Quality bandsaw blades in UK

[Geoff Beale]

Does anyone know of a UK supplier of quality bandsaw blades? By quality, I mean the UK equivalent (or the nearest thing to it) of the Timberwolf blades, much praised in the US.

I need to resaw some 5.75" ash and the widest blades I have found (10mm from Rexon) just can't cope even straight from the box.

My machine takes what must be an odd length of blade - 2312 mm - as I can't find it listed anywhere. Amazingly the manufacturer, Power Pro, are unable to suggest anyone who stocks blades to fit their own machine! Wish I'd known this before I bought it.

TIA

-- Geoff Beale Extract digit to email.

[Michael Daly]

I can't help you with the UK source, but this Canadian company has Swedish steel blades sold by the inch. It seems you tell them the length and they make them up.

- click on Tuff Tooth bandsaw blades and then on the Swedish Steel blades over 72". They look to be somewhat less expensive than the Timberwolf after exchange rates are included.

Interesting note - from their web site [my mod]:

"These swedish silicon bands have a five tooth pattern with minimal set, every [fifth?] tooth is a straight raker, with a 6.5° hook angle that gives it an incredible fast cut and smooth finish"

And from Lee Valley's:

These blades (previously identified as the Timber Wolf® brand) have a five-tooth pattern with minimal set (every fifth tooth is a straight raker), a 6-1/2° rake angle, that results in incredibly fast-cutting [...] and a smooth finish that requires little sanding"

Something tells me they're the same source (blades and quotes).

BTW I recently got two Lee Valley blades and it is amazing how much better they are than the one that came with my bandsaw.

Mike

[Bjarte Runderheim]

"Geoff Beale" skrev i melding news:bl4qti$j49$ [e-mail]...

Is not Axminster a UK-based firm? Their blades have a good reputation in Norway, and are made to measure by several suppliers, as far as I know, although I only know Scandinavia.

Bjarte

[Robert MacKinnon]

There are probably many industrial suppliers of saw blades in the UK, maybe some nearby to you if you look up in the yellowpages. Although the Americans praise Timberwokf blades as second to none, I believe it is mainly because the company has good market penetration, the blades are available in most stores and therefore easy to obtain. You could try an online supplier such as Axminster who stocks very good quality machinetools and may have access to quality spares. Another online contact might bee Crowley Saw

who manufacture TCT saw blades and bandsaw blades to order. I've bought Håkansson blades for my saw from a local hardware supplier (Oslo, Norway) and find them of excellent quality. They are stocked by Luna Maskin in Sweden and Norway and can be bought mailorder.

Is your machine powerful enough to do resawing (1KW - 2KW motor)? Is the saw setup perfectly to reduce or eliminate blade wander -- wheels coplanar, vibration free, balanced? Can you tension a wider blade enough without bottoming out the spring? How are your blade guides -- do you use the standard metal ones that came with the machine or have you upgraded?

Two wheeled bandsaws have a large adjustment range so if you come close to

2312 it should be OK. I have a 350mm bandsaw which takes a nominal 2375mm blade. The allowed range is 2324 - 2388mm. That's nearly 7.5cm length difference. You might be able modify the machine to take a longer standard blade length by introducing a home-made riser block in the upper frame arm (some sheet metal spacers for example).

[Nova]

I have to order the blades directly from the manufacturer as they are not carried by any retailer in my area. The Timberwolf blades are frequently mentioned on this group because most people have never heard of them.

-- Jack Novak Buffalo, NY - USA

[Henry St.Pierre]

I have never seen a Timberwolf blade in a store. I have to order them from the manufacturer.

Am I wrong or is the math incorrect?

Hank

[Greta Fowl]

Geoff,

You'll find that blades from Dure-Edge will be a huge improvement over the blades that came with your saw. I bought some blades for resawing from them for my Kity 613 bandsaw, and am now a customer for life!

I am a frequent buyer of "stuff" from Axminster too, but by all accounts the Dure-Edge blades are about the best you'll get in the UK for your size of machine.

Details (pinched from MSN group UKWoodWorking) are:

Much recommended supplier of bandsaw blades

21 Station Road Woodley Stockport SK6 1HN Tel: [phone] Fax : [phone]

If you ring them, you'll find they can make up blades to any length, and will also advise you on the best blades to use for a particular job. I bought them after a blade from Hamilton Edge Tools had worn out rather more quickly than I'd expected, and it's been no looking back since...

Cheers,

Greta

[Noel Hegan]

Does anyone know of a UK supplier of quality bandsaw blades? By quality, I mean the UK equivalent (or the nearest thing to it) of the Timberwolf blades, much praised in the US.

I need to resaw some 5.75" ash and the widest blades I have found (10mm from Rexon) just can't cope even straight from the box.

Geoff,

There are several good manufacturers and suppliers in the UK who may be able to help you. To get some first hand knowledge and user's experience you should post to the forum at

Rgds

Noel

noel dot hegan at virgin dot net

[Geoff Beale]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm going to give Axminster a try.

-- Geoff Beale Extract digit to email.