What Speed and Feed Should I Run My Bandsaw At?

This is a common question for saw operators. It’s one of the basic things that you need to know to be able to properly use a bandsaw.

Often, I’ll get asked this question when someone has had a blade fail. It causes them to question the process and look for ways to prevent blade failure in the future. Speeds and feeds are also a common concern when trying to improve the finish of the cut.

Hold up – what actually are ‘speeds and feeds’?

Maybe you haven’t heard of the term before – or you’d like some clarification. Here’s what it refers to.

Bandsaw speed

Bandsaw speed is how fast the blade is moving around the saw.

On a bandsaw machine, the blade rests on the wheels, and then is put under tension. This means that when the wheels spin, they take the blade with it, allowing it to move the teeth on the blade through the cut. How fast the teeth move through the cut is what we’d call the ‘blade speed’. It is measured in metres per minute (m/min).

Most bandsaws would have a minimum of 2 speeds. However, it is more common to have a variable blade speed, between 25 and 90m/min. Variable speed is essential for cutting some types of metal, as we will discuss shortly.

Bandsaw feed

Bandsaw feed is how quickly the blade descends through the cut.

Your bandsaw may have a gravity down feed, or a fully automatic down feed. The bandsaw feed is how much downwards force you are putting on the blade.

The danger here is that whilst you can force a blade through the cut and damage it, you can also not apply enough pressure, leading to continual rubbing on the teeth and work hardening, making the blade brittle and more prone to snapping.

What can go wrong when I don’t use the correct speeds and feeds?

When you’re using incorrect bandsaw speeds and feeds, your blades are not going to last as long.

Incorrect feed causes blades to prematurely break. If you force the blade through the cut, you’re causing the blade to bulge between the guides. This problem can be exacerbated if you have not got your guides in the correct position. If you don’t have enough down feed pressure, you’re going to let the blade sit in the cut without moving downwards enough, leading to work hardening of the teeth and steel, making them brittle. This could lead to losing teeth and a ‘bouncing’ blade – a sure sign of a damaged bandsaw blade.

Other issues are a blade failing mid-way through a cut, stripped teeth, crooked cut, and cutting on an angle.

Incorrect speeds cause damage to the teeth. If a blade goes too fast it can cause issues like too much heat and friction. This essentially dulls the tips and also causing premature fracturing. If the blade goes too slow it can cause overloading of the tips and gullets causing issues like fracturing, and chip welding, etc.

Ok, so how do I do it correctly?

Correct feeds and speeds will maximise your blade life and give accurate, consistent results.

1. Understand what you are cutting

Firstly – have an understanding of the product you’re cutting. It is largely impacted by the type of metal it is, but the tooth pitch and piece size also impact it.

From there, you can use this chart to help you figure out the correct speeds and feeds.

Essentially, harder and bigger materials need to be cut at much slower speeds and feeds.

2. Listen to the cut

It is crucial to listen to the blade as it begins to cut – I always say that “you need to be able to hear the teeth cutting.” If you can’t hear the teeth working, then you haven’t got it right.

3. Check the swarf

You can learn a lot by checking the size, colour and shape of the swarf. Whilst different metals produce different swarf chips, you can use the below chart as a guide to help fine-tune your feed rates and blade speed.

Swarf
Shape of swarf	Thick, hard and short	Thick, hard and brittle	Thick, hard and curled	Thin, hard and curled	Thin, spiral and curled	Thin, spiral and curled	Like dust	Thin and very curled
Colour of sward	Blue or brown	Blue or brown	Silver or yellow	Silver	Silver	Silver	Silver	Silver
Bandsaw speed	Decrease	Decrease	Suitable	Ideal	Suitable	Suitable	Decrease	Suitable
Feed rate	Decrease	Decrease	Decrease a little	Ideal	Suitable	Increase	Increase	Decrease
Other	Check coolant level	Check coolant level	Check number of teeth is correct					Use coarser tooth pitch

Not sure how to measure blade speed?

Most bandsaws will have ways of measuring your bandsaw speed. But if yours doesn't, here's a simple trick to get a rough guide.

For blade speed, make a large, visible mark on the blade. Now time how long it takes to move around the saw (i.e. 2s).

Use this formula to work out the speed.

(blade length (mm) / 1000) x (60 / time it took to go around the saw)

It could look like:

(2500 / 1000) x (60/2) = blade speed of 75.

Checking your speeds and feeds going forward

Speeds and feeds are not a set-and-forget. As a good bandsaw blade operator, you’re going to need to be continuously adjusting them depending on what material you’ve got and what machine you’re using.

Most importantly – be aware of how the blade is cutting. Listen to it, and observe the swarf chips.

You should also periodically get your blade speed fact-checked. The machine gauge is not always reliable, and it could cause you headaches in the future.

Our handy team of blade experts is also here to help – we can do a full bandsaw assessment to make sure your machines are running smoothly.