Jet bandsaw cutting stainless steel tubing

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I have a job of cutting in the order of 100s of round tubes of stainless steel AISI 304 with diameter 1.67" of 0.102" thickness and square tubes 1.57"x1.57" of 0.079" thickness of the same material. I won't need to cut them fast. I will be cutting about 5 to 10 per day.Cutting quality is very important.I made my research on this forum and on the net, I am eying the J-3230 5 x 8 Horizonal Bandsaw Wet 1/2 HP, 115V, 1PHhttp://www.google.com/products/catal...d=0CEoQgggwAA#What are the recommended blades specifications and brand?What is the recommended bandsaw running speed and the hydraulic feed speed?Thanks.
Reply:The saw in the link is not really made for SS, it will cut it with a good blade though, it spins too fast for ss and will kill the blade faster then a lower rpm saw. Also , don't expect it to cut straight out of the box, you will need to align the blade first.The feed speed is different for every thickness/mat , and you have to tune it by the sound the machine makes , don't think you can tune the band speed , if so choose  the lowest speed for ss.--------------------------------------------------------------www.becmotors.nlyup, I quit welding.. joined welder anonymous
Reply:5 or 10 a day, why not use a portaband?
Reply:1 suggestion, throw away the blade that comes with the saw !MM 251MM 135Lincoln Pro cut 55Bobcat 250Miller Thunderbolt ac/dcolder ac forneyJackson nexgen 3n13-Smith OP setups97 Dodge dieselMakita chopsawJet swivel head bandsawlincoln tig 300/30030a spoolgunpuma port. gas air comp.
Reply:@Donoharm I didn't buy the saw yet. What do you suggest as a tool for this job?@weldbead  I am looking for a very good quality clean straight cut@kswelderman That is the plan, that's why I am asking for a suggestion for a new blade brand and specification
Reply:I use a variable pitch 14-18 TPI on a bi-metal back in my 4X6 HF bandsaw and set the speed as slow as it will go and keep the heat to a minimum to prevent work hardning of the Stailess.  Keep the speed low, and keep a minimum 3 teeth in contact at all times with the cooler at a regular drip if you have one. Fine tune your cut speed to prevent overheating and underfeeding since both will affect cut quality and blade life adversely.   Enco, Mcmaster and several others offer a starret blade which works extremely well and seem to out last the others by a long while.  Hope this helps get you going.  Dont forget to have a look at the 4X6 yahoo group and perform the true and adjust procedure to make sure the out of box performance and accuracy meet your needs.  That procedure only takes about an hour and really brings the inexpensive band saws alive and improve the end result measurably.BobI'm spending my Kids inheritance, I dont like him that much anyway!!!!!!Enuff tools to do the job, enough sense to use em.Anybody got a spare set of kidneys?  Trade?
Reply:I would think a Cold Saw would make a nice cut without dulling too quickly.Miller Syncrowave 350Millermatic 252/ 30A spoolgunMiller Bobcat 225g w/ 3545 spoolgunLincoln PowerArc4000Lincoln 175 Mig  Lincoln 135 Mig Everlast 250EX TigCentury ac/dc 230 amp stickVictor O/AHypertherm 1000 plasma
Reply:I have the lower end grizzly version of that same saw.  With a good bi-metal blade, you can cut stainless all day long without a problem.  I've made around 150 cuts through 2x2x.250 wall stainless square tube on that saw and the blade never dulled out on me.  Get a good quality bi-metal blade for it, adjust all of the tension, guide rollers, etc... correctly and that thing will purr through stainless all day long.--Wintermute"No man's knowledge here can go beyond his experience." - John Lockewww.improvised-engineering.comManufacturer Agnostic:Blood----------Sweat---------Tears----|------------------|----------------|----Lincoln Red, Miller Blue, Esab Yellow
Reply:I use Lenox LXP baldes and they are geat, not cheap but you get what you pay for. for that thin of tube I would use a 12-14 tpi at least.LarryMiller XMT 304 CC/CVSyncrowave 180 SDLincoln PowerMig 255XTTermalDynamics 52Lincoln 305GComlpete machine shop to back it up
Reply:@Rbeckett thank you for the tips. what feed speed do your recommend? What about the hydraulic pressure? I am going to check the 4x6 yahoo group for initial adjustments for sure@DougAustinTX not sure about the chop saw, and I am going to be doing this in my garage. I would like to stay on good terms with my neighbors . I heard that the bandsaw has much better quality cut@wintermute bimetal is definitely the way to go maybe with variable pitch 14-18 tpi like Rbeckett recommended. did you turn the square tubing 45 degree?@Larrysmachine I am not going to go cheap on the blades for sure. And Lenox is a great brand. Did you cut stainless steel with the LXP?
Reply:"@DougAustinTX not sure about the chop saw, and I am going to be doing this in my garage. I would like to stay on good terms with my neighbors . I heard that the bandsaw has much better quality cut"A cold saw isn't a chop saw.  It is low speed, liquid cooled and makes a beautiful cut.  The saw is fairly expensive though.  Here is a video:[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJz41jv_-Xg[/ame]Miller Syncrowave 350Millermatic 252/ 30A spoolgunMiller Bobcat 225g w/ 3545 spoolgunLincoln PowerArc4000Lincoln 175 Mig  Lincoln 135 Mig Everlast 250EX TigCentury ac/dc 230 amp stickVictor O/AHypertherm 1000 plasma
Reply:Mr DougAustinTX, that's an eye opener. And the price is in the $700 which is the same for an entry level wet bandsaw.
Reply:Originally Posted by DougAustinTX"@DougAustinTX not sure about the chop saw, and I am going to be doing this in my garage. I would like to stay on good terms with my neighbors . I heard that the bandsaw has much better quality cut"A cold saw isn't a chop saw.  It is low speed, liquid cooled and makes a beautiful cut.  The saw is fairly expensive though.  Here is a video:
Reply:Originally Posted by LarrysmachineI use Lenox LXP baldes and they are geat, not cheap but you get what you pay for. for that thin of tube I would use a 12-14 tpi at least.Larry
Reply:Originally Posted by sandare@wintermute bimetal is definitely the way to go maybe with variable pitch 14-18 tpi like Rbeckett recommended. did you turn the square tubing 45 degree?
Reply:Originally Posted by LarrysmachineI use Lenox LXP baldes and they are geat, not cheap but you get what you pay for. for that thin of tube I would use a 12-14 tpi at least.Larry
Reply:Not really sure of exact feed rate, I go by the sound and when it is cutting at optimum speed the sound is different than when it is too fast or too slow.  If you have issues finding the right variable pitch blade you can always back up your cut with a hardwood block like oak pallet material and keep from breaking off teeth in the band.  Once you get onto the 4X6 group it contains a veritable gold mine for info on how to tune, adjust and modify these saws that really has made a big difference between being a useless toy to a real work horse in my shop. The 2 drawer file cabinet stand is perfect for me, with large pnuematic wheels to allow me to move it on my crappy shop floor.    I can move it anywhere, set up one or two infeed/outfeed supports and get busy.  I never stray too far, but it is as close to automating the cutting as you will ever get.  Hope this helps.BobI'm spending my Kids inheritance, I dont like him that much anyway!!!!!!Enuff tools to do the job, enough sense to use em.Anybody got a spare set of kidneys?  Trade?
Reply:I was able to talk to a mid size machine shop (~50 employees) owner specialized in cutting. He told me that they use both machine types, the cold saw and the bandsaw. He said since the most important thing that matters to me is cut cleanness/finish/precision, he recommended the cold saw. Cost wise both are about the same, a 9" HSS cold saw blade cost about $50. Resharpening is about $20. I was a little bit reluctant about the bandsaw since it needs more maintenance to keep it cutting nicely precisely. And the cut tolerance on a cold saw is (+/- .0005) .I am going to order a cold saw tomorrow. Thanks everyone.