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Band Mill Blade SpeedQuestion
Forum Responses
From contributor D: There's a bandspeed calculator at the link below. There's also a pulley calc partway down the index at this link, under "Machinery". http://www.ls.net/~windyhill/Calcs/CalculatorIndex.htm From the original questioner: Thank you, contributor G, this will help me out a lot. I can work the pulley sizes from here. From contributor A: What is important to know is the rpm of the motor shaft at full (cruise) speed. The 1240 rpm rating for the band wheels is only an approximate figure. And the length of the blade is not a factor here, I think. From contributor M: I run a 10 hp 3 phase with 24" wheels at 4800 fpm. I used to be higher, but in large oak - 24" - I would have problems. On some advice from Tim Cook at Cook's Saw, I slowed it up. I was at 5600. It runs a lot better at 4800. From the original questioner: Is it better to run slower (FPM) on hardwoods and faster on softwoods? Or reverse? Does the hardwood heat up the blade faster than softwood? I'm thinking the softwood might tend to heat the blade up faster because of it having more sap, creating friction. Or does it just take more torque/HP to cut the hardwood versus soft? It would be better in the long run if I set the mill up so that I can vary the speed, instead of having to change sheaves for soft or hardwood. From contributor M: I don't know of a mill that changes speeds for hard or softwood. Usually that's more changing the blade set and hook angle. Suffolk Machinery (they make blades) really gets into that in depth. Not being on any production schedule or time clock, I buy Simmond's Red Streak blades from Cook's, 10 degree hook, and use them right out of the box. I send them back usually twice to get resharpened. There is a new Munkforsager blade out I've heard is good, but I haven't tried it yet. I don't know how you can easily vary the blade speed. I can't without changing sheaves. With an engine, I'm pretty sure you want it at maximum rpm so the governor works depending on the load. If I remember what Tim told me, the 10 degree hook is trying to pull the blade into the log. With 10 hp there isn't enough power there to run 5600 fpm on large logs. This was almost 10 years ago, so it's a little fuzzy. I just know it runs a lot better at 4800 fpm. Would you like to add information to this article? Interested in writing or submitting an article? Have a question about this article? Have you reviewed the related Knowledge Base areas below? 
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