in praise of the Lenox Tri-Master
I’ve been running a 1″ 3/4 variable tooth Lenox Tri-Master blade on my 20″ bandsaw for years and have come to the conclusion that this is the finest bandsaw blade on the market. In fact, I often use this for for rip cuts that I would have normally make on my tablesaw, the cut finish is so good that a quick pass or two with a hand plane gives me a surface ready for finish and with the very narrow kerf I don’t waste much material.
While these blades are a little pricey (my 168″ blade is around $200), it’s a heck of a value over time because they simply go and go and go with minimal care (de-tensioning at end of day). My first blade lasted nearly 4 years before it developed a kink that required cutting and re-brazing the blade together, which was a good opportunity to buy a replacement blade and put the old one into backup service.
I am not sure how these blades perform on smaller bandsaws but if you have an 18″ or larger machine you should consider springing for one.
Replies
I run a Lennox Classic 3/4" bi-metal on my 18" BS. It last about 1/3 the time of the Tri-master before it gets dull and gives a cut almost as good as I always clean up the surface side. But.. it only cost me about $40 shipped meaning I can get 5 for the price of one Tri-master so the numbers steered me to the bi-metal as I can go longer on $200.
Regards...
Sarge..
I also have the Lennox Classic 3/4" bi-metal blade. It does a good job for day to day work. If you want to resaw expensive wood the bi metal brand new does not cut like the Tri-Master. Close but not the same. Recently, I cut up some wide crotch walnut. The tri-master was in a league of its own.
I have agonized over the investment cost and used the same logic you are stating. I have to use up one more bi-metal then its on to the carbide. I used my pals tri on a 20" rockwell and it was like a dream. I sound like a Lenox salesman but they are a good buy for the money and they are workhorses. For me the biggest reason for the bi-metal 1" is that I can resharpen it with good results. If you sharpen yourself, you can put a hook in there to your liking.
keep building
dan
I get glue side no clean-up with a b-metal in most cases and I always clean up the showing side. I have never seen a BS cut that was good enough for finish yet. What I find is that the surface is marginal at the most. I don't mean to sound like a Lennox bi-metal salesman but.. :>)
Look at the picture I tool a week ago or so. See if you can distinquish which was cut with... disregard the picture extreme right as it is a both sides ripped on a TS with an Amana 20 T ripper..
A Jet 14" with a 6 tpi curve blade at a very slow rate..
A Steel City 18" with a Lennox bi-metal 3 tpi with over 600 linear feet already on it...
A MM 16 with Lennox Tri-master from my neighbor Bill's saw. He does outdoor furniture for a living and I cannot say how long the Tri-master has been on there.
Good luck... :)
Sarge..
Edited 2/25/2009 4:51 pm ET by SARGEgrinder47
Well Sarge
I would have to say board 2 looks the best.
In my recent trials, I have been resawing wide figured boards. They are not cheap. Unlike narrow boards in pine, walnut and oak, I have to keep the kerf on the line and cutting smoothly. In my short experience, the carbide blade was the best for surface results and the ease of cutting(16" x 36").
I won't talk down the bi metal it is a good blade. I would recommend it to anybody doing resaw work "now and then" on some would they have around the shop. On the other hand, if you have a 18" birdseye maple board 2" thick and you need the boards to dress out at 5/8 or you don't have a match.. consider the trimaster.
Just another view
keep building
dan
The second cut was done with my bi-metal and the 3rd with the Tri-master. With that said.. my neighbor Bill might have had it on his MM 16 for a year. He is the type to attempt to squeeze water from a turnip. When the blade teeth start falling off.. Bill will consider a change. :>)
In defense of every now and then.. the blade that cut the center blade has well over 600 linear feet on it. I have run around 400 linear feet of 8" QSWO and the day before I took the picture.. Ed Salle showed up with about 200 linear feet of 11" Spanish cedar to re-saw as he makes humidors for re-sale and doesn't have a band-saw. I kind of help him out.
The QSWO got taken down to 1/4" and the cedar tot 1/8" so IMO... band saw set-up.. proper tension.. proper feed plays a larger role than the composition of the blade as long as the blade is sharp. And of course that's my opinion. BTW.. that first picture was done with a 6 tpi Timberwolf. I really don't care for low tension blades but do run the TW occasionally on my smaller saw for curves.
Regards...
Sarge..
Sarge,
I guess the one clear point of agreement is that we are all Lenox fans!I will point out that I didn't say my first Tri-Master wore out, it developed a kink due to my own carelessness. I cut it and rebrazed it with good results, that blade is still good so I'm not exactly sure when they reach the point of experiencing declining ability due to sharpness.
The cut and more than normal feed resistance will tell you at what point they need to be re-sharpened if you re-saw a lot.
Regards...
Sarge..
I keep hoping blade manufacturers install one of those turkey popup devices to tell me when the blade is done.
Maybe we should walk the WW'ing neighbor-hood's with a petition to sign and send to Lennox stating what we need. And.. of course follow up by bombarding them with e-mail requesting they get one engineered.
But... the more likely scenario is one will pop up at Harbor Freight first for around $3.99 engineered and built by the Chinese. :>)
Regards...
Sarge..
I sense a bailout is in the works, we need government mandates based on safety concerns as well as the jobs created by investing in the technology development which will require taxpayer money to fund retooling and reformulation of the bandsaw blade industry away from greenhouse gas emitting steel blades to clean tech carbon nanotube blades. Of course the cost of the blades will rise from my $200 to $200,000 but we can deal with that through earned income tax credits for low income band saw users, which will be funded by surcharges carbon credits required for high income bandsaw users.
You missed your call by becoming a WW.. ya should da entered politics as you can talk the talk. :>)
Regards...
Sarge..
I too own a 1 " Tri-Master, that I use on a MM16.
I understand that the Lenox Woodmaster CT, which costs less, has a thinner kerf and a delivers almost the same cut quality (really!) leaves the Tri-Master in the dust. As hard to believe as it may seem
Edited 2/25/2009 3:04 pm ET by BOBABEUI
Edited 2/25/2009 3:26 pm ET by BOBABEUI
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