Band saw for steel.

caterpillar guy

Well-known Member
I'm looking at a Carolina Band saw. Is there anything in particular I need to worry about? Not going to look at it probably since it is on an auction.
 
We have one at work. Heck of a nice saw! Never had any real problems with it
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I have no first hand experience with them so take this with a grain of salt.
When I was looking for a saw there was a Carolina at an auction not far from here. It looked like a nice size USA made saw for a home shop.
Did some searching for info on them and found mixed reviews. It has been a couple of years and I did look up several brands at the time so my memory may be blurred but IIRC there was talk about getting them to cut straight and not liking the belt drive on them.
I decided to keep looking.
 
I have an Ellis, works great and lots of blades available. Good blades aren't cheap and you can strip the teeth off in a heartbeat
 
'Good blades aren't cheap'

I bought two bandsaws at an auction this fall. Then sold them again.
The larger DoAll came with 2 new blades.
They were too long but I kept them and brought them to a local place to have them cut/rewelded shorter to fit my own saw.
Cost $13 to have it done.
Was almost happier to get 2 good blades for cheap than I was at the money I made on the saws. :)


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I have a 1950's vintage Kalamazoo model 610-D that has been very good. It is still suppoted for parts by Clausing tool Co, makers of Clausing milling machines. I have had very little problems with it in the last 40 years except for havng to replace the bronze gear once in the main gear case. Blades are 64 1/2 long and are ~$25.00 each for it.
 
Got a harbor freight one years ago and it has been fine. I think the one they have now looks about the same.
 
caterpillar guy,

I bought a used Carolina saw from craigslist a few years ago. I had to put a belt guard on it, the hydraulic let-down cylinder was missing. I am glad I have the saw.

As far as the cutting straight, I spent a few hoours with some 4 inch scraps of 5/16 angle iron and got that thing cutting straight, very straight.

I wore out the guide bearings, found a pack of ten for ten bucks. For a future note, the bolts that hold the bearings have an eccenctric shoulder. That was the trick for getting a straight cut.

I'd buy it all over again, however, it is for my shop use only. The belt drive is nice, when I feed the material too fast, it slips and reminds me to slubricate and slow down.

D.
 
With the mixed reports I think I will see what it goes for. IF cheap enough I might see about it. IF highthen let it slide. Thanks guys.
 
Hmmmm, I've heard of every brand of bandsaw mentioned in this entire topic EXCEPT the CAROLINA. I bought a NO Name 4-1/2 X 6 bandsaw that was a bit more than slightly used. Of course it needed a new blade. It turned out to be an ENCO, cheapest of the cheap imports. Either the base or the saw frame itself was NOT machined correctly, set the saw at 90 degrees and cut something and it would always be off, a 1/8th inch drill bit in the vice at the very edge of the cut would get it close but not completely correct. It was O-K for free-hand cuts with the saw frame raised up vertical.
I've done projects where I cut 20 circles out of 1/8 thk steel with a cheap Rockwell brand sabersaw, saw got so hot I had to wear welding gloves to hold onto the saw. I did buy a new Evolution RAGE 2 carbide blade steel chop saw, it's cut angle is adjustable 0 to 90 degrees, makes quick and smooth burr free weld ready cuts in seconds the bandsaw spent minutes cutting and a half hour correcting the angle. I do have a Dewalt abrasive chop saw Dad gave me, couple new blades too, I have NEVER cut anything with it. My only advice about using the Evolution is to make sure you use FULL safety equipment, safety glasses and a face shield and full coverage ear muffs. It's not that it's that noisy cutting steel, but razor sharp glowing hot slivers of steel fly around and you don't want them in your eyes or ears. Things I used to screw around with for hours making with the bandsaw I can cut exact angles and lengths with the Evolution and have them cut and welded up in less than an hour. The old bandsaw is getting scrapped. I'm keeping the motor as a spare. And the Dewalt abrasive saw will be sold.
 
I bought a Carolina 90 I believe. Some of the hyd was missing and I fixed that. I never use the hyd. The previous owner had the blade on backwards to cut thin aluminum and a 3/4 inch blade. I replaced it with a 1inch 14-18 tooth blade. Only problem I have is the blade will get caught once in a while and before you can get it shut off, the blade jumpes off the wheels. It is a pain to put back on. Belt is not a problem. Does cut pretty straight. I Believe I gave $300 for it several years ago. I work with a lot of short material and that doesnt help. Better than my buffalo saw that I keep vertical now. It is American made. I would like to try a cold cut saw.
 
The one In the sale looks a lot like the one J Hamilton shows with a larger throat than most I see. Something like maybe a 6x8 or maybe 8x10. This would work good for larger cutting like tube and things your chop saws will not get around.
 
I think they pretty will cut metal with 32 teeth per inch . We would buy bulk rolls of saw and weld ours own blades for our own jobs on welder attachment on the saw. That way you didnt need to be concerned about who left the saw with bad saw band .
As long the saw band width fits the guides should be ready to work .
As long band wheel guides ,wheel and guide bearings are good , should be ok . Cut something with it if you can see if its a straight cut .
 

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