I just bought the 17" Grizzly bandsaw two weeks ago (10/18). I make basket parts for a bunch of people who make hand woven baskets. I was asked to bend them some handles out of Red Oak. The blanks are 3/16th. thick, 1 1/8 wide, by 48" long. So I told my SWMBO that I had to have a bandsaw to cut the strips with. I had gotten two pickup truck loads of rough sawn 2x8 red oak given to me by my wifes uncle. So I figured with the bandsaw I would be able to resaw a bunch of blanks for next to nothing. Grizzly is only about an hour and a half from my house, so me and a wood working friend drove up to get my bandsaw. Last week, I stuck a Grizzly 1" wide 2tpi blade on the saw and began cutting 1/4 thick strips by 2" wide. While cutting the first strip I noticed that the blade wasn't cutting parallel to the fence. So I stopped what I was doing and found that the top and bottom blade guides weren't adjusted the same. So I fiddled with it for a while. (no I don't play a fiddle, but I wish I could). Once I got it adjusted, I tried it again and it cut straight and true. I cut up one 8" worth of strips, then fired up my homemade steamer. The point to this story was, I used a $14.95 el cheapo Grizzly blade and it cut O.K. I would look more into your saw alignment than at a blade problem. If you are interested in more of my basket handle making saga, feel free to read on.
I already had made up three forms to bend the wood around, so like I said I fired up my homemade steamer. Waited for it to come up to temperature, and threw some blanks in. After 15min. I took them out one at a time, and put them on the form. Then I stuck three more in the steamer, 15 min. later, I took the bent ones out of the form, taped the legs so they would hold there shape while they dried fully and stuck three more in the steamer. Till I was all done, I had 30 handles bent.The next day, 24 of them had cracking around the bend area. So I figured I would cut some more blanks, with the grain running the opposite direction. Did 15 more, the next day still lost 12 due to cracking. About a month ago we had a really bad storm and I lost a few large oak trees on my property. So this past Saturday, I took the chain saw down and cut some 48" long pieces out of the straightest part of the trunk. I split it down the middle with a sledge and a few wedges. Then I got another of my rough cut 2x8 cut it to 5' long and trued up two sides, then I laid the split log on top of the 2x8, and screwed it fast with 3" long screws. I shimed it where I had to, and once it was fastened securely I ran it through the band saw again. This gave me one flat side, then putting that side down on the table, I cut the other side perpendicular to it. Then with one square corner, I cut a bunch of 1/4 thick strips. Oh the reason I cut them to 1/4" is that I run them through the surface planer to smooth both sides. Half of these strips I tied in a bundle, hooked a brick to them, and tossed them into the creek. Then next day, I started up the steamer, steamed and bent all the ones that weren't in the creek. Then I retrieved the other ones from the creek and steamed and bent them also. Then next day three of the handles that weren't soaked in the creek were cracked. All the ones that were in the creek survived. So looks like all my steaming wood will be taking a swim before steaming. All the wood I resawed so far was all cut with the same 1" Grizzly blade. I was planning on getting some good blades for it, but I think it will be hard to justify the added expense when this one blade has cut all this dried and wet red oak. I know you all think that I talk to much, but if you were sitting in my shop I would be able to elaborate even further on the basket making saga.
Also, if any of you are from the Harrisburg, Pa. area or withing a few hours either way and have a good cheap source for 3/4 pine boards I would really be interested. I just got an order for 200 pcs. of 3/4 pine 8x11 rectangle, with a bunch of cutouts. I really need to find a source for wood other than the borg or lowes. I have some rough cut pine, but once I get it cut down to 3/4 thick, the next day it is severely cupped. This stuff has been laying under a tarp for 12 years, but it evidently is still very damp inside.