Cutting oil/coolant on a bandsaw?

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I bought a 4 1/2", 1/2 hp bandsaw (vert/horz) that you see at Busy Bee or Princess Auto and bought a good quality blade as well. Should I be using cutting oil or make some kind ot coolant system?
Reply:it'll make your blade last a lot longer.  We use the lexan brand here at work, it's almost clear when mixed.  I think it's around $75 for a 5 gal jug.  You night be able to use a cheap submersible pump and run you 2 hoses, one before the cut and one after to knock the chips off.DewayneDixieland WeldingMM350PLincoln 100Some torchesOther misc. tools
Reply:Originally Posted by hywyh8rI bought a 4 1/2", 1/2 hp bandsaw (vert/horz) that you see at Busy Bee or Princess Auto and bought a good quality blade as well. Should I be using cutting oil or make some kind ot coolant system?
Reply:Coolant will definitely help your blades last longer. If you don't have a coolant option on your saw, Lenox and Walter Abrasives make a lube tube, it looks like a tube of caulk, and all you do is push a little bit out and run your band saw and hold the tube against the blade for a few seconds. Doing this about every 6-8 cuts will help the blade run cooler. I've also seen a lot of saws in shops that run compressed air over the blade to help cool it and remove the chips, as keeping the gullets clean and somewhat cool, will definitely help blade life, cause once your blade heats up and if the chip brush isn't keeping the gullets clean, they will basically get hot and weld to the teeth, then you're SOL. Another system that works very well, is the Unist mist system, this system sends a very fine mist over the blade,(versus a flood coolant) The last three large industrial saws I sold (HEM SAW & HYD-MECH) I sold with the mist system on, customers like the fact that the mist system is a lot less mess than a flood coolant system, that and they don't have to clean the mist off pre weld or pre paint, like they had to with the coolant, that and the saw stays a lot cleaner.
Reply:Ok right now I have nothing on the blade, not even a brush. What would I use for a brush? Could you use some type of brush and saturate it every so often with cutting oil? Thanks for the tips.
Reply:I have a similar saw and when I use an oil based coolant, the chips load up on the drive wheel, then the blade pops off.  I run mine with out coolant and have for many years.  As far as blades, mose are in the $5 to $10 range.  IF you can find a bi metal 10 AND 14 pitch blade it will last 10 to 20 times longer.  Don't run your saw on high speed and it will help keep the blade cooler. DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:I noticed the same thing. I was using wax to help cut aluminum and tried it with mild. The end result was good cuts and a little faster but it built up on the guide wheels and drive wheels. I had to scrap all the wax off them, which took about a half hour and that was due to it making the blade pop off more. Now I just let it cut at the speed it cuts, no lube.John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:dumb question... how about water as a cutting / cooling lube?
Reply:Candle wax.. ...zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:That's why I like this site so much, so many good opinions and advice. By the opinions I think I'll just use the saw dry. The blade that came with the saw lasted about an hour of cutting untill it started chunking teeth. I bought a good 20 dollar blade that was heat treated/hardend on the teeth and roller edge and was working great untill my 10 yr old daughter dropped the saw on the work and ziz-zaged the blade (teaching her how to weld and she loves it. After 1 hour of welding they are pretty smooth looking beads) Anyway back to the store for a new blade.
Reply:Get a finer tooth blade if you plan on cutting any exhause or light sheet.  The instructions say you should have 3 teeth in the steel at all times.  The Rigid ones from home depot spit their teeth off in no time.DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:I have a vintage Enco 7X12 horizontal bandsaw with metal wheels. It runs a 105-1/2 X 3/4" "blade. It has a dedicated coolant pump underneath the frame of the machine that pumps whenever the machine is switched on. I run a fairly lean mix of Mobiloil soluble oil and it works just fine. Blades last a very long time. There are many brands of coolant and all work the same way. I also add a cup of Lysol to the mix to prevent algae growth. I drain the tank anytime the machine will not be used for a week or so. I save the coolant in a five gallon jug and filter it and re-use it. It also lasts a long time.I recently removed the original Enco pump temporarily in order to replace its gaskets and re-wire the power cable. In the interim, I'm running a standard 110VAC evaporative cooler pump and it works just the same as the original.It would be very easy to rig a pump in a plastic tank that would work when the saw is cutting. You do have to be able to collect the coolant as it is pumped, however. As I said, the coolant on my saw drains back into the tank under the machine. To answer your question, though, I certainly recommend some sort of pumped coolant. Keeping the blade cool and lubricated will make for better cuts and a longer life for the blades. Good luck.Last edited by gnm109; 02-28-2007 at 06:47 PM.Miller Millermatic 252Miller Syncrowave 200Liincoln AC-DC 225Victor O-A Set