If you do make an electronic controller and get the speed down far enough, you will not likely have enough power to saw. You would be better to rig up a jackshaft and pulley transmission with a stock motor.

 

Is the bandsaw a three wheel type with aluminum frame and plastic wheels? If so, it will not last long sawing metal.

 

You would be farther ahead making a saw with a simple angle iron frame and two plywood wheels. Yes plywood wheels. A friend and I built one that way almost twenty years ago for exclusively metal cutting and it is still going strong. We made two 24″ (as I recall) wheels of 3/4″ thick plywood faced with neoprene rubber strips glued on with contact cement. The rubber provides plenty of grip for the saw band over half the wheel, a huge contact area, and the large radius gives a 12″ throat for the cut. Each wheel has a steel hub and shaft inset into it and large 3/16″ thick washers each side 6″ diameter bolted thru the wood to support the plywood and drive the saw. We drove it with a 1/3 HP washing machine motor and two stage pulley drive, a 2″ to 10″ first stage and a 3″ to 12″ second stage. Bronze bearing plummer block were used on all shafts. This drive gave 150 sfm with the motor we used, a little fast but with a GOOD QUALITY industrial bimetal blade works great in any metals including stainless and A or D tool steels. We made some blade and wheel guards of galvanised sheet steel to keep fingers away from the blade. Also 3 ball roller brgs were used a blade guides just over the table and adjustable up and down. I’ll see if I can get him to make some photos to post here.

Hi Robert,

 

My father in law used a worm gear on his band saw, much more compact than belts and pulleys.

 

Peter.