Bandsaw blades

[danh]

Ok,

I am relatively new to bandsaws. I got a good book which I am reading, but at the same time I need to get started using the saw. So I have one hopefully simple question. If I were to buy a few blades to cover most of the usual tasks (curves, resaw, etc) what is the best type. I get confused reading about all the hook angles, etc. The saw is a 15" and can handle up to a 1inch blade.

Thanks

danh

[Roy Smith]

Call up

tell them what kind of saw you have and what kind of work you want to do. They'll sell you what you need. Their blades cost a bit more than some others, but they're excellent quality.

Don't waste your money buying the crap blades you can pick up at Sears. Compared to the cost of the machine, blades (even expensive ones) are cheap, and a good one can make a world of difference. Saving $10-20 on a blade which will cripple a $500 machine is foolish.

Don't get lost in details like hook angles, blade tension, teeth per inch, kerfs, etc. Just tell them what you want to do and they'll sell you the right blade. Eventually you'll sort all that stuff out, but for now just get some good blades and start making sawdust.

[Lawrence A. Ramsey]

1/4" for small detailed work, scroll saw type 3/8" for everything else except- 1/2" for resawing. Only buy Suffolk Machinery or Highland Hardware Woodslicer blades.

[nospambob]

[oakman]

A nice size band saw. Thin width blades are for tight inside curves. Wider blades wont make a tight inside curve.

Fine teeth ( # of teeth per inch ) will crosscut just fine but are not intended for ripping. I use a 1" blade for rip cuts to stock when it cut it on its edge ( with a homemade fence, of course ) so the blade wont ' wander ". A half inch blade will wander on rip cuts when making an edge cut... in other words... lets say you want to cut some veneer out of a 3/4 inch by six inch piece of stock.

I set up my high, homemade rip fence to a tad over 1/8 inch and send the stock through feeding slowly. Get the idea ?

I use standard issue teeth configurations for all cuts because I'm very fortunate to have a fully equipped wood shop... 16 inch bladed table saw... 6 inch surface planner... hugh jointer... stand up 12" disk sander... floor mounted shaper... etc., etc. I use a quality scroll saw for tight inside corners on ' delicate' projects. So what I'm saying is that blades for band saws arent like planner blades for table saws.

All in all, 10 teeth per inch and a half inch wide blade is what I use as standard issue for all cuts other than ripping veneer. I still need to drum sand cuts made by my band saw regardless if I'm using a

14 teeth per inch blade or a 10. The work coming out of a band saw isnt a smooth edged finished piece and more work has to be done on the stock to finish it. So band saws have their limitations.

You'd have to get into those small project types of band saws with about a 5 or 6 inch wheel to get a finished edge.