I've had a reasonably good INCA 2 wheel bandsaw for quite a few years and I've recently started to wonder about whether it could be converted to cut steel. I could vary the speed by replacing the 1ph motor with a 3ph one and using an existing variable frequency 3ph inverter - what is a good cutting speed for ms? Is there anything different about the blades or anything else I need to consider?

-i have a metal cutting bandsaw and it is set at about 120 feet per minute i think, i will check it later when i go to the workshop, i also use 14tpi blades on this as it gives a fasr cut, but if you are cutting thin sheet, upto about 1mm, i would use a much smaller pitch as it tends to chip the blades very quickly.

-At ordinary woodwork speeds you can cut thin aluminium or brass with care. I've cut Al rod and sectiosn with a woodworking circular saw but its really running too fast for comfort. I guess you may need to watch out for where the swarf lands up
- on a wood saw it falls straight down and meatl swarf would tend to get impregnated in the rubber tyre?