Because of the positive comments many of you have made about bandsaw blades from Suffolk Machinery I recently called them for advice about a resaw blade for my 14 inch Powermatic with riser. They suggested a 3/4 inch 3 tooth bimetal blade. Wow, what a difference it made! I was just about ready to sell my saw and go to a larger one, but figured I’d try one more blade before taking the plunge. I’m sure glad I called Suffolk! Their new blade has made a tremendous difference in my saw. I sliced some 6 inch wide I’pe with amazing results. It doesn’t cut quite as cleanly as the Woodslicer I had on the saw previously, but other than that, the results are astounding, for such hard wood.
You guys are a wealth of valuable information. Suffolk not only has great products, but will also take the time to discuss your needs to make sure you get results. In fact, after suggesting the bimetal blade for cutting some very hard cumaru I’m working with, they later called me back and said that one of their silicon blades would probably suffice and could save me some money. I thanked them for being so conscientious and decided to keep the bimetal blade anyway.
Try them – I don’t believe you’ll be dissapointed.
furndr
Replies
"doesn't cut quite as cleanly as the Woodslicer----".
How is it better if it doesn't cut cleaner?? From what I've read, there are other blades that come close in "cleanliness" (to the Woodslicer) but last longer, allow faster feed rates, etc. None of these factors are as important to me as the smoothness of the cut. I use the Woodslicer and really like the way it performs.
What could you tell me about the bi-metal to cause me to switch? I'm not trying to be a smart ***, I'm just curious.
Regards,
Mack
"Close enough for government work=measured with a micrometer, marked with chalk and cut with an axe"
I used the WS for years Mack. I swithched to a Lennox Classic 3/4" 3 TPI. The cut is not quite as smooth but.. fine on the glue side. I have never seen any BS blade yet that would give a finish cut on the show side. So.. why switch in my case.
I live not far from Highland so no shipping but sales tax which puts the 3/4" WS in around $43 give or take. The Lennox 3/4" cost me $52 with shipping from On-line Supply I believe. But... the bi-metal will stay sharp about 5 times as long as the WS. So.. $215 for WS over a period it cost me $52 with the bi-metal.
With that said... I do keep a WS on hand for expensive wood as it does have a thinner kerf. So... I can often squeeze out one more piece and maybe two depending on how thick the stock so... and note that a bi-metal does require much more tension than the WS so you have to have big springs. That is not a problem on my 18" with double springs.
If I had a 14" saw and the springs had not been upgraded to heavy.. I would probably use a 1/2" blade. My saw will take up to 1 1/4" but.. I used a 1/2" WS on a 14" for years and the 1/2" will handle it so.. I don't see the necessity of going as large as you can unless you are re-sawing all day long.
And.. I'm not attempting to get you to switch as trying one is your call. Just my thoughts on why I did and why.
Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
Sharge Perfect reply..
My words if I thought of them!
Mack,
My biggest objection to the woodslicer was the short life. It cut beautifully for a very short time (like 15 minutes of use) and then the feed rate became increasingly slower. After it dulled it would not cut a straight line no matter how I tried. At that point was when I was about to decide to upgrade to a bigger saw.
I will admit that I haven't used the new bimetal blade much yet, but its performance so far is remarkably better. That is, it cuts much faster with much less feed pressure and tracks right on the line! In addition, it is a low tension blade which should be a little easier on the machine.
furndr
Got'cha!
My first WS has just begun to degrade but I don't use it extensively. I thought about your "15 min." of cutting time and that's pretty close to what I have used mine---in the course of a year! LOL
I will probably try a bi-metal when my other two WS'ers go bad.
Thanks for the info!
Regards,
Mack"Close enough for government work=measured with a micrometer, marked with chalk and cut with an axe"
...beat to fit, paint to match...
Is the Timberwolf blade from Suffolk machinery the same as the Timberwolf available at Woodcraft?
I sent this question to suffolk but did not get an answer.
chris
Yes.. the blade comes off the same roll from Sweden. But... Suffolk doesn't package their blades as they sell mainly to commercial. But.. if you call them they will be happy to sell you one (1) and you will get it wrapped in a cardboard box.
The blades at Woodcraft and any other store you see them packaged at comes from PA Wood in PA. They are the packaging company for Suffolk by business agreement. The blades that come packaged are welded at P A Wood and then packaged.. the blades that come from Suffolk are welded at Suffolk and come in a plan wrapper and box.
Hope that helps....Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
"...they will be happy to sell you one (1) and you will get it wrapped in a cardboard box." Or 10 or 5 or 3 or 12..... ;-) They usually have a "Buy X and get one free." Can't remember what X is, though....forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
"X" is between "W" and "Y".Sorry! I couldn't help myself.Frosty"I sometimes think we consider the good fortune of the early bird and overlook the bad fortune of the early worm." FDR - 1922
"X" is between "W" and "Y". Hah, why didn't I think of that?! ;-)
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
"Can't remember what X is, though"....
It's a movie rating but I wouldn't waste money on it unless it has two more X's, well........... never mind! :>)
Regards for the day...Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
"...well........... never mind! :>)" Yeah, better let that one go, ROFL!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Well the weld on the blade I bought at Woodcraft was not straight I would guess .020 "runout" Is this normal. Also I had trouble setting the tension up (3/4 wide blade)
Instructions were to set tension to mark for 3/4 inch blade then back down until it fluttered. Welll it always fluttered. I set the tension to the 3/8 mark ( it's suposed to be low tension right?) and the blade cut just fine.
First... I am probably not the right person to ask about low tension blades. I have a 1/4" 6 TPI on my small BS to do curves which cuts true with a tension setting just shy of 3/8". I found the combination by simply setting the tension to 1/4" and taking it down and up on scrap. It works best at the higher setting on that saw.
I use bi-metal blades for re-saw on my 18" BS which I find the correct tension by cranking up to 3/4 and going from there with trial and error on scrap. On re-saw I am not a fan of low tension blades. When I demonstrated BS's at IWF in the fall of 2008 for Steel City the BS had a Timberwolf blade. The day before the show opened I attempted to find the correct tension and could not really get what I wanted. I took the blade off and brought one of my Lennox bi-metals the next morning which I had properly tensioned in about 5 minutes. About 3000 linear feet went through that BS in the next 6 days.
I don't think BS tension gauges are accurate and the accuracy will vary from brand to brand. So.. I have learned to use the gauge as a starting point to find the bulls-eye of what is best for a given blade by simply testing on scrap. As far as the weld not being straight and off by .020 I am a bit confused. Off .020 using what reference and are you referring to the weld or actual cut?
But... before you bother to answer I would refer to your last statement in the post to me....
"I set the tension to the 3/8 mark ( it's supposed to be low tension right?) and the blade cut just fine".
Again I may not be the person to ask when you start referring to run-outs in .000. I don't get my shorts in a wad over having a TS wing with a dip of .025 in the center as it is irrelevant. I don't worry about having .036 variation in the rip of a 36" long piece of stock over the length of it as it is irrelevant. Were working with wood here and not metal.
I have seen the above two questions ask on forums in the past 6 months and with the kicker of should I return my new machine or how do I tune it to eliminate it in the case of the rip cut with people answering on how to tune the fence before I chimed in of don't waste your time. I personally think the new generation of WW'ers have gotten too caught up in .000 and not in what is really important which are results. You might say I am old school and refuse to take all my shop time which for me is about 6-8 hours a day trying to tune machines to perfection.
So... again if I were you I would refer back to your statement and it's worth repeating....
"I set the tension to the 3/8 mark ( it's supposed to be low tension right?) and the blade cut just fine".
If there ain't a problem.. don't create one in your mind so you can fix it!
Regards...
Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
Edited 8/14/2009 9:14 am ET by SARGEgrinder47
thanks for the reply
What I mean by runout is this: when i set the thrust bearing to the specified .003" and then rotate the blade when the weld passes the bearing the blade jumps away .020 or so.
But like you said no problem is no problem, but now that i've gone backto the 3/8 blade I keep in for other work I can't get it to not drift excesivly. Again not important at this time because its not being used for precision work. the band saw is a new machine and learning proces for me.
Are you hearing a clicking sound when the BS is running? If so the weld is not smooth to the rest of the blade. You can file it or if it is bad enough you can call Woodcraft for a replacement. They may have you call P A Wood directly but.. I would file it if that is the case.
BTW.. as soon as you take delivery on a blade and take it out of the package.. check to be sure you do have a smooth weld. If not you will get the problem you mentioned even though I cannot guarantee that is the definite problem not seeing it run and checking a few other things.
It could also be some teeth that may have not been set right at the factory. If so.. another reason to call and get a replacement. If I were going to personally use TW.. I would purchase directly with either P A Wood or Suffolk. If you do have a problem you deal directly with them and they will fix it. I cannot say how WC would handle a problem?
Good luck...Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
This is a most useful thread. I was resawing some walnut that was maybe 11" this morning. It did not go easily. I use a 3/4" 3tpi blade that I bought from Highland. I have used it very little and it seemed to cut much better when I first got it. It has been well cared for but somehow it does not work well.
To get through the job, I gave the blade a shot of WD40 every once in a while - actually, just a little bit quite frequently. It certainly helped. I recall that the sawyer who originally reduced my trees to boards used some sort of oil on his traveling bandsaw so that is where I got the idea.
I have also seen a product sold for this purpose in a tool store but I have no idea what it is.
Does anyone here lubricate the blade periodically while cutting?
I'm in the market for one of those Lennox blades I guess.
Brent
I used to use PAM (fry pan non-stick whatever..) which is about 90% olive oil if you read the can when I used the WS. I don't find the need (at least not yet) with the bi-metal. BTW.. from what I have experienced a WS is not going to last long if you re-saw a lot and the main reason I tried a bi-metal.Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
Wait, wait, wait!So a Woodslicer cost more and doesn't last as long?
"So a Woodslicer cost more and doesn't last as long?" This thread isn't the first time I've heard that complaint.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
That's a fact. I have used the blade extensively and the Lenox will out perform the Suffolk-- not question.
If I said the Woodslicer cost more I was mistaken. Actually, the Woodslicer for my saw (105") cost roughly $32, whereas the bimetal blade from Suffolk cost about $45. (The silicon steel blade (Timberwolf) I got from Suffolk was about $20 - maybe that's where the confusion lies.)
furndr
"doesn't cut quite as cleanly as the Woodslicer----".How is it better if it doesn't cut cleaner?? From what I've read, there are other blades that come close in "cleanliness" (to the Woodslicer) but last longer, allow faster feed rates, etc. None of these factors are as important to me as the smoothness of the cut. I use the Woodslicer and really like the way it performs.What could you tell me about the bi-metal to cause me to switch? I'm not trying to be a smart ***, I'm just curious.Regards,MackMack,I also used to use a Woodslicer until I got a Lennox (thanks Sarge!). The cut IS a BIT rougher/more aggressive than the WS, but what's one more stroke with a handplane compared to the blade staying sharper much longer? As others have indicated, the WS does great for a short while, then fades............ My 3/4" Lennox is on an 18" saw, and I use the saw extensively, not just for resawing. The cut with the WS still isn't clean enough to use as it comes off the saw, so the half a minute extra that it takes me to "clean up" the Lennox-cut wood is inconsequential to me.Price was about $10 or so more, but the blade has been on the saw at least 4 times as long now as I got out of the WS blades, and it's still going strong. I wouldn't even compare either to the TW blades that I started with, altho' I have not tried the TW bi-metal so can't speak to them. Switching from a 1/2" WS to a 3/4" Lennox will decrease the size circle/curve you can cut, something that may be important to you. I used to change blades a lot to cut bowl blanks until I inherited my dad's 14" BS, set up with a 1/4" blade (two saws is a wicked luxury that speaks volumes to my laziness, but it's still pretty darn handy). Of course, this is all just my opinion, but I am very pleased with the Lennox blade and feel that you wouldn't be disappointed with it. And so The Great Debate continues...............Rich
Edited 8/15/2009 5:56 am ET by Richard Jones
Rich, you might add that the WS is a thinner blade on the pro side. I keep one on hand for use on expensive exotic which I use seldom as I can't afford it but.. I can sometimes squeeze one more piece of veneer out of a given board with the thinner kerf.
And you might add that the bi-metal does not make that much rougher of a cut. I find that the glue side is acceptable or darn close and you are going to have to clean the show side. But... the same holds true with the WS and an extremely expensive carbide blade also. I have never seen any BS blade regardless of brand.. price that will produce a show side without clean-up.
I also find that my bi-metal stays sharp around 6-7 times longer than the WS for $10 more. The carbide Lennox will last about 3 times longer than the bi-metal at around $240 for my saw. So.. I have to purchase 3 $60 bi-metals to compare to length of sharpness with the carbide. But... I can get 4 of the bi-metal for the same price so I am ahead in the long haul with the bi-metal. A long way ahead of the WS and slightly ahead of the carbide. Do the math...
I will add once a blade is dull... it's dull and it will tell you so if you listen. I think most of us try to squeeze water out of a dead turnip when it happens with blades as we hate to drop a $ on a new one. I have learned to accept you are not going to get peak performance with a dull one and keep at least one spare on hand for when it happens.
I don't have time to send carbide out for sharpening or wait on a new WS or bi-metal to come in. I don't have a production dead-line but I am in the shop 5-6 days a week building since retirement two years ago so down-time can hold up a project during the time a blade comes back from sharpening or waiting on a new one to arrive. You can't truly predict when your blade is going to show up in the obituary column even though it wil show suttle signs in advance.
We all have our own priorities as that might not be a big deal to some or many for that matter. Just my personal needs which I try to have covered before the fact.
Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
Rich,
Thanks for the input; I believe I will try a Lennox when my WS'ers go bad.
Regards,
Mack"Close enough for government work=measured with a micrometer, marked with chalk and cut with an axe"
I have used the WS and the Suffolk blades. The Suffolk blade is much longer lasting than the Woodslicer. After using the Suffolk bimetal blades I tried the Lenox bimetal B blades.
I use the 1" Lenox resaw blade on my 20" bandsaw a bunch. I resaw at least 1000' of hardwood(walnut and maple) each year. Recently, I finally broke down and bought a carbide tipped Tri Master blade from Lenox. Wow. I won't bore you with the summary but I will say-- its a cut above the bimetal if you are cutting precious wood this is the blade to have. It is pricey but some of the wood(16" wide) I am cutting is 10.00/bf and the blade cost is small when you look at resawing birdseye maple to 1/16 for veneering.
If you are cutting 12/4 and 10/4 down to 4/4 in large numbers the Lenox bimetal at 52.00 will out work the Suffolk hands down. The blade is a workhorse and the price is tough to beat.
Downside: the lenox is a thick blade. The kerf is fairly wide so if you are trying to get a bunch of veneer out of a narrow board this is not the blade. Use the 30 minutes of the WS or the Suffolk blade. They are both a bit thinner.
good luck
d
I have a Lenox Tri Master and Lenox WoodMaster CT. The WoodMaster CT is half the cost, thinner kerf, smoother cut and a faster feed rate than the Tri Master. I won't use a Suffolk for resaw work after using the WoodMaster CT.
DJ
Wondered where you got the CT at half the price of the Tri Master? I have found the Tri for 183.31 and the CT for 125.
Those are the best prices I could find. If you can get a CT at 92 I'd jump on it. If you have a lead let me know. I resaw so much wood I'd give the CT a try at that cost.
dan
Spectrum Supply http://www.spectrumsupply.com/woodmasterct.aspx
I use 134" blades on my 20" Crescent. They gave me the 2+ piece price even though I purchased 1 blade. The guys at Lenox said the Tri Master is a metal blade but also performs well on wood. I've used a 3/4", 3tpi Tri Master and a 1", 1.3tpi WoodmasterCT. They claim the WoodmasterCT will "last longer" than the Tri Master when cutting wood.
I've got over 1500 linear feet on my current 3/4" Lennox bi-metal and will add another 400-600 linear feet in the next two weeks. It just keeps on keeping on and for $52 I'm not complaining... just using.
Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
"It just keeps on keeping on ...." Each little tooth is an EverReady Bunny in disguise! [sorry, couldn't resist] Is that blade on your SC saw?forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Yes ma'am... and you have pretty much nailed the parallel to "the energizer bunny" with the exception it doesn't reproduce new ones as far as I know. :>)
Regards as always...Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
S
I like the fewest teeth possible when resawing hardwood. If I could find a pattern with 1 tooth every 2 inches I would buy it out of idle interest.
Additionally: I resharpened my bimetal B lenox against the advice of the Lenox guy I talked with on the phone. I put a broken file in my cordless drill and sharpened every tooth in a 142" blade 1tpi. I have cut another 1000 feet with great results. I know time is money but.. sometimes 52/hr is not happening. Blade time.
I know you are high on Lenox so I don't mean to preach to the choir. The only comparison I have not done is the Tri Master vs the CT. Sounds like there are some strident supporters of the CT out there.
Some day
dan
Dan.. from the CT I saw used.. the cut is not any smoother but a tad faster than the bi-metal Lennox in comparison. But frankly... being retired I am not in a major hurry to go anywhere or do anything period. :>)
Regards...Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
being retired I am not in a major hurry to go anywhere or do anything period. :>)
AND you got a NEW Table Saw???
Where can one buy a Lenox blade in Canada?Chris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
http://www.lukesmachinery.com/4-Bandsaw-Blades.html I've never used them, so I can't comment on the selection.
Jim
you can check Spectrum Supply on the web or in Ohio at:
216 771-6298 phone
216 771 3380 fax
Best prices on Lenox blades in my search. Don't know about USA-Canada deals?
dan
Dan,Thanks for the tip. I'm hesitant to order from a US company because I always get nailed at the border. Once, it cost me $45 in customs fees to get a $60 item. OUCH!Chris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Chris.. I did that going to Down-Under...
They tried to charge me a HUGE tax. I tried to expain I came here to help a local printer. We never communicated.. I took the digital boards out and broke them in half on the counter and threw them into the trash can.. I spent the night in Australian jail... And still had to pay the Tax!
Will,That's a double-OUCH!Chris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Wondering if you are near the Inside Passage School? Lots of students coming up to Roberts Creek. Maybe a couple could bring along a bandsaw blade?
Just a thought. When I was going from the US to Quebec a couple times each year, I had some friends that needed things that are cheaper in the states. I would bring them along and the customs folks were very reasonable.
Dan,I'm a little ways from Inside Passage, though perhaps on the way. Whenever I go down for whatever reason, I find myself coming back with a bagful of tools. Find attached a picture of my suitcase from my last California trip. My other checked item was a router kit. All my clothes and books went in my carry-on.Chris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Major is the key word Will. The new TS was an upgrade to a 5 HP from a 3 HP. I worked 100 hours assembling machines and demonstrating machines at IWF for the saw. In lieu of monetary payment.. I was given the saw which was the deal I cut before I agreed to work. Good deal for me.. good deal for them and I sold my 3 HP TS I had for $150 less than I paid after using it for 3 years and pocketed the money. Abd had a great time and gained valuable experience doing it so... good deals are good deals retired or working.
Regards...
Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
They suggested a 3/4 inch 3 tooth bimetal blade.
I use Lenox blades. Not trying to talk you into any brand... BUT.. If you love the 3/4 inch wide blade.. Try a 1/2 inch. also.. I yould think you will be pleased if you have to cut curves or even straight. I do not use my bandsaw every day but I find the 1/2 inch wide blade VERY useable on most projects.
Just me though.
Before I tried the Lenox 1/2 inch blade I used a 1 inch blade.. The 1/2 inch worked better.. At least for me.
Edited 7/23/2009 8:23 pm by WillGeorge
They suggested the 3/4" blade after I told them I wanted the blade primarily for resawing extremely hard wood. They also suggested a 1/2" silicon steel blade for other wood, which I haven't used yet.
Fortunately, I have a great old Walker Turner that I have a 1/4" Timberwolf blade mounted on that is my everyday workhorse. Since I couldn't find cool blocks for the W-T I made some blade guides out jatoba (spelling?) that I soaked in hot synthetic oil for several days. They work like a charm and don't hurt the blade if it happens to hit them.
furndr
I made some blade guides out jatoba (spelling?)
Never tried Jatoba for bandsaw blocks. I know purpleheart works.. I would think Jatoba also! I love working my hords of Jatoba. Almost anything I make has some Jatoba in it.
Thanks again, once more I find something new here. Wondered why my woodslicer wore out so quick. Timberwolf as well. Orderd a Lennox classic and will give that a turn around the wheel so to speak.
Morgan
-----------_o
---------_'-,>
-------(*)/ (*) http://www.EarthArtLandscape.com
Being a river-boat gambler by birth... I'm laying a bet you won't regret it based on inside information from my own shop. :>)
Enjoy....Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
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