# Band saw advice

**URL:** <https://forums.speedlife.net/t/band-saw-advice/243705>\
**Category:** Shift518 Off Topic\
**Created:** [April 23, 2009, 7:34am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/band-saw-advice/243705 "2009-04-23T07:34:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mafdark](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/mafdark/32/6322_2.png) [@Mafdark](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Mafdark)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 7:34am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/band-saw-advice/243705/1 "2009-04-23T07:34:58Z")

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I was looking to buy a band saw so I can save some cash and do more of my own fabrication. I ended up finding a craftsman 10" band saw for next to nothing when all other used band saws were selling for $100+ so I decided to pick it up and try to trade up for one that would work for my needs.

This may have been a terrible decision but lets see what I can do to make this work.

I assume the 10" is only good for cutting wood, on sears it says it can do soft wood and hard wood. Now they sell metal blades for all these saws, but does that doesn’t necessarily mean that all of them can handle it. to cut something like an exhaust pipe, what exactly should I be looking for?

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**Author:** ![RTrac1](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/rtrac1/32/6312_2.png) [@RTrac1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/RTrac1)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 7:53am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/band-saw-advice/243705/2 "2009-04-23T07:53:06Z")

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i think metal cutting bandsaws are slower speeds.

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**Author:** ![Mafdark](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/mafdark/32/6322_2.png) [@Mafdark](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Mafdark)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 7:54am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/band-saw-advice/243705/3 "2009-04-23T07:54:07Z")

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and more torque. That makes sense. But it doesn’t really tell me what to look for.

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**Author:** ![Hank1](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/hank1/32/6329_2.png) [@Hank1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Hank1)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 8:13am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/band-saw-advice/243705/4 "2009-04-23T08:13:47Z")

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metal cutting bandsaws r half the speed as a wood band saw. so what ever size pulley is on there you’ll have to double it to get speed were u need it . roughly between 1,300-1,700 rpm is were u want to be for metal.

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**Author:** ![Hooked\_on\_240](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Hooked\_on\_240](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Hooked_on_240)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 11:03am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/band-saw-advice/243705/5 "2009-04-23T11:03:52Z")

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advice -

dont let a block of wood slip causing your knuckle to graze the blade.

Ask me how i know ☹