band saw blades

[enjenjo]

I use my bandsaw a lot. It's one of those generic horizontal band saws that every one sells. This one was made in Tiawan, it's near 30 years old. It took some time to get it set up to cut straight, but it does a good job now. I was using Harbor freight blades, but often they would not last one day. So lately I have been using Enco house brand bimetal blades, they are double the price, but they last me three to four months. I am very happy with them.

[Charlie Chops 1940]

I was wearing one of those machines out, so about a year ago I bought a Jet brand at Menards on sale. Same basic machine but most of the details are better.  And I got an instruction sheet that actually tells how to get the blade to track correctly. It's pretty good out of the box.

I use mine mostly as a vertical saw and found that the table for the new saw had too much clearance around the blade so I had to weld in a filler piece. I couldn't saw near the long edge without the blade wanting to tip the material and my fingers into the blade. Problem solved. The only other drawback is that upper blade guide assy won't adjust down as close to the work table, so I tapped another hole in it....better. The closer those two guide assemblies are to each other the less likely it'll throw the blade when you cut curves.

I use Starrett "premium" blades  and have them made up at Reid Tool (where Sharon retired from). I still get a pretty friendly price so I buy a couple dozen at a time, which is usually a couple years worth. I use a lot of the stick lube too. 14, 18 & 28 teeth.

That's my story , and I'm stickin' to it!

Charlie

[sirstude]

Like Charlie, I moved from one of the generics to a Jet, and I like it a bunch.  Thanks for the tip on drilling another hole.  I will look at welding up the slot too.  I use mine vertically much more.  I get my blade from the local welding supply, they are some that they have made up.  As long as I pick the good ones out, they seem to work just fine for me.

Doug

[GPster]

The only person I do work for (me) doesn't pay wery well so my collection of tools is rather minimal. I bought my drill press at Rinks (like a Hecks) for $150.00 in 1971 dollars. I never took any shop classes in high school so I don't know any better than to do all my drilling at the same speed no matter what material or what size drill bit. I've got a band saw like Frank's and the only thing I've done to it is to make some angle iron (probably from an old bed frame) to tie the sheet metal legs together so that the saw wouldn't walk accross the floor. I bought my saw at a "Flea Market" in the building that the Rinks vacated when they went out of business. The vendor that sold me the band saw ($155.00) was selling me blades for $7.50 but I thought I could do better. Went to an Industrial Supply place and he introduced me to those bi-metal blades but he only had one. It seems that his son had taken over the business, depleted all the good stock and then left town. The old man explained the difference and sold me his last blade in stock for $22.00 and he wouldn't have any more. When I asked him where I could get them he suggested a supply house that was only a short walk from my house.  They had a tool repair shop that bought the saw blade stock in rolls and would make the blades to size because they also had the welder. Their blades had dual tooth pattern 14/18 and were $28.00 but if you broke a blade they would trim the ends and weld it back together. Unfortunately they needed more business than my occasional blade buying to keep their repair shop open but they are stocking blades in my size for the same money. When I need an exact cut I'l cut it a little bigger with the saw and grind it to size. GPster

[Charlie Chops 1940]

Doug, I used 16ga for the little weld in piece and cut the slot with a thin cut off wheel. Laid the table upside down on the welding bench and welded from the back side. Didn't have to dress the top that way.

Charlie

[phat46]

The steel rule die shop I used to work at had about six guys that sat at big, 24" (?) band saws all day cutting two inch thick tool steel. the blades they used lasted for days, usually they got replaced only after they had been cut and welded back together to do internal cuts and gotten short and spliced  so many times that  they was as much joints as teeth. The cutouts they were making were usually an intricate shape so most blades were only 1/8" to make the curves. I really don't know what brand they were, i never paid any attention to that.  I once needed some square tubing and a guy that had worked with my brother at a fab shop had some in "stock" He wouldn't sell it to me but he said he'd trade for a couple of those band saw blades we had where i worked. i bouhgt the required length and welded him a couple blades for his saw and got my tubing. Dunno if I got a deal of not, the blade wasn't cheap!!! [/u]

[Crosley.In.AZ]

We have a roll in table Jet band saw at work.  

It will not cut straight , but with so many different folks using it , that does not surprise me.

We run a multi tooth blade of unknown label to me.  It works OK.

[C9]

To aid in making a striaght cut, drill and tap a hole for the lock knob screw so you can slide the left side guide rollers farther to the right.




The pic shows the original hole.




Most stuff we cut is fairly narrow and when it's not, you can start the cut with the guides close then stop the saw, swap the lock knob to the original hole and set the guides as far apart as required.


Shown here is the original lock knob hole with the guides set as close together as they'll go with the saw in factory issued condition.




The lock knob is in the new hole.
The old hole is visible to the right of the lock knob.

[C9]

As Enjenjo noted, the HF blades aren't good and the few I've had went bad on the first cut.


Right now, I'm having good luck with Delta (Sears) and Ridgid (Home Depot) blades.

64 1/2" x 1/2" are easy to find and they're labeled "metal cutting blade."

About $10. each.


I like 10 TPI for aluminum and 14 TPI for metal.

Use real Beeswax to lube the blade when cutting aluminum.
Just rub a little on both sides of the blade when it's running.

"Real" Beeswax noted cuz the stuff you get in the Supermarkets is diluted with something and it's lubricating properties aren't as good as the real stuff.

See a beekeeper for the real stuff.
You can find it at swap meets and farmers markets as well.

[UGLY OLDS]

Hey guys ..I dont know my ear from my elbow about metalworking & band saws ,(Other than what our buddy Frank has 'splained to us..) , but I got my blades from this feller...Good communication..Fair pricing ..He questioned exactly what I was working with & then made them to size for my saw...They work great..
Just my .01......

http://stores.ebay.com/Mania-of-Metal-Tools


Bob................

[Charlie Chops 1940]

Thanks for the pics Jay. That's exactly what I did on the left, or upper in the vertical mode, guide.

Charlie

[GPster]

Thanks for the pictures and explanation, Jay. I studied them and went out and looked at my saw. I must have the cheaper version. My upper guide assembly is a channel with a long slot milled in it. It is on the outside of the housing. There is very little room to slant it because it rides on raised places on the surface of the housing and much of a slant and it will be off of those raised places. Lately I.ve been using more with the blade verticle and the blade is not running 90 degrees to the table. I'll remember your suggestion if I get fussy. GPster

[C9]

Here's something that may help.
A larger table for cutting in the vertical mode.
Easily swapped by removing and replacing two phillips flathead screws.

This one made of aluminum cuz it was handy, but it would be better to make it from steel.
The workpiece drags on the aluminum somewhat, but it's livable.


Aluminum table




Factory guard/table fwiw.



I cut the boxing plates for my 31 on 32 rails project out with this saw.

Four pieces of 1/8".

There are ways to cut larger pieces than the rated size.

Got a few more simple accessories if I can find the pics.
(New computer.)

[GPster]

My saw came with the added table but did not come with any instructions for it's installation (must have been the display/floor model). At first glance it looked like it required repostioning the glides so that the saw would be used like traditional verticle blade table band saw without the twist in the blade. Looked like too much work to occasionally used the saw in a different mode so the table got hid in the bottom of a drawer. My saw isn't as clean as yours either. I better bookmark this discussion in case I ever get serious. This is the closest thing to instructions for the saw that I'd ever had. Might lower my need for cut-off discs for my 4 1/2" side grinder. I keep learning more than I think I know. GPster

[enjenjo]

The guide rollers are adjustable on those too. One of each pair is mounted on an eccentric bolt. you can adjust them for blade tracking. They are seldom right from the factory, and different brands of blades are different thickness, so they need to be adjusted when you change brands.  I adjust them using a go-no go feelers guage.