How long does a bandsaw blade last?

[Wes Stewart]

Actually, it's made of iron, not steel.

[George]

Symptom, not cause. Ceramics.

One of the worst ways to get drift is to saw close to the actual grain direction, but not quite. Least resistance.

Might cause sticking or slipping, but hardly drift.

WD40 here. On a cloth, power off, rotating blade in reverse. Walnut is corrosive, like cherry and oaks, so you want to clean up after each session and the lube it retains doesn't hurt in sliding through the wood. That corrosion is a likely cause of blade dulling, along with cutting bark, which is usually loaded with grit. Commercial operations debark for that reason.

If you've neglected the blade to the point where cloth and solvent won't work, you can try the brass BBQ brush for caked. Soaking in TSP, washing soda or any of the other "green" surfactants will probably work, too, but it involves a lot of extra time and effort.

[mac davis]

Or, filling the cat box with detergent.. Mac

[Toller]

Tried WD40, did nothing. Tried mineral spirits, did nothing. Found washing soda at the grocery. It took off 95% of the crude Saw cut much better afterwards also; thanks.

[Doug Miller]

You're welcome. I use it on table saw blades, too --works great.

[D Smith]

He told you not to ask that. [ Don't Ask Me How I Know That ]

[Robatoy]

Darn... I've been messin' with peoples' heads all these years?

From now on...iron it is.

[no(SPAM)vasys]

I agree with Doug on cleaning the blade.

If you're cutting "green" walnut, after cleaning the blade, try spraying the it with "Pam" (or other brand substitute) cooking spray. It helps in keeping the build-up off the blade.

[bridgerfafc]

originally was cast iron, but I think they've replaced most of it with structural steel by now....

[mac davis]

I pay $12 to $16 a blade and use them up to a month.. (I cut tons of pen and bowl blanks)

I've never cleaned one as it would not be worth my time or money..

Mac

[gadgetman]

Hey, I can usually tell by just feeling the teeth and looking at the blade.

I think the belt could be dull especially if the wood was not that clean. Are you using a straight fence, doing free hand or using a resaw type curved fence. I found that when I used delta blades or even olson, 160' would have used at least one or maybe more blades.

[George]

Don't know what you're cutting, but green, corrosive woods will eat the sharpness off a blade real fast. Not to mention that a bit of lube helps turn the corners, too.

[Mike Dembroge]

Toller,

It's possible that there is something amiss with your setup (blade tension, drift angle, technique, etc.) that was being masked by the sharp blade. But, once the newness of the edge wore off and the blade became only semi-sharp, these problems became apparent. Just a guess on my part here.

I just wanted to add that,according to Mark Duginske, while carbide-toothed blades are 10 times more expensive, they last 50 times longer. Most people think carbide bandsaw blades are more expensive, but they're actually much cheaper in the long run. For the price of a new timberwolf blade, I can get my carbide blade re-sharpened and then it lasts a long time...again.

I have a Laguna wood slicer (think that's what it's called) and it's fine. Lenox makes a good blade too if your interested. Both are in the $200 range though.

Good luck,

Mike

[mac davis]

never had anything that looked like corrosion.. not sure what kind of wood would do that... I spend about $10 a month on blades, which I can live with.. Mac

[Doug Miller]

Pretty much anything green (i.e. wet), but particularly woods with high acid content such as cherry or oak.

[George]

It's the kind you _don't_ see. The fine edges that make the blade sharp are the ones being pitted and eroded. If it gets so bad you see it on the sides of the blade, you're sadly neglecting your cleaning. You can control some of the corrosion by cleaning the teeth with WD40 between uses. Even if you don't get all the acid-concealing cake off the teeth and gullets, you get a bit of benefit in the WD -water displacement - category. Plus a smidgen of lube for the next time you fire up.

[mac davis]

Not much worry about those on the left coast... we're pretty much hardwood challenged here.. *g*

Mac