Blade Selection for resawing on Bandsaw
Cincinnati10
| Posted in Power Tools and Machinery on
Does maximum blade width give more stability and accuracy in resawing on the bandsaw? I want to purchase a bandsaw for resawing. I am looking at models that have max blade width in the 1-3/8 inch range. Will there be a difference in a 1 inch blade vs. a 1-1/4 inch blade? For those who resaw, what blade are you using?
Replies
I have a 19" Grizzly and use a 1 inch blade for resawing..works very well with virtually no drift.
I have an 18" Rikon bandsaw equipped with a 1 1/4" Laguna Tools Resaw King blade. If you are going to do a lot of resawing I recommend buying one. It has carbide teeth that can be resharpened and does a great job. My personal preference is to use a wide blade, although I've read articles written by excellent woodworkers describing good results with 1/2" blades.
Most literature I've read on the subject say it's possible to get good results with a half inch skip tooth blade with 3 Teeth Per Inch, TPI, although you'll have to smooth the weld point to minimize the rough surface it produces. You'll also have to adjust your fence to compensate for blade drift.
The downside to the Resaw King is price. It's over $1.00 per inch. My bandsaw uses a 142 inch blade, so I paid over $150.00 for the Resaw King.
Other bandsaw blades teeth are steel and won't last as long, but you could buy five to ten of them for the price of a Resaw King.
And just to complicate the issue I remember reading one article where the author said to use 1/2" stainless steel bandsaw blades for resawing. He bought them from a company that supplies butchers.
I use a 14" Rikon bandsaw with a 1/2" woodslicer blade available from Highland Woodworking. Retail is $30. I have gotten excellent results using this blade. The tooth spacing is non uniform, which reduces the noise. The cut is exceptionally smooth.
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