Lubricant For Bandsaw Cutting

[polaraligned]

When I cut aluminum the pieces I am cutting get so hot I can't even touch them. Quite different from when I am milling and taking decent size cuts. I am using a 6 TPI bi-metal blade that is in decent shape, but not brand new. This is on a Grob 24" bandsaw. In the past I cut a bunch of 1-1/4" plate on a 14" wood bandsaw with a wood cutting blade and I don't recall the workpiece getting so hot. I slowed the bandsaw down with the VFD until I got nice chips coming from the cut, and it cut faster, but the workpiece still heats up rather hot. Too much heat is going into the workpiece. This is on 1" thick aluminum.

I have used WD-40 spraying on the blade, but that makes a real mess.

I was wondering about trying a stick lubricant. I have this Cut-Ease from McMaster Carr for $12 and figured I would give it a try.
https://agscompany.com/product/cut-e...nt-stick-1-lb/
I guess the best way to apply this is to peel back the cardboard and just push the stick against the blade, only problem being that with the guides dropped to cut stock there is no way to get the tube against the blade....

The cuts I am making are not tight curves and the 3/8" wide blade should absolutely not be having problems with rubbing.

Thoughts on lubricant and workpiece heating?

[SVS]

I’ve used cut-ease on my power hacksaw. (Also drill bits and especially annular cutters,)

It’s good lube but nothing will cool as well as a water based flood coolant.

on edit-I truly like the cut-ease but I’d say the lube reduces heating rather than removing it, if that makes sense.

[ezduzit]

You do not peel back the cardboard; just feed the end of the entire tube into the blade. And avoid cutting curves as much as possible. Replace the blade with a coarser one and break-in the new one properly.

[boslab]

I used some cutting oil, it wrecked the rubber tyres, pain in the arse
mark

[J Tiers]

I used some cutting oil, it wrecked the rubber tyres, pain in the arse
mark

The Atlas bandsaw information says NOT to use a lubricant/coolant as it may cause the blade to slip. And it has rubber tires. Possibly the more modern urethane type might not be affected.

[polaraligned]

Replace the blade with a coarser one and break-in the new one properly.

I think 6 tpi is reasonably course considering a variety of stock thicknesses that we typically cut in the home shop. My horizontal bandsaw is 12 tpi and it goes thru 6" rounds with no heating or issues. Difference with the horizontal is that it is a much lower SFM, and takes a fairly long time to cut, but it does so unattended so it really isn't an issue. The Grob chart on the machine says to cut at 2500 SFM to 3500 SFM for aluminum which is way higher than the horizontal which is about 300 SFM. I did slow the Grob down and it certainly cut better taking a nice little chip, but still lots of heat.
Maybe some experimenting is in order.

As for break-in, I never really thought about that. From what I just read about it on the Dake website it seems more like saving teeth from breaking early.

[Ed ke6bnl]

You do not peel back the cardboard; just feed the end of the entire tube into the blade. And avoid cutting curves as much as possible. Replace the blade with a coarser one and break-in the new one properly.

I have that wax type tube next to my saw, works very good. BUT it seems the rats for some reason like it more than me, all chewed on

[sarge41]

I have had good luck with old Christmas candles about the size of your thumb. It's cheap and not messy. I just start the blade running and hold the candle into it for a few seconds, then start the cut and apply the candle occasionally during the cutting. Rodents don't seem to bother them either.

Sarge41

[boslab]

I have that wax type tube next to my saw, works very good. BUT it seems the rats for some reason like it more than me, all chewed on

I had a big box of saw wax under a bench in a lock up near an old canal, it certainly attracted the rats, I opened the door and under the bench was moving, they eat the lot including most of the box, turned out the stick wax is tallow, aka sheep fat
mark

[Doozer]

Use a vortex cold air tube.

-D

[polaraligned]

Spent a bit of time searching the internet for proper SFM for bandsawing aluminum. Numbers are all over the place from websites to users on other forums. My blades are Lennox Diemaster 2. Their speed chart for aluminum says 300+. Plus? That is real helpful....not.
300 is awful slow and will be very slow cutting. The speed chart on the Grob says 2500 to 3500 for aluminum. I was cutting at about 3000 and when I dropped it down to about 1500 the cuts got smoother with nice chips. You would think that somewhere on this vast knowledge intranet there would be some rock solid recommendations for SFM cutting aluminum, but there isn't.

[ezduzit]

...My blades are Lennox Diemaster 2. Their speed chart for aluminum says 300+...

That is your correct speed for that blade.

[Rich Carlstedt]

Candle wax 100 % IMHO
You want Petroleum based wax, which is what cheap candles use
If you are unsure, go to a Hardware store and buy wax for canning which comes in Bars . That gave me an idea after using them
and i took a plastic tray that had 2" x 6" sections (molds !) and then melted several pounds of wax and poured bars 2 x 6 x 1/2 to 3/4 thick

Then using a metal spring clamp , I clamp the bar infront of the work being cutoff , simple and throw the pieces in a pot and remelt later

https://www.amazon.com/Tools-QUICK-G...43&sr=8-9&th=1

The danger of candles is the wick can grab and pull you hand in or mess the cut up
Rich

Edit
Please note, you are not lubricating the blade ! you are lubricating the tooth gullets by letting the blade cut through the bar
No Wheel Slippage occurs..ever

[wierdscience]

When I was cutting more Aluminum on a vertical saw, I used to use hydraulic oil in a squeeze bottle like the ones resturants put ketchup in. In use, I just laid down a string of oil on top of my layout line and let the saw cut into it. I never used bi-metal blades on Aluminum, just regular raker and skip tooth wood working saw blades. 2000-2500sfpm I found gave thge best blade life/cutting speed combination.

[Doozer]

A note about tires...
I modified my DoAll bandsaw with a larger motor and a VFD drive
to be able to friction saw. Well I was sawing away some hard steel,
throwing sparks like a grinder. Then I started to smell the smell like
the burnout box at the drag strip. My tires were starting to melt.
Oh well. Maybe there is more to friction sawing than just a big
motor and high RPMs. I bet the big DoAll Zypher saws don't have
rubber tires.

---Doozer