Man has been in the business of making tools to make life easier for him and one of the tools that has been faithful to this mandate is a metal cutting band saw. If you are thinking of cutting metal and believe you only need to have a metal cutting band saw; maybe a horizontal band saw to achieve this feat, well you are okay up to the point of considering this band saw type, but there is more to reflect upon. Metals come in different shapes, sizes and density or should I say thickness so cutting them requires you have certain knowledge and skill set. This is important as attempting to cut any metal without knowing this could lead to fatal consequences.
Having said this, the things you ought to know when attempting to work on a metal are the features different types of metals possess and how these metals are cut, the accessories and equipment, which you will need to have to safely carry out this out this task. Having knowledge of the features of a metal you plan to work on is essential. If for instance, you want to use a friend's horizontal band saw; you need to know that this equipment usually uses different blades, which are made to work on different types of metals. A saw blade that has been made to work on aluminum will likely not do a nice job on any stainless steel. This is because of the hardness of stainless steel, which will need another kind of saw blade to carry out any task on it.
Saw Band
Another important concern that you should have is how you wish to work on the metals, what cuts do you like to make on these metals? This is essential as you should know what type of metal cutting band saw machine is needed to cut the metal you want to work on. Horizontal band saw for example is primarily used in straight-line sawing. A safety measure that you should have before trying any cut on a metal is making sure you use the band saw's vice in order to hold the metal in place, while you are working on it. To neglect this, could lead to serious consequences.
If the vice is faulty ensure you replace it or carry out a repair where this is possible as this could mean preventing a major injury from happening. The reason for using a vice while working with metal is because of the resistance that is experienced as metal meets with metal when using a metal cutting band saw. This makes the metal to glide over the saw and accidents do happen, if you know what I mean. You should also make sure you put on safety glasses for your eyes to protect them from metal fragments and wear leather gloves.