How to make a band saw with your own hands

Soldering

When contact welding is not available, high-temperature silver soldering with a special borax-based paste flux is used. To secure the ends of the web, a simple home-made device is used. Heating by a gas burner.

Soldering is carried out according to the standard procedure. Flux is applied to the beveled ends of the saw. After clamping in the fixture, the junction is heated to the melting temperature of the solder placed next to it. Under the action of capillary forces, it will begin to tighten into the joint. After the solder appears along the entire connection line, heating stops. After cooling, the saw is removed and cleaned of sagging.

Band saw welding machines

The most durable connection is created on special resistance welding machines. Depending on the method used, they are divided into 3 types:

• Resistance welding units. Their advantages include compactness and low cost. However, they have low performance.
• Flash welding equipment is more bulky and more expensive. Has a high performance, can connect belts from any material.
• Automated reflow systems are used in large factories.

Applied equipment

There is a separate group of welding machines for working with band saws. They are called that. band saw welding machine. All of them differ only in the degree of automation. The simplest budget models have on board manual adjustment of the welding mode and control of the seam formation. And the most expensive models are capable of welding in automatic mode without an operator.

We will tell you about the simplest machine for welding band saws for wood or metal. It is shown in the picture below. The design is simple: 1. housing, 2. welding transformer, 3. clamping mechanism with electrodes, 4. start button.

Cutting

In addition to the saw welding machine, some other tools are required. These include the guillotine shears used to cut the web. If there is no such device, then you can use a chisel or cutting machine.

If the connection is made in a previously used area, cut off five millimeters on each side. The cut must be made strictly perpendicular between the teeth. Leave a five-millimeter allowance on each side.

Annealing

This is followed by annealing. It is necessary because, as a result of welding, the metal becomes too hard, which increases its fragility. Annealing helps to restore the canvas to its original state. After squeezing, the metal becomes plastic again, its performance improves.

To perform annealing, you do not need to remove the blade from the clamp. Just set a different current supply mode. The main thing is to achieve a heating temperature of about 600 degrees. In expensive devices there is a separate annealing function. But if you have a simple budget model, then there are a few additional steps you need to take.

First of all, keep in mind that in addition to heating, you also need to cool the metal. And it is advisable to perform these operations one at a time. Press the current supply button and hold it until the heating temperature is displayed on the display. Then release and let the metal cool. To keep the canvas cool evenly, you can periodically press the button again, preventing the metal from quickly cooling. Cooling time takes an average of 5 minutes.

If your device does not have a display with an indication of the heating temperature, then you can focus on the color of the metal. Usually the canvas takes on a cherry hue when the required heating temperature is reached. Avoid heating metal to orange or yellow color. Sometimes it is necessary to perform annealing twice.

Installing the saw into the clamps

Above, we could already familiarize ourselves with the components that make up a band saw welding machine. We said that there is a clamping mechanism. It is in it that the saw blade must be installed. The clamp has a movable and a fixed part. Set one end of the blade to the movable one and the other end to the stationary one. There is free space between the clamps. You need to install the canvas so that its joints are exactly in the middle of this space. Naturally, the joint must be smooth and precise.

Cutting

To begin with, the saw blade must be cut to the specified length. Different tools can be used for cutting. We recommend guillotine shears as they give the smoothest cut. The cut itself should be located at the top of the teeth. Do not forget to leave about 1-2 millimeters from the side of the cut for the draft.

To achieve an accurate cut, you can use the technique shown in the picture below. After cutting this way, the ends of the saw will be straight and fit perfectly. And this directly affects the quality of the welded seam.

Stripping

After cutting, the ends of the saw should be cleaned. This is the standard preparation of metal for welding. Clean metal from dirt and traces of corrosion. Then degrease with any solvent. For example, acetone. Then clean the edges with an abrasive material. We use sandpaper. Make sure there are no burrs on the edges. Ideally, they should be smooth and even.

How to assemble a band saw from a jigsaw with your own hands

Another simple scheme suggests making a mini band saw for wood with your own hands from an electric jigsaw. The algorithm is proposed as follows:

• A jigsaw is applied to a small square workpiece with the handle down and metal corners are fixed on both sides. Using a drill in the marked places, make holes for the screws. The corners are fixed on a wooden stand.
  Any solid board or small sheet of chipboard is suitable as a base for a tabletop machine.
• A jigsaw is inserted between the corners, slightly raised and a piece of rubber is placed between the edge of the metal elements and the body. Since the tool is not pressed against the board, there is room underneath for adjustments via the buttons. With long screws, the jigsaw is fixed between the corners so that it does not swing and does not play.
  Rubber gasket softens possible vibrations during jigsaw operation
• Theoretically, the semblance of a band saw can already be used, but it is more convenient to bring the design to perfection and make it look like a classic machine. To do this, a compact tabletop is attached to the base of the jigsaw with screws. Previously, you need to cut a narrow hole in it through which the tape blade of the tool will protrude.
  Any solid material is suitable for the countertop. steel, textolite, ebonite

For serious work and cutting logs and large boards, a band saw from a jigsaw with your own hands will not work. But small workpieces with its help will be very convenient to process.

Choice of tape

If you wish, you can make a saw blade for a band machine with your own hands from U8 or U10 tool steel. The material should be strong but flexible, with a thickness of 0.4-0.8 mm for cutting hardwood. When you create a canvas on your own, you will need to use a grinder to cut teeth in the metal, separate them and sharpen them, and then solder the tape into a solid ring with a gas burner and grind the seam.

How to make from a bicycle

An old bike, no longer needed for direct use, is perfect for making your own band saw for wood:

• The first step is to make a frame with your own hands. It can be built from an inch of pine, from overlapping layers of boards, from durable plywood sheets. The frame is traditionally made in the shape of the letter C, in the lower part two supports are mounted, connected to the base, and on top there is a seat for a guide mechanism with a wheel.
  You can make a frame not only from wood, but also from steel
• Next, a movable block for securing the wheel is assembled and installed in the upper part, which will move vertically. He will be responsible for the tension of the band saw blade. The block is a rectangular frame with a holder for the shaft of the upper moving wheel.
  The upper pulley must move in a vertical plane
• The next step is to install pulleys on the structure. According to the classical scheme, they are made independently, but when using an old bicycle, they take ready-made wheels. They are mounted on the shaft from above and below and are fixed. Next, you need to throw the drive belt onto the upper pulley and balance it. To do this, install bearings as support for the saw blade, fix the wheel so that it rotates with lowering, and make small indentations in the lower part from the rear. Cameras are put on the pulleys, which will protect the structure from slipping off the cutting belt.
  The bicycle wheel is a ready-made band saw pulley with a notch around the perimeter
• Then it remains only to finally fix the wheels on the saw frame. A washer is put on the shaft and fixed with a bolt. Then the same is done for the lower wheel. The entire structure is aligned with a ruler and put into test work, first with a minimum load.
  The pulleys must be in the same plane, otherwise the belt will not be able to move smoothly

A band saw with your own hands for metal or wood is ready, it will not work as smoothly as a purchased one, but it will be able to cut.

Saw Band Dimensional Drawings

Before proceeding with the construction of the machine, it is necessary to find the corresponding drawings. They indicate not only the design elements of the band saw, but also the dimensions.

The classic floor saw is about 50 cm wide

Knowing the dimensions of the future band saw helps to pre-select and clear a convenient place for it in the home workshop.

How a band saw works

Band saw blades may vary in design depending on the model. However, for a home workshop, a vertical blade machine is usually chosen, which consists of the following main parts:

• frame, or frame;
• sawing table;
• drive, or electric motor;
• pulleys;
• saw blade.

The structure is activated when the electric motor is turned on, and the cutting belt begins to move in a closed circular path at high speed.

What materials and tools will be required to make a saw

• boards or sheets of plywood for the frame;
• bearings;
• motor. electric or gasoline;
• metal corners;
• metal cutting blade. homemade or purchased;
• self-tapping screws and bolts with nuts;
• rubber from a bicycle tube;
• wooden bars and slats, they are needed for the supporting frame of the structure;
• bushings;
• belt for transmitting torque;
• a steel bar that will serve as a shaft for the pulleys;
• steel sheet or piece of PCB;
• varnish or paint, they are needed at the final stage of creating the machine.

Also, when making a band saw with your own hands, you will need to use the following tools:

• grinder;
• screwdriver;
• pliers;
• wrenches. sizes are selected in accordance with the bolts;
• jigsaw;
• screwdrivers;
• hammer.

How to make a band saw with your own hands at home

A do-it-yourself band saw is not the easiest to assemble, but a very useful design in a home workshop. It will take time to build it, but you will not need to buy a ready-made machine for a lot of money.

How to make a plywood band saw with your own hands

A popular option suggests making a band saw with your own hands from plywood:

• The first step is to assemble a frame for a plywood saw. A curbstone is built from the boards, inside which an electric motor is installed. A bar is made of a wooden bar, plywood supports for the pulleys are fixed in the upper and lower parts. The curbstone and frame are interconnected. A hole for a bushing with bearings is sawn in the lower workpiece for the wheel. A textolite tabletop is laid on top of the support, in which a narrow hole for the cutting blade is prepared in advance. It is also recommended to attach a small brush to the side of the structure. It must be installed directly in the direction of movement of the band saw along the pulley in order to automatically remove sawdust during operation.
  The plywood construction turns out to be quite strong, despite the fragile appearance
• Then they start making plywood pulleys. They are cut out in the form of circles and glued together so that the thickness of the part is at least 3 cm. Three circles are required in total. one with a groove for a belt drive and two more for a belt blade. A circle with a groove for a belt is installed inside the cabinet, the second is mounted at the bottom of the structure, and the third is mounted on top. In the last pulley, a hole is made for a bushing with a bearing and it is fixed with glue and wooden rails.
  The wheels must be covered with rubber tubes so that the cutting blade does not come off
• The upper pulley is movably fixed to the structure so that it allows the saw to be tensioned. For adjustment, a simple lever mechanism is mounted, fixed in different positions with bolts. The lower pulleys are placed motionless on the same shaft and a belt is put on the one of the circles, which is to transfer rotation from the engine to the saw.
  Before the test run, the pulleys must be carefully aligned in a vertical plane relative to each other.
• The cutting band is installed on the pulleys, along the smooth side of the blade, guides are mounted on the smooth side of the blade, which will not allow the saw to bend. The easiest way to solve the problem is roller bearings.
  Bearings must be perfectly aligned so that the belt does not move under load.
• At the final stage, it remains to cover the upper band saw pulley with a cover. It does not hurt to protect the electric motor and the belt-driven wheel from sawdust and dust. Also, you need to bring the start button to the motor, placing it in a convenient place, and to increase safety, install a protective device in the electrical circuit that turns off the device in case of overloads. A container can be placed under the worktop to immediately send sawdust into it during operation.
  The cover gives the band saw a neat look and protects the structure from sawdust

A homemade wood band saw with your own hands is ready to use. It only remains to configure it and make sure that the structure is functional. To do this, the saw blade is pulled to the maximum using the upper wheel, it is checked that the edge is perpendicular to the table top, and the guides are removed. The unit is started up and a test cut is made on a small workpiece, being careful not to subject the belt to loads.

If the saw is assembled correctly with your own hands, then the pulleys and the blade should move smoothly, without jerking and vibration. After checking, the guides are put back in place, now it will be possible to apply a load to the belt.

Instructions on how to make a band saw

You will need to go through a few steps:

• Make drawings using a computer program or download them on the Internet. Decide on the size of the installation, make room for it.
• Make pulleys out of plywood or other material. They need to be sanded and pasted over with rubber on the front side.
• Use metal channels to make the axle, or use a solid wood.
• In both sides of the base, you need to insert bushings that will hold the already made discs from the item Adjust them so that they stand exactly without deviating.
• A damper can be used to dampen unnecessary vibrations and vibrations.
• Install the motor (below, under the table top) and connect it to the rotating parts.
• The table can be assembled from chipboard and covered with insulating material on top. It must stand firmly on the leg and be designed for a large mass, especially if metal is to be processed.
• If you want a straight longitudinal cut, you should install the guides.

We will show you drawings with dimensions and calculations of a band saw, which you can do yourself.

Possible problems

The first difficulty is the availability of the necessary equipment for the manufacture of the constituent parts, especially if the main part is made of metal, then the skill of working with welding will be required.

The second difficulty is working with a drawing and calculations. It is imperative to take into account the massiveness of the installation, its parameters, as well as the amount of wood or metal to be processed.

Areas of application depending on the design of the unit

The main purpose of the installation is sawing. You can cut large material into smaller parts, while taking into account the size of the equipment. table top, belt, teeth and engine power, operating speed. Sawmills have found their use both in large industries (sawmills, wood workshops, metalworking factories), and in private households. for construction or home crafts. The area of ​​application is very wide, due to the simplicity of the design, low cost and high performance, they are installed everywhere.

The scope of work mainly depends on the following design features:

• engine power;
• the rotation speed of the pulleys;
• width of the sawing tool;
• sharpness and diameter of teeth, pitch between them, their slope and shape.

You can change these parameters and modes to make the purpose of the unit versatile.

What materials are needed for manufacturing

In fact, everything can be found among the improvised means, but a number of purchases still have to be done, and the second half must be prepared, pre-processed. You will need:

• Wooden shields for base and table top, pulleys. You can choose which planes you will use. more or less thin, it depends on what mass the workpieces have. In this case, chipboard, MDF must be glued for greater strength. This should be done not along the fibers, but across them, so that delamination does not begin. Additionally, you can fasten them with staples.
• A cutting blade, it is better to purchase it, but you can also create (cut) from sheet steel. But it must be borne in mind that it is necessary to achieve high precision and edge processing.
• Channel and steel bar. With their help, the tension of the rotating axles will be made, they are attached to the base.
• Rubber bicycle tubes (or other durable rubber), it is applied to the end of the pulleys to secure the strap.
• Belt for rotating circular discs.
• Wood glue.
• Fasteners of different suits.
• Engine depending on how much power is needed and wires.

How to Make a Bandsaw at Home

How to make a band saw with your own hands

The band saw helps in construction, so many men living in a private house want to make a band saw for metal with their own hands at home. It is not difficult to arrange, in the article we will give some tips that will help in the design and manufacture of the unit.

Equipment types

The classification is based on the type of blade and teeth that is installed on the bed. The device can be equipped with the following equipment:

• Toothless. The teeth are still there, but they are so small that they are practically invisible. But they produce a lot of friction, additionally heat the processed substance (usually metal dies or sheets), due to which the cut occurs.
• Serrated. The most classic models, equipped with a continuous row of teeth of different diameters and inclination, with different pitches. They are suitable for working with wood or plastic, other synthetic materials.
• Electrospark. Very strong, durable and costly. They are installed in industrial workshops, where it is necessary to process a large amount of solid wood with a large width, for example, bulk solid logs. The wood does not burst, but is cut in even layers. slabs.

Features of setting up the device

The basic rule is that the tape should always be parallel to the base. Deviation can result in crooked cuts and blade removal from the pulleys. Tighten it as much as possible so that there is no slack in the chain.

Before starting work, make a test run and a test cut on a thin material of low strength.

Advantages and disadvantages of a homemade band machine

It will have a large number of advantages, but only on condition that the entire production will comply with safety regulations, and the calculations are completely correct. Therefore, you need to use professional computer equipment for drawings. Then each unit will have pluses:

• high degree of productivity. you can work for several hours, but it is recommended to pause every 60 minutes;
• low heat transfer to the atmosphere, the room does not get hot quickly, but good ventilation is still needed;
• high cutting speed;
• you can cut with high precision, make cuts both along and across the fibers (in the case of wood) or seams (on metal alloys);
• using thin files and low speed, if you remove the guides, you can make an artistic model, and not just linear movements;
• low cost, many parts (base, countertop, engine) can be found from recycled materials, and components (cutting blade, fasteners, etc.) are quite inexpensive;
• the cut is small, narrow, so there are few shavings (wood, metal, plastic) that can be recycled.

But with all the advantages, the do-it-yourself tape machine has a number of disadvantages:

First homemade bandsaw: Things learned

• there will be constant noise in the workshop, it is better to work with earplugs, and it is also preferable to do a workplace away from the living space;
• strong vibrations negatively affect the wear resistance of the cutting blade, a small indicator for CNC machines, but control cannot be done independently, such equipment is usually installed in factories;
• large sizes. you cannot position the sawmill at home or in a small area, you need additional space for blanks.

Otherwise, the unit has a lot of positive sides.

Saw band design. Most of the parts are made of wood.

Key features of my homemade band saw

My saw is different from the one in the developer’s drawings, but I didn’t strive to repeat the project one-to-one. Much depends on the selected motor, saw blades and workpieces. I used whatever canvases I could find. An asynchronous electric motor of suitable power was also lying around in the bins. The saw blades turned out to be slightly shorter than the recommended ones. I decided not to take risks and reduced the internal frame size by 10 mm.

Making saw wheels

The saw wheels have a diameter of 400 mm. They just need to be made of plywood or MDF. My wheels came out with a thickness of 29 mm. Glued them from three plywood circles. The most critical area here is the central part of the wheels. I cut out the blanks using a milling machine. In the center of the circle, I drilled a hole with a diameter of 6 mm and set the center of the milling compass into it. Then I used this hole for aligning the blanks and gluing. Cut out circles with a 10 mm allowance for finishing. Shafts Ø 25 mm (for purchased bearings) were made by a turner. They have a stop on one side and an M12 internal thread on the other. I used plywood for the manufacture of flanges. Before drilling holes for the bearing in them, I drilled a Ø 6 mm hole in the center and, aligning it with the center of the wheel, drilled four holes for the dowels. The position of the flange on the wheel is marked. The flange is in two parts. An outer 15 mm thick part holds the bearing, and an inner one 10 mm thick forms a gap between the wheel and the bearing. The diameter of the hole in the wheel should be slightly larger than the diameter of the shaft. The most important operation is drilling a 52 mm hole for the bearing in the outer part of the flange. Especially for this, I bought a hole saw Ø 52 mm and after checking it I sanded it by 0.3 mm on the outer diameter. The bearings were then pressed in with a mallet. Before gluing the flanges to the wheel, I cut out the lower wheel shaft holder. a wooden block with a hole for the shaft, which is attached to the bottom of the frame. Drilling a hole directly in the frame is undesirable: there is a high probability that the drill will go away. It is easier to turn the holder to the angle required for correction. I drilled four technological holes in the wheels so that the clamps could be threaded through them when gluing. Immediately after gluing the wheel, I put it on the shaft. Thanks to the pre-centering of the flanges and the drilled holes for the dowels, one of my assembled wheels had practically no runout, but the second had an uncritical “eight” up to 3 mm. To fit the wheel to size in diameter and to form a profile, it was necessary to connect the wheel to the engine. At the first stage, I used a temporary plywood pulley. I screwed it to the wheel with self-tapping screws. I made a pulley for the engine using the engine itself, and then connected the engine and a temporary wheel pulley with a belt. Having fixed the wheel, I screwed on a wooden block as a stop and, with the help of turning tools, turned the wheel to 0 400 mm. The diameter of the wheel on the shaft is difficult to control, so I measured the circumference. It is equal to 1 256 mm. The machined edge of the wheel is barrel-shaped. Thanks to this, the tape does not slide off the wheel, but, on the contrary, self-centers on it. The bevel angle should be 5 degrees on each side.

When all the parts were ready, I glued the flanges to the wheel. 13. I used the lower shaft mounting block as a holder. 14. I turned the wheel to the desired diameter, giving the edge a barrel-shaped shape. The bevel in each direction is approximately 5 degrees. 15.After preliminary assembly of the wheel. 16. Guide complete with support bearing blocks. 17. A guide with an upper support bearing is installed, but so far without “crackers”. Rubber chambers are stretched over the wheels (after final assembly, they need to be glued). 18. The support of the working table is equipped with a set adjustment in one plane. tilt mechanism

Having made both wheels, I installed a standard drive pulley on one of them (read about a similar solution here). Its thickness and shape was adjusted to the belt used, and the diameter was calculated so that the speed of the saw band was approximately 800 m / min. Now all that remained was to balance the wheels. For this, I took bearings with an outer diameter of 22 mm. They were then used as support for the saw blade. Having fixed the temporary axis horizontally and putting bearings on it, I set the wheel so that it rotates easily, and the heaviest part of it goes down. With a Forstner drill, I made small indentations in the lower zone of the wheel on the back side. As a result of such manipulations, I made sure that the wheel stops rotating in any position. This is where the balancing is over. Wheels varnished in two layers.

Building a Homemade Bandsaw // Büyük Boy Şerit Testere – Hızar Yapımı

Then I pulled the cut tubes from the 16 ″ wheels of the children’s bicycle onto the wheels. The rubber protects the wheel surfaces from damaging the belt, reduces noise and prevents slippage. The balancing, however, had to be repeated.

We make the band saw frame

This is the main element of the machine. I used a pine inch, planed on a thickness gauge to a thickness of 19 mm. The frame is glued from several layers of boards with an overlap. Do not use chipboard, MDF, plywood or furniture board for the frame. The frame has a C-shape, where the base for the tensioning mechanism guide with the upper wheel is mounted on top, and two legs are attached below, which are connected to the base. The frame consists of six main layers and additional overlays. To increase the rigidity, diagonal elements are provided. When gluing in stages, it is necessary to control the perpendicularity of the elements so that the frame turns out to be flat (without twisting). He glued the frame without a base, leaving empty grooves under it. It is more convenient to glue the base after installing the axle block of the lower wheel. My stock of clamps was not enough, and I additionally used self-tapping screws. The surfaces of the finished frame were sanded and varnished in two layers.

Upper wheel mounting block

The next stage is the assembly and installation of the movable upper wheel mounting block. It should move vertically and keep the saw blade taut. To do this, on the prepared “horns” of the frame, I fixed an oak profile, which forms a guiding groove. The block is a rectangular frame with a movable holder for the upper wheel shaft inserted into it. The frame was made of oak wood. I used additional inserts to strengthen the corner joints. After gluing the frame, I sawed the grooves in the corners. Then I cut out the triangular inserts and glued them into the grooves. Finally, on the sides of the frame, I chose quarters for the guides in the main frame. The frame should move in the grooves without noticeable backlash. At the top of the frame, I installed a long bolt to move it and adjust the tension of the saw blade. On the holder (a block with a hole and selected quarters on opposite sides) of the wheel shaft, a screw is installed at the top to adjust the wheel tilt. The holder is attached to the frame with two self-tapping screws, and due to the backlash, its mobility for adjustment is achieved. A metal backing is installed under the screw. After adjusting the saw, the shaft in the holder is fixed with a self-tapping screw. Three oak plates create a spring effect when the canvas is stretched.

How to make a band saw with your own hands

When choosing equipment for a home workshop, a band saw is rarely included in the category of the primary tool: most operations can be performed without it. For a long time I made do with what I had, but as a result I was ripe for making a band saw. As a result of my searches, I came across the site of the Canadian inventor Matthias Wandel. He suggested making a band saw almost entirely out of wood. At the same time, its characteristics were very decent, and then it is easy to make any spare part yourself.

With your own hands. How to do it yourself