Bandsaw blades (what do you use?)…
Buzzsaw
| Posted in Power Tools and Machinery on
Hi All,
I just purchased my first bandsaw, a Grizzly 14″, and, believe it or not, the blade is crap. Shocker huh? So, my question to all is the following. I want to purchase at least 2 good blades and, from speaking to others, the Woodslicer blades would be a great purchase but I’m not sure which sizes to get. What is the best size for everyday use? My guess is that a 3/8″ blade may cut most or all of the curves I am looking to cut. I am also hoping to resaw and I would assume that a 1/2″ Woodslicer may do that trick. I am looking for what you guys use. Any help would be appreciated.
Regards,
Buzzsaw
Replies
Before you buy any blades, read FIVE TIPS FOR BETTER BANDSAWING by Michael Fortune in the November/December issue of FW. It contained some of the most practical information on bandsawing, including blade selection, I have ever read.
Dick Durbin
Dick,
Thanks. I'll have to find that article as I do not receive FW but sometimes pick it up. What was on the front page of that issue?Regards,
Buzzsaw
If I recall correctly, it was Mario Rodriguez building a drop leaf table.
Hi Buzzsaw... If you've followed the various threads on Bandsaws, you will read that the blade Grizzly supplies is strictly for keeping the upper wheel from flopping around during transport. I have been using Olsen blades, they're good and I can pick them up at a local woodworking supplier in my area. They are MUCH better than the Deltas at Home Despot. Depending on what I'm doing, I use anything from 3/16" to 1/2" for most work. I do a lot of small toys, so the 3/16 x 10 TPI gets a good workout. I don't do any resawing so I can't comment on which blade is best for that job.
Do you have the Grizzly G0555? There are a bunch of us with that model. Mine worked beautifully right out of the box. The only thing I had to do was get rid of thay 'free' blade. SawdustSteve
Actually SawDustSteve I purchased the discontinued G1019 for $285 + $58 shipping and I just assembled it this past weekend. It is my first bandsaw and, in hindsight, I think I maybe should have purchased the G0555 since I'll probably be replacing the fence at the price of roughly $60. But, I think it will do the trick and I should learn a lot about bandsaws. I'm sure I'll be upgrading down the road but, for that initial investment, I think it was a good deal. I also am in the market for a drill press and am researching that one now...Thanks for the info on the blades. I'll have to see if Rockler has Olsen blades. By the way, how do you store your blades?Regards,
Buzzsaw
Isn't hind-sight great?? 'I should have....' I replaced the 'front crosspiece of the base with a piece of angle iron about 2" above the floor. This gave me enough room for a storage shelf in the base of the bandsaw. The miter gauge and fence are in home-made brackets on the outside of the base. When I take a blade off, it goes back in the same box it came out of. That way I know 'the history' of the blade - length, manufacturer and, most important, the width and tooth count for the blade. It takes a bit of practice to roll the blade back into the '3 ring' configuration for storage. There are several methods, but since I've been doing this for many years, I don't even think about how I do it. If you think it's hard rolling a 93 inch blade, try it with a 160 inch x 3/4 wide blade for the 20 inch bandsaw. In reality, I have an assortment of 5 blades I use most of the time. The original Grizzly blade is kept for the times I've got to cut salvaged lumber (from shipping skids) or when I have to cut wood that still has the bark on it. That way, if I hit a nail or some strange 'foreign' object, I don't wreck one of my good blades.
I looked at the 1019, but the 555 had the extra features I wanted. HOWEVER, I think the dust collector outlet, directly under the blade will do a better job than the 4 inch port at the bottom of the 555. I use a shop-vac as my dust collector, and the vac's with a 4" port are too big and noisy for my purposes. SawdustSteve
Thanks SdS for your input. I have test driven my bandsaw with the blade sent with the saw just on some plywood, etc and attached my shop-vac (my only dust collection) to the 4" port under the table. It seemed to collect almost everything which I thought was great. I have since read about all of the tuning information from various sources so I think I actually know how to install a blade and get it running efficiently. I have also heard that it is recommended to release the tension on the blades when done using. This should prolong their life. I called Rockler and they have Olson AllPro Blades so I'm going to pick up a 3/16" blade and a 1/2" blade. When, and if I resaw I will probably purchase a WoodSlicer from Highland Hardware. It is too bad that I cannot purchase an upgraded fence from Grizzly (the one that you got with your G0555). It looks like I have to purchase an after-market fence and drill holes and tap to make it fit my table. One that was recommended was the FastTrack fence from Prairie River Woodworking.Regards,
Buzzsaw
Do some researching, I know that I have seen plans in one of the woodworking magazines for a bandsaw table and various fences. Rather than drilling and tapping the steel, make a bigger and better table and then a good fence to go with it.1 - measure the board twice
2 - cut it once
3 - measure the space where it is supposed to go
4 - get a new board and go back to step 1
The 4" port below the belt works fine if there is enough CFM going to the collector. I haven't tried it with my shop vac, but it's too noisy for long-term use, anyway. The hose on the vac clogs when I used it on my planer, but with the collector, it stays clear. Harbor Freight is closing out some power tools and the dust collector is one of them. $149- that's where I got mine and it works great. I looked at quite a few and when I saw the price/what it actually is, I bought it.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Shop around for the fence. I saw the same one that comes with the G0555 at the Woodworking Show on sale for $35. I don't remember which company, but I saw it with my own little, beady eyes.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
This chart will tell you what you need to know about blade size and radii. A 3/8" blade will cut a 1-1/4" radius.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Thanks ForestGirl,
I have this info in a book I bought recently on bandsaws. I was more interested in what woodworkers out there typically have in their bandsaws for extended periods, not the specialty cut that they may come across once in a while. I would guess that the most prolonged blade in a typical bandsaw would be 3/8"- 1/2" but was hoping to hear from others who have been using bandsaws for a while. Thanks for the info.Regards,
Buzzsaw
Couldn't tell from your post if you knew or were just guessing, LOL. As you probably already know, I like the Timber Wolf blades. I get abolustely no blade drift when I use mine, and the one's selected for resawing work just fine. From what I've read hear about Woodslicer, they leave an exceptionally smooth surface but wear out faster. So, depends on what your priority is I guess.
The other important thing to consider is the tension the blade will need. That Model 1019 14" you bought might do much better with the low-tension TW blades than it would with a regular blade. (I have the 1019Z, bought several years ago).
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Do you know anything about Olson blades? They sell them at Rockler so I don't have to order them. I don't see anywhere about low tension when I am reading about them on the internet. I must ask you, since you have a similar bandsaw to mine, did you buy an after-market fence? If so, which one?Regards,
Buzzsaw
Buzzsaw
I have used both TW and Olson blades and recommend the Olson. My caveat: I can crank the tension on an Olson way beyond what you can get on your Grizzly and I'm sure that makes a big difference._________________________________
Michael in San Jose
"In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted." Bertrand Russell
Buzzsaw,
The rule of thumb, that I read and have been working with, is a 1/2" blade for resawing on a 14" BS. Anything larger than that cannot be tensioned poperly. I also use the 3/16" for all the curves.
I recycled the fense from my old table top saw with a few modifications, it works quite well...and cost nothing. It is very easy to make a fense for the BS...
Sorry, I have no experience with the Olson blades. I do see that they have 4 different "lines" so you want to be sure you get the right ones.
As to tension, long before I got a bandsaw, I read so often about tensioning problems with these small-shop, 14" bandsaws that most of us hobbyists use. Seems like info showed up in every article I read about blades and saws. Read this page at Suffolk (Timberwolf blades) and you will see why I tried them first. The first paragraph puts it in a nutshell.
The 1019 is the 3/4HP version of Grizzly's old saw, the Z-model being the 1HP. I really think you need to give the saw every advantage when it comes to resawing.
Aftermarket fence? I've made a couple of thrown-together fences. Have plans for a really good one, and an auxilliary table for big resawing. I suppose the Kreg (formerly Fastrack??) fence would be as good as any.
I've been trying to resist asking why you didn't buy the 3/4HP version of the G0555, the G0580.....for $40 more than the 1019. Obviously I'm running out of willpower.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Was the G0580 only $325?Regards,
Buzzsaw
Yep. I posted here:http://forums.taunton.com/tp-knots/messages?msg=21979.4
when David announced the sale here at Knots. Maybe you can find a fatal flaw in your 1019. I can give you an idea or two, LOL!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
I remember seeing a post in response to a dust collection question that had a link to site that sold cannisters that would fit on the Delta and Harbor Freight dust collectors. As I recall on the link they had 2 prices 1 for a washable filter and one for a non washable one. Do you still have that link?1 - measure the board twice
2 - cut it once
3 - measure the space where it is supposed to go
4 - get a new board and go back to step 1
Ahhhh, you're pushing the ol' neurons with that one, but I did an Advanced Search using harbor dust and found it. Wynn Environmental:http://www.wynnenv.com/cartridge_filters.htm
The post that I found was from Alan S:http://forums.taunton.com/tp-knots/messages?msg=21328.27
PS: Penn State Industries also carries some cartriges separately.http://www.pennstateind.com
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Edited 5/16/2005 12:45 pm ET by forestgirl
Thanks,
Here is something for a collection end of system from Woodworkers Supply
http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPRES.exe?PARTNUM=947-730
Let me know your thoughts on this.1 - measure the board twice
2 - cut it once
3 - measure the space where it is supposed to go
4 - get a new board and go back to step 1
"I was more interested in what woodworkers typically have in their band saws for extended periods-"
I use Starret or Eclipse metal cutting blades-just two- one of half inch x3 or 4 tpi and the other a narrower x more tpi. These do everything I want, from resawing to cutting dovetails to cutting brass and aluminium. They are cheap and contrary to maker instructions I have them sharpened but not re-set- then they really make smooth cuts.
I don't have a 14" band saw.
Just thought you would be interested in an unorthodox approach.
I use the Starrett Powerband Matrix II in the .025" x 3/8" 8-12 variable pitch, for general purpose sawing. For scroll work, I use the same type blade only in the 1/4" width and 10-14 variable pitch. For resawing, again the same style blade in a 3/8" 4 pitch. These blades aren't very expensive ( about $25.00 for a 105" blade) and are incredibly long lasting. I run the tail off my band saw, and the general purpose blade lasts me many months. You may notice that I don't use 1/2" wide blades on my saw, I don't think the typical 14" saw has enough rigidity to properly tension a blade wider than 3/8", although there are many who'd disagree.
Rob Millard
Thanks Rob,
Your opinion is valued. I appreciate it.
Regards,
Buzzsaw
Bandsaw blades (what do you use?)...
I use the cheepest I can find unless some serious work.. Lexox works for me..
Oh! I have JUST a 18 inck Ricon that folks poke fun at!
Depends what you want to saw.
Up to 1/2", your best bet is Lenox Diemaster2, Bi metal blades, they are about 1 1/2 times the price of the cheap Grizzly blades, the same price as Timberwolf (If you buy at the wrong expensive dealer) and will give you almost ten times the equivalent life. The cut is better than Timberwolf as well. You can also tension the hell out of them, if you wish to.
They have a cobalt high speed steel tooth edge, combined with spring steel backing material.
I get mine online, here.
Hey Buzz,
I'm sold on Lenox Trimaster carbides. The variable pitch blade and carbide teeth make very smooth cuts, even at high feed rates. They run at very high tension, so you may want to purchase a new tensioning spring from Louis Iturra. They are also very spendy, but consider whay you would pay for a top quality table saw blade, and they seem pretty reasonable. Plus, because of the hight tension, you can use a 3/8" blade where you might otherwise use a 1/2" low tension blade.
Tom
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled