Small metal cutting band saw lube?

admin

I bought one of the little Jet metal cutting horizontal band saws.  Set it up and then started to do some cutting.  Whenever I do any drilling or cutting with a sawzall I use cutting oil on the bit or blade.  This Jet is just a dry cut so I started hosing it down with cutting oil to make the blade last longer.  Worked great and the metal was cool after the cut (1/2 plate).  When I was doing the cleanup I got to thinking about all that metal stuck to the blade from the oil.  Then the blade going around the wheels.  What do you guys think?  Is this a no no?  Should I let it cut dry or am I better off doing what I did with the oil.  It makes a little bit of a mess to clean but the cut is sweet when using lube!Dennis
Reply:Me personally I would run it dry. I have run my little saw dry, and have never had a problem with it.  Keep a couple spare blades on hand and you should be good to go.I'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:How about wax? That's what we use at the plant. The welding supply sells tubes of it. We haven't had any trouble with it so far.
Reply:Run it dry with a good bi-metal blade.Clarke 130EN C25Lincoln 225 AC Stick(1968)Smith O/A RigHF 4X6 Red BandsawBlack & Decker Pro Chopsaw16 Speed Drill PressSpeedglas XL HelmetHarbor Freight Stuff
Reply:On my saw at work I took an old piece of belting and cut a slit in it and slid it over the blade to wipe off the shavings and lube before it went around the pulleys. All you would need to do is find some place to fasten it.
Reply:Yeah, did the wax thing first.  Then as it was cutting I decided to lube it.  I was thinking of putting some kind of poor man's wiper on the blade also.  Was thinking about some kind of mount foe a fairly stiff brush.  Not sure if it will do any good with something oiled.  I might try the dry cut thing.  I know Lennox makes some pretty good blades for it.  This is my first band saw and have no sense for how long the blades can last.  That's why the over kill on the lube.  First wax, then a spritz of oil at the cut, then hosing the blade on each side before it reached the stock.    I sometimes think everything I do is overkill
Reply:I run mine dry but like tommyj3 suggests use a good bi-metal blade. If variable speeds make sure it matches up with what your cutting. I made a holder for under the table that can hold a brassbrush(kind they use for cleaning suede leather) to keep most of the chips out of the machine. Only other thing I've done is a small blower tube aimed at the cutting point(especially for aluminum). Clears chips so you can see your scribe lines better. Old aquarium air pump does the trick for that.
Reply:I use mine dry. I tried wax on both SS and AL and the wax eventually built up on the wheels and guides. It ended up making the blade twist, flex and was not smooth.John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:I use rapid tap oil on mine. Yep it holds a lot of crud on the various parts. Never seems to be an issue yet. In my mind I can feel a slight improvemnt with a few drops of oil. Placebo maybe, but it works for me.
Reply:I use Rapid tap in a can and a spray cutting fluid (forgot brand) in aerosol form for when thats called for.  Everything seems to cut better with it to me, but I was just afraid the chips might try and cut into the wheels as well.  I don't think I need to worry about wax buildup as I can clean it after each use.  It's not a business thing, just a hobby.  Dennis
Reply:I have found air to work best. I have a bi-metal 8-10 pitch blade with 3 thousand cuts on it. mostly stainless steel and some aluminum. You just need to keep the heat down, lubrication is not what you are looking for.  When I used wet lubricants blades would wear out quicker and bearings and etc.