How to Cut a Steel Block

Band saws are great for cutting neat as well as hard metals such as steel.

Cutting steel requires very sharp tooling as well as slow feed rates when using a milling machine or band saw. The coolant that you must use will also help with the cutting as the two surfaces create great heat during cutting and can damage the tool, blade and the material itself if not amply cooled in this manner. Cutting a block of steel with a band saw is far less accurate than using a milling machine, but it is quick and inexpensive whereas the milling machine requires an experienced operator and expensive tooling.

Things You'll Need

• Band saw
• Band saw blade
• Coolant
• Vise
• Center finder
• Collet
• End mill
• Wrenches

Instructions

Band Saw

1. Put a band saw blade that is capable of cutting steel in the band saw. Open the door to change the blade and loosen the movable pulley on the saw, using the crank on the side of the saw itself. Pop the old blade off and place the new blade in place, making sure it is oriented correctly and that it is placed in between the two small pulleys where the material will be cut. These pulleys guide the blade and create tension so that the blade can cut the steel. Tighten the crank again to get tension on the blade, start the saw to make sure it is not rubbing anywhere.

2. Adjust the speed of the blade's downward movement to very slow--the slower the better. Check the coolant and confirm that it is coming out in a strong stream and aimed at the point where the blade meets the steel. This will cool down the cut and prevent the blade from breaking a tooth or burning through and damaging the blade and the material.

3. Lift the blade up and out of the way. Place the steel block in the clamp and tighten it to make sure that the steel doesn't come loose. Bring the blade to just over the steel, using the feed control, then start the blade. Set the feed very slow and wait as the blade comes slowly down to cut the steel. The saw will automatically stop after it finishes the cut.

Milling Machine

1. Set a vise up on the milling machine table and tighten it down with T-bolts. Slide the T-bolts in the slots on the table on each side of the vise. Use a dial indicator, which is a measuring tool, to straighten the vise and tighten after straightening with a wrench.

2. Place the block of steel in the vise and tighten it with a vise handle. Place a center finder, a measuring tool that can find the center of any dimension, in the spindle if you need to cut the block to exacting dimensions or scribe your cut directly on the steel and cut by eye. Tap the material down after you have it in the vise as it may have slid up after you tightened the vise.

3. Install an end mill, which is a cutting tool similar to a thick drill, in a collet in the spindle of the milling machine. Tighten the end mill and collet by using a wrench on the top of the draw bar. This is a long bar that holds the collet in place at the top of the spindle head. Start the spindle motor and lower the rpm to about 350. Slowly cut the steel block after you have moved it into position using the X, Y and Z traverse wheels.

References

• American Machine Tools: How to Use a Milling Machine
• American Machine Tools: How to Use Band Saw Machines