Need help with mystery bandsaw

This saw is new to me. I just set it up with a brand new band (blade? Saw-band?).

I tried it out on this piece of 3mm steel plate:

First impression was excellent! Couldn't be happier. I then drew some guide lines on the piece and went back to the saw and..... it doesn't cut! At all! I didn't change a thing, but now it LITERALLY barely makes a mark in the same piece of steel!

I installed a second new band (identical) but with no effect.

I've fiddle with just about every setting there is.... but it's a bandsaw. If the band is running straight, there isn't much else to it. 

I even double checked, in disbelief, if the band was still turning in the right direction. 
 

Guide me, oh gurus of the hive, for I am truly flabbergasted here.

Not knowing the manufacturer's intended purpose of the band saw, I would have these questions-


1) Do you have a metal cutting blade in it or is it a blade for wood?

2) Are the teeth on said blade facing the correct direction?

3) Are they still sharp?

4) Is the blade slipping?

In reply to Russian Warship, Go Berkeley Yourself :

1. Yes, it is the right blade for the material. Also: it cut a length of 3mm steel excellently just minutes earlier. 

2. Yes, the blade/band is installed correctly.

3. As I wrote: I used brand new blades straight from the box.

4. No, it's not slipping.

Have you physically inspected both blades to make sure they are still sharp?

Trying to understand more..

Is the saw blade still moving when it fails to cut?

What voltage is the saw using and is it getting full voltage?

Does the saw have a VFD or old school belts to vary the speed?

Apologies if that is a dumb question - my first bandsaw experience was on a 1950's vintage saw and you changed the speed by moving belts around. I'm guessing that new saws use VFDs. 

This is listed as having a 400W Motor, and the manual does give 3 different Blades (Bands?):

- Wood universal

- Wood for corners

- Aluminium and non-iron metal

I think Steel is a bit too much for that little Saw?

In reply to Russian Warship, Go Berkeley Yourself :

Please read my posts.

Guys, I don't think I'm making myself clear here...

1. The saw cut a 130mm length of 3mm steel plate with NO ISSUES. It worked perfectly, well beyond my expectations. I then stopped, did others stuff for 5min and returned to the saw.

2. It has NEW blades, STRAIGHT from the box. The first used for 1min and the other used for 0min. I did not use the original blades/bands for the saw, but ordered metal blades for it. 

3. Yes, the blade/band is moving/turning. Yes, it is installed in the right direction. 
 

It is not a matter of capacity or having the right blades. It is a matter of "What has changed (what did I screw up?)  from the first time I used the saw, to the second?"

Maybe try cutting plastic or wood and see what happens?

Torkel said:

In reply to Russian Warship, Go Berkeley Yourself :

Please read my posts.

I have, which is why I asked if you have checked the blades to see if they are still sharp.

Which you still haven't answered.

That is a wood cutting bandsaw.

It will handle aluminum and plastic but the blade speed is too high for steel.

Here's the manual: https://www.metabo-service.com/en/manual/19008000

The data sheet is a little hard to read on that saw but it may be a saw intended for wood. It only lists a cutting speed of 735 m/min. That's about 2400 sfm. That is ripping fast for cutting metal. My first guess is it cut great until it ripped all the teeth off the blade. I would like to see a close up of the teeth.

NY Nick said:

The data sheet is a little hard to read on that saw but it may be a saw intended for wood. It only lists a cutting speed of 735 m/min. That's about 2400 sfm. That is ripping fast for cutting metal. My first guess is it cut great until it ripped all the teeth off the blade. I would like to see a close up of the teeth.

You nailed it. 
 

speeds and feeds.  A metal cutting saw will need to run a lot slower than a wood cutting saw.  You can  try a transformer to slow it down but it'll reduce the life of the motor and or it's power. 
 

https://m.vevor.com/variable-transformer-c_10755/variac-transformer-variable-1000va-ac-voltage-regulator-110v-1kva-60hz-pro-p_010433219209?utm_source=google&utm_campaign=18800678815&utm_term=151577282788&gclid=CjwKCAiAjs2bBhACEiwALTBWZV-_6H56Kr-D5iAgEP9gR10qD8Roo7jHrZi5zQ61GUb-YpRSJ0_gvhoCUGUQAvD_BwE

you could change the drive pulleys to reduce speed. 

A calculator that can help. 
 

https://www.blocklayer.com/band-saw-eng

this one from

sawblade.com looks good but you need to register  

https://www.sawblade.com/bandsaw-blade-speed-and-feed-calculator.cfm

Here are speeds for bimetal blades. I would assume that is what you got. I use carbide blades in specialized applications at work and they are different animals. You can get into some fun things there with profiled backs which cause rocking motion and alloy you to cut some really difficult stuff like Nickel alloys. When I cut steel or aluminum at work my head explodes because I can cut it so fast.

I think the real question is "why did it work in the first place?" As other's have pointed out that blade speed is way to high for steel.  It should dull the blade almost instantly.

A silly question but I'm going to ask because I occasionally do this myself.

Is the blade guide high enough to clear your material?  The saw we have at work will look like it's high enough but you can get in about 1/8" and stop dead.

Most likely first cut was super lucky in some way. Material was fed in forcefully enough to slow blade to a speed where it could cut without dulling, or you started your cut before it was up to speed.

Almost every steel will harden given enough heat, and it's normal to slow down as you finish a cut. Since that is the time when the steel is the thinnest, the heat from friction is concentrated in a very small cross-sectional area of metal. That last bit of the cut probably hardened up and dulled the blade teeth.

In reply to Torkel :

So, you're saying everything is perfect, but it's not cutting. Nope. 
 

That's a wood bandsaw. Not made for steel. And it's not just a matter of what blade or the speed rates. It's an enclosed housing on the lower end. That means hot filings can accumulate in the bottom and start a fire. 
 

I know you think the blade is good, but it's not. You probably took the set on the teeth off almost instantly, and it won't cut anything now. 
 

It's NOT the right blade for the material, because that saw doesn't support a blade for steel. 

Metabo makes wood cutting saws and it doesn't matter what blade you put in it.

Wood cutting bandsaws have around 2000fpm blade speed. Cutting steel with a bi-metallic blade needs 100fpm or so, running it that fast will kill the blade almost instantly.   If you want to cut metal, you need a saw with appropriate gearing.

Hello everyone and thanks for all the answers! I had to rush my dog to the vet and, as you can imagine, forgot all about the saw and the thread. The dog made it and I'm hoping to pick her up during today (together with a nice 45000kr invoice - yes, that is about $5000).
 

First thing first: Yes, both blades are still sharp, with distinct sharp tips on the teeth.

Yes, they are proper metal blades, I'm not THAT goofy. There is a local company that welds bands to whatever length you need. I explained what I wanted to use the saw for and they made me two bimetal blades in the right length. 
 

But, the difference in band speed and the construction/enclosure between a saw for wood and one for metal was news to me. 
 

I'm going to have another look today. But regardless, it sounds like I didn't end up with the correct tool for my needs. At least it was cheap - local classifieds. 
 

Again, thanks for the answers!

Are you starting all of your second cuts in that area that's been previously cut with a grinder? If so, that could be your answer. You're starting a cut with a low chance of success in a spot that's you've hardened with a grinder. 

In reply to Torkel :

Sorry about your dog, I am glad she made it. 

If you have a picture of a blade (close up of the teeth) that would help me. It is strange to have one good cut and then nothing on the second attempt. I do a lot of band saw work (for work) and have seen some weird stuff. I have even seen a blade cut when put on backwards, not for very long but they will work briefly backwards, at 10x speed, and at monster feeds.

It is a nice looking saw even if it doesn't do what you want, I'm sure you can re-home it.