Best bandsaw blade for more finished cut
I haven’t been in the forums for a while, but I’ve been pondering this question for some time now, and figured this is the perfect place to ask it.
What bandsaw blades do you all use to get a more finished (slicker) cut?
I’m more concerned with teeth-per-inch and set than brand names, since some of the local sharpening shops I’ve been to will custom cut and braze blades (they say there’s no particular well-known brand on their bulk blades).
I’ve tried quite a few blades, and as you probably know, it doesn’t do much good to ask the folks in most of the local big-box stores, (Lowes, Home Depot, etc.) since some of the folks they have working in the tool departments would need a diagram to know which end of a hammer to hold onto. (I don’t have much confidence in the answer when I can only find some 18-year-old kids to ask the question of.)
I’ve occasionally seen nice cuts from blades made by other folks’ saws, but every time I ask about the blade, they usually say something like, “I don’t remember, I just buy whatever fits the saw.” or “Who knows – it came with the saw.” Obviously not common-sewers of fine bandsaw work!
Any suggestions?
The person who says it can’t be done should not interrupt the person doing it. – CHINESE PROVERB
Replies
On a bit of a whim, I picked up a 3/4" x 10 tpi blade for my bandsaw. (There was a buy four, get one free offer, and I couldn't figure out what my fifth blade should be.) It does a really nice job for straight cuts in plywood and 4/4 stock, almost as good as a tablesaw.
Wilburpan -
I have a 1/2" x 10 blade and it cuts straight, but I'm looking for a blade that doesn't leave prominent teeth marks. The cuts with the 1/2 x 10 blade look like they've been hit with a coarse rasp. I've seen some cuts made with bandsaws that almost look like they've been sanded with 100-grit. That's what I'm looking for.
The cuts I have to make are single, inside, stop cuts that can't be sanded (well, not easily anyway), so I want the original cut to be as nice a finish as possible.
The person who says it
can't be done should not interrupt the person doing it. - CHINESE
PROVERB
So, does your screen name mean you are a geologist?The smoothest cutting bandsaw blade I have used is a Lenox Trimaster carbide-tipped blade, variable pitch 2/3 tpi. Carbide blades don't scratch the sides like a set steel blade does because the teeth have flat sides instead of angled sides leading with a point. The downside is that you need a larger saw to use the CT blade, because the blade is thicker and does not like to bend to smaller wheels. A friend uses a Trimaster on his 16" Minimax, but they are generally recommended for saws 18" and up. Also, this is an expensive blade, over $200 a few years ago.I have heard great things about the Woodslicer from Highland Hardware, and those can be used on small saws. However, no direct experience to report.BillEdited to add: The Trimaster is a 1" blade. You did not say whether you need contouring, or to what radius.
Edited 10/14/2008 1:34 pm by BillBrennen
Bill:
I'm not a geologist but one of my friends is. My screen name and e-mail are such because we have so many rocks on the property (including some as large as the garage) that my wife has to plant flowers with a spud bar.
Understood about the Trimaster, but I don't want spend anywhere even remotely close to that amount. I'll check out the Woodslicer, though.
I have a place that makes blades from bulk stock for a reasonable price (around $20-$25 for my size blade). For my project, their blades turn out a reasonably decent cut, and in the toss-up between price and quality cut, (in this case) price wins out.
The person who says it
can't be done should not interrupt the person doing it. - CHINESE
PROVERB
BIG fan of a Lenox 1 inch wide blade untill I used the 1/2 inch wide 4 tooth" per inch. Tri - metal..
I'll leave it at that!
What bandsaw blades do you all use to get a more finished (slicker) cut?
I NEVER TRY TO! Never sure where anybody said a band saw can do that! Cut to about 1/16 inch maybe.. I would think some finishing always needed!
Edited 10/14/2008 9:14 pm by WillGeorge
Will,Is this blade a carbide blade or a bimetal blade? What does it cost you?Bill
bimetal blade.
I do not remember the cost but not 'that' much more expensive than a regular blade..
I have a Lenox dealer? near by that makes blades to any length you want. They usually only deal with the 'trade'.
Edit: As far as a clean cut.. The blade sure helps BUT I think a steady feed rate has more to do with the smoothness of cut than anything.
A friend of mine has some very old 'green' bandsaw. Oliver? Not sure who made it. Maybe a 20 inch? It has a power feeder. Cuts are 'almost' the quality of a carbide blade in a tablesaw. He uses Lenox bimetal blades also. That power feeder sure makes a difference!
Edited 10/15/2008 6:07 am by WillGeorge
wegorocks,
It seems counter-intuitive, but the smoothest cuts on a bandsaw result from blades with FEWER teeth per inch, not more.
For thick stock or thin, use 3 tpi. YES, 3 tpi. Even 4 is too much. One of the most important functions of the geometry of a band saw blade is to be able to discharge saw dust from the gullets between the teeth. If the blade can't get rid of the debris, it heats, flexing back and forth in the cut.
The lower the tooth count, the easier the task of getting the saw dust out. Also, the blade MUST be sharp. A dull blade, or a blade with even one tooth slightly damaged, or its set slightly altered (as can happen by just slightly brushing against the throat plate during set-up) can seriously impair the entire blade's cutting performance. The weld must be properly made and smooth. These factors are so often completely ignored in favor of all kinds of exotic blade features and high tooth count.
All these "defects" cause uneven heating and flexing of the blade in the cut. Exotic blades are not needed. Just a properly-made, sharp HSS blade, correctly set.
A new (sharp), good-quality 3 tpi, skip-tooth, 1/2" blade, on a machine correctly adjusted to produce no drift, at LOW tension, will give an almost flawless cut. Not the kind of surface you can get with a glue line table saw cut, but an even, "rough sandpaper" surface as you describe, devoid of obvious "blade marks." And it will do this all day long in thin stock or re-sawing 10" billets.
Rich
I agree with Rich. You didn't say what you were cutting but you want 3-4 teeth cutting at a time. So for 1" thick material you would want a blade with 3-4 teeth. This is a problem if you are resawing something like 8" material since that would really call for a blade with 1 tooth every 2 inches which to my knowledge doesn't exist. When you exceed the 3-4 teeth per inch of material you need to compensate by slowing the feed rate. It seems that without adequate set the saw kerf would be so narrow that with thicker material you would have a lot of friction and heat. This will quickly dull the blade and you will starting scorching the wood. Unfortunately with set comes rougher surfaces. I resaw a lot of veneer and usually use a 1/2", 3 TPI, hook tooth blade. I have recently tried a 3 TPI skip tooth blade but prefer the hook tooth. I don't achieve your goal of a real smooth surface but I can sand it smooth with 80 grit paper or plane it smooth. I am always looking for a better solution so hopefully somebody will be able to give you (and me) a better idea.
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