allows me to start a cut, then go off and do other important things, like get some coffee.

[surfside]

cobymoby

What did you buy then? Band saw or cold saw?

[Country Metals]

I do a lot of welding for the liquid food industry which is S/S 1,2,3,4" OD 1/16" wall pipe so I can tell you that I have all of those tools and will give you a good run down of what I do.

90* cut - 1) Wachs pipe/tube cutter [pipe only] 2) Band Saw 3) Cold saw 4) Dry cut saw 5) Abrasive Chop Saw

1) That is what it is designed to do
2) It is the fastest saw to provide 90* cuts with a vise
3) Great saw, but slower and you have to stand there and help it cut
4&5) same as 3 but less

89-45* cut - 1) Cold saw 2) Dry saw 3) Abrasive Chop Saw 4) Band saw

1) Cold saws have better vises for this kind of thing and accuracy
2) Little less quality then 1
3) Low quality but better then band saw because you control pressure of cut better.
4) vise blows

[WELD81]

I am going to back up the guy with the Ellis Band saw. I used to work in a fabrication shop and used an Ellis saw to cut everything from garage door rails to railroad track. Stainless steel and aluminum is no problem either. A bit of advice, learn everything you can about the various different types of band saw blades. The wrong blade will not cut material that it is not intended to cut. At the fab shop I would sometimes have to switch blades for different jobs. Sometimes larger teeth sometimes smaller teeth and usually a bi-metal blade for longer life. I have even used a fine tooth blade to cut angled sections out of stainless 1/16'' wall 8'' D pipe to tig up a chimney for a customer. You will have to devise creative ways to securely clamp large round objects though.

[bbraman]

If you have not already been there? Then check out tricktools. com it's a great site, has all the saws that have been discussed in your post. Has Ellis, Dake, Jet, and just about everything for metal work you could want!

[surfside]

Try watching this. found this somewhere in a forum site . They used a horizontal bandsaw .

[surfside]

Advantages of bandsaw:
Much easier cut or feed pressure
More suited to cutting solid from small to larger stock
Many types of bands for many types of cuts
Bandsaw are smooth and accurate to use.
The boundless application of the bandsaw (both straight and mitre cutting versions) is down to its all-round performance, lower cost and ability to cut all material types and sizes.
Advantages of cold saw:
Some of the greatest benefits of cold saw include high speed, safety and quality.
Blades are cheap and can be resharpened over and over again
Can give also pretty accurate cuts like band saw does .