A Bit More Progress

[old round fart]

But you make it look easy! Makes the rest of us (at least me) feel soooooo inadequate! Lol

 

[choppinczech]

I changed the 1/8" spacers to this style.



They're working pretty well.



I also had to change over to the table saw. I was smoking too many band saw blades. Same concept, but more of a burr to remove.

 

[rubicon]

You are one clever dude. There isn't a problem you can't solve.

 

[old round fart]

What blade did you use on the table saw? Did you slow the saw speed down for stainless?

 

[choppinczech]

What blade did you use on the table saw? Did you slow the saw speed down for stainless?

These tubes are just mild steel.

McMaster-Carr

My Delta band saw has two speeds. But even the slowest pulley set up is too fast. The manual doesn't even list an RPM for the pulley changes. Just FPM.

Which is goofy. It's a blade's tooth set that determines feet per minute.

When the blades are new and the guides are dialed in, I can rip off a 1/16".

 

[choppinczech]

 

[choppinczech]

What blade did you use on the table saw? Did you slow the saw speed down for stainless?

I've got a worn down chop saw blade on the table saw. Made a 5/8" to 1" arbor spacer.

 

[2old2fast]

Unless you can get your bandsaw down to about 200 fpm & slower , you're gonna burn up blades..

 

[old round fart]

That is interesting. I have a Rockwell/Delta band saw also with 2 speeds and have used it for steel on the slowest speed for years and have not noticed the blades going away fast. Haven't used it in several years now, so I wonder if blade quality has gone south like everything else. I guess I need to do a little research. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[fletcherson]

I have one that seems to go through blades pretty quick also. It may well be crap blades. The steel in everything is substandard to what it once was, it seems. I use cut off wheels normally rather than fool with it. Habit mostly, but I'm faster using a grinder and chop saw. It's not as clean or precise, but I get by. I have several bench grinders and bench sanders that I really like to help clean up and fit parts. I've noticed that the blades I get for my wood working band saw don't seem to hold up very well either. I remember them lasting much longer, we would repair them due to breaking, now they are never worthy of repairing, the teeth are worn severely.

 

[Gerry]

I use a revolution saw. One blade did all of my stainless cuts on the 2" pipes. Its a cool cut blade and the chips are barely warm. Has a laser line which makes life easy. About 120 bucks but paid for itself and I have it for future jobs.

 

[choppinczech]

Those are super nice. I might have to get one.

 

[old round fart]

Oh goodie! Another tool to buy! That is a super price. Most blades cost close to that.

 

[Gerry]

Make sure you get one with a proper vice, as the clampy things (for wood work) are not good for metal. Blades are running at about $35 a go, but the original saw came with 2 for free. Oh and they cut just about anything. Wood with nails in... just slice it.

I'm not normally impressed with this kind of stuff but that was a good buy. Price I had from an exhaust guy compared to me doing it with the cost of the saw and a GOOD polisher was around $700 on my side. Thats the kind of deal I like. Now I have a saw and a bitchin polisher sitting waiting for new jobs.




G

 

[fletcherson]

Make sure you get one with a proper vice, as the clampy things (for wood work) are not good for metal. Blades are running at about $35 a go, but the original saw came with 2 for free. Oh and they cut just about anything. Wood with nails in... just slice it.

I'm not normally impressed with this kind of stuff but that was a good buy. Price I had from an exhaust guy compared to me doing it with the cost of the saw and a GOOD polisher was around $700 on my side. Thats the kind of deal I like. Now I have a saw and a bitchin polisher sitting waiting for new jobs.

View attachment 13322


G

That's how I built my tool collection... if I could buy the tools for the same or less than it cost to get something done, I bought tools. Now, if I could just remember where I put all of that energy and motivation.

 

[choppinczech]

I've been setting up my mig welder to try some .047 5356 aluminum. New liner, drive wheel, contact tips, etc.

The prices I was getting to make my fuel tank in 1/8" aluminum where scary.

Figure I'll give it a try.

 

[EX JUNK]

Have you figured the fuel capacity of that tank? If so, how many gallons?

Jim

 

[2old2fast]

I've been setting up my mig welder to try some .047 5356 aluminum. New liner, drive wheel, contact tips, etc.

The prices I was getting to make my fuel tank in 1/8" aluminum where scary.

Figure I'll give it a try.

View attachment 13323

View attachment 13324

I know a guy who welds /repairs alum. truck boxes all day every day , he says that you can't successfully weld alum. w/ a whip , there's too much variation in speed feeding because the wire's so soft , he only uses a spool gun.....good luck.!

 

[old round fart]

Think about cutting the pieces out and having a pro do it. With all the race shops in Cal. you should be able to find someone. Do you have a trade school there? Take a Tig course and do it yourself with their equipment.

 

[fletcherson]

I know a guy who welds /repairs alum. truck boxes all day every day , he says that you can't successfully weld alum. w/ a whip , there's too much variation in speed feeding because the wire's so soft , he only uses a spool gun.....good luck.!

You are spot on about the spool gun. I too have a friend who owns a fab, welding shop, and he said the same thing. I weld with my mig, no spool gun, but only for short spiratic welds, like angle, channel, etc. if I welded more alum, I'd invest in a spool gun, they are available for most welders, and are much easier to set up than changing liners, wire, etc. you also need pure arogon for aluminum, not 75/25.