Bandsaw Blade Brands, Models, Widths and TPI?

[Tinker]

I have not used a 3/4" band for my saw. I think the most important, as with any type, brand or sized saw is that the teeth are SHARP.  A band saw with a dull blade will wander.  Teeth never seem to dull all on the same side and when a bandsaw gets dull, you could probably cut circles.

I have never had it happen, so I don't really know, but when a saw band breaks, i have been told it is one scary blast. 
Tinker

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

I have not used a 3/4" band for my saw. I think the most important, as with any type, brand or sized saw is that the teeth are SHARP.  A band saw with a dull blade will wander.  Teeth never seem to dull all on the same side and when a bandsaw gets dull, you could probably cut circles.

I have never had it happen, so I don't really know, but when a saw band breaks, i have been told it is one scary blast. 
Tinker

My 36" saw has an open top wheel.  I have broken several blades.  Makes a good bit of noise when the top wheel hops up from under tension. 

 

[Tinker]

What actually happens with the band when it breaks? Does it whip or does it just sort of drop to table?  That 36" wheel must keep spinning for several minutes unless you grab on the it.  Of course, that would give you quit an exciting ride.  ;D

I have an ancient, Actaully brand new by your terms Darcy, 10" bench model BS with only a 61" blade.  I was cutting something with a lot of curves using a 1/8" band.  that broke, but nothing exciting.  The blade just sort of disappeared and a short section of it was still in sight on top of the table.  Both wheels are fully enclosed so no big deal. 
Tinker

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

What actually happens with the band when it breaks? Does it whip or does it just sort of drop to table?  That 36" wheel must keep spinning for several minutes unless you grab on the it.  Of course, that would give you quit an exciting ride.  ;D

I have an ancient, Actaully brand new by your terms Darcy, 10" bench model BS with only a 61" blade.  I was cutting something with a lot of curves using a 1/8" band.  that broke, but nothing exciting.  The blade just sort of disappeared and a short section of it was still in sight on top of the table.  Both wheels are fully enclosed so no big deal. 
Tinker

Not much.  The blade just sort of falls off limp. 

I did have one wrap around the bottom wheel on a different saw that had full factory guarding. 

The top wheel will go for a while, it weighs 85 pounds and the ball bearings in that housing are silky smooth.

 

[grbmds]

I have also read and gotten information from other sources that a band saw blade used for resawing should be dedicated to resawing as cutting curves with the same blade may change the set of the teeth. I have vowed to do my resaws with the same blade and go through the trouble of changing blades if I want to cut curves. That  cutting curves  could possibly bend the teeth even slightly makes sense.

 

[Tinker]

When I cut curves, i just nibble away close to the line.  I try not to put excessive side strain on the blade.  I end up with lots of small wedges, especially when cutting outside curves. A few saw marks on the snide curves that i smooth out with spindle sander and/or curved rasp. I takes a little time when i have to use the rasp, but i don't like changing the blade to a smaller size to make such curves.  I have, for the past several years just gone with a 1/2" blade.
Tinker

 

[Dan Clark]

Gentlemen,

First, thanks for the excellent feedback!

Great news - I have my Laguna!!!  Yesterday afternoon, I got a surprise call from Rockler Seattle telling me that it was ready for pickup!  So I hustled down to Rockler, stuffed it (tightly) into my Honda CRV, and got it home. 

Question #1: How does one older fellow in not great shape get a 300+lb box out of a CRV?  Answer: With a chain hoist, of course!  (See pic 1 below.)  With the hoist hook attached to the box strap, I gently pulled it out of the CRV and lowered it to the garage floor so that it was leaning against the back opening.  Then hooking up the strap to the upper part of the box, it was very easy to hoist it upright.

After 30 minutes of pulling extra parts out of the box and cutting away the foam wrapping, the little guy was free and sitting on the garage floor.  (Again pic 1.)  This is without the lower base and the wheels. 

From there, the next steps were to assemble the lower base and wheels.  After that was done, there was challenge #2...

Question #2: How do you lift a 200lb + band saw on to its base.  Again, see pic 1.  Just gently hoist it up and lower on the base.

But wait... 

Question #3: Will it fit into the tight cubby which is the only available storage space?  Score!  It fits with less than 1" to spare between the compressor and the storage shelves!!! (Dan does the Rocky Dance.)  The motor on the right just misses the shelving on the right and the wheel on the left is about 1/2" from the right compressor wheel. Although it's tight, the Laguna's wheels make it pretty easy to maneuver even over some cracks in the garage floor.  Parking is easy. See pic #2 below. 

As you can see, there is still work to do - assembling the table, fence, etc.    The 3/4" resaw blade is not here yet, but I got the 1/4" and 1/2" Laguna blades from Rockler.  I'm psyched about getting it completed and butchering some wood!  [big grin]

Again, thanks for the great feedback.

Regards,

Dan.

Pic #1:

Pic #2:

 

[Iceclimber]

Congrats,

You will like that saw!

 

[Tinker]

Dan, That is a mighty large toy for the size wood that you will b able to fit into that mighty small area to work.  [poke]

If you have not used a BS before, I am sure that very soon, you will try cutting curves.  As an inexperience user, I very soon made the discovery that the saw blade can bind if making too tight a curve.  My motor is no where near as impressive as yours, so the whole operation came to a screeching halt.  I shut off the motor while i tried to figure things out.  I had really bound the blade so there was no way to move until i got out a chisel and worked a bit of the wood away from the blade.  I have since managed to occasionally bind the blade on a tight turn and have found that if the blade starts slipping and wheel is still going, but blade has stopped, it is time to back off >>> very carefully.  I now can sense when the turn is too tight and back off before trouble begins.  A little space to one side or the other needs to be nibbled so the back side of the blade stays free.  I will leave a rough edge on the inside of the curve and my oscillating spindle sander does a great job to bring the cut to the line.

For whatever reason, even with a sharp (new) blade, when resawing, the blade wanders to the right very slightly.  I have added a couple of washers at one end of the fence to align with the drift.  I can now get a reasonably straight face to my resaws. It just took a lot of experimenting to get the fence lined up so both board faces wood be parallel. or same thickness at each end.

I am sure you have read all of this from the expurts, as had I.  The advise is out there.  Just the same, mistooks can be made.  My advice is the advice is the advice from a student who has made a lot of mistooks with more ahead, not from the expert. 
Tinker

 

[grbmds]

For whatever reason, even with a sharp (new) blade, when resawing, the blade wanders to the right very slightly.  I have added a couple of washers at one end of the fence to align with the drift.  I can now get a reasonably straight face to my resaws. It just took a lot of experimenting to get the fence lined up so both board faces wood be parallel. or same thickness at each end.

I am sure you have read all of this from the expurts, as had I.  The advise is out there.  Just the same, mistooks can be made.  My advice is the advice is the advice from a student who has made a lot of mistooks with more ahead, not from the expert. 
Tinker

Tinker,

I'm sure I'm telling you nothing new about bandsaw setup and guide alignment, but I, too, have always had problems with wandering blades on resawing. (Part of my problem through most of my woodworking years was a bad bandsaw, but . . . ) However, I now have Rikon 14" and, right from the start, I followed the Carter booklet for setup and I also followed a rule that the guy who does demos for Carter at Woodworking Shows said should never be broken. Never use a bandsaw blade for cutting curves that you want to use for resawing. It's too easy to ruin the set of the teeth on a blade cutting curves and, once that is not as it was set at the factory (assuming it's a good blade), it will never resaw straight again. Don't know if it applies for you, but since I've used the Carter setup directions and followed the no curve cutting rule, my resawing has been straight and true.

Randy

 

[Tinker]

I have read setup directions, but don't recall if it was Carter. I usually don't have much play time, so i just keep the same blade on until I realize it is getting dull.  I had not picked up on the not using same blade for cutting curves as used for resawing.  With my saw, it wanders ("drifts" I believe is proper term) just a little.  For a 24" resaw, there will be a difference of 1/4" thickness from one end of board to the other, even with new blade.  Once I readjusted the fence for the drift, I have had little problem.  Probably a big problem for those who use a mic for every setup.  For me, not so much.  My planer will eventually sort out the problem.

a couple of days ago, I was ripping some small pieces down to 1/4" x 3/4" thickness with my TS 55req and then cutting down shorter to 5" and 8" lengths by cutting the ends to 45º for parts of small frames.  I decided that rather than set up my TS 55 for the angle cuts (I have done it before, but need to set up bckerboards for the angle cuts) and did not want to take time for the setup.  My BS was sitting there eyeing me as if to say, "Hey, i can help too"

I grabbed a piece of scrap and checked for parallel, set the BS protractor to 45º and using the backer for support, cut a couple of 40º's.  The cuts were a hair off and with a single eyeball adjustment, I made two more cuts that when put together, the corner was right on 90º  I ended up making all twelve corners and only had to make a couple of shave cuts to make all the pieces purfik. 

I have some pic frames coming up that will be using 5/4" x 3-1/2" width wood.  I will try making those cuts using the BS as well.  I never tried that before now.  It will be interesting to find out. If the BS works, it will give me a little more capacity to set up for multiple projects, at least up until assembly time.
Tinker

 

[grbmds]

Just a suggestion. I found that, since using Carter's directions, I have almost no differences in thickness when resawing either across a single board or from board to board. A 1/4"  seems like  lot and would make it difficult to resaw a  4/4 or 5/4 board into two matched slices, yet maintaining any kind of usable thickness. However, I don't have a bandsaw with 24" resaw capacity; only about 11". I would not have a use for that as, when I resaw, I usually don't have any boards wider than 8". It's almost impossible around where I live to find anything good that is wider than than (10" sometimes). Resawing 8" wide boards with my setup, there is essentially no drift in the blade; possibly a 1/32".

 

[Iceclimber]

GR:

Carters directions?

 

[grbmds]

Carter sells a booklet (also DVD format I think) which gives the set of steps that is recommended by them for setup of a bandsaw, including the blade placement on the tires, guides, etc. I was amazed that, when I followed it step by step, the result was really as the Carter rep has been demonstrating at WW shows for years. I felt that I did not waste my money buying the booklet. I plan to open it and follow it every time I install a new blade. The other recommendation the Carter guy gave was to dedicate a blade to resawing; never use the same blade for curve cutting. I don't know whether that is true (or whether it was a way of selling more blades), but it does make some sense; namely that, when cutting curves you may change the set of the teeth. If that does happen, I think it also makes sense that the blade would drift when resawing.

 

[Iceclimber]

Thank you,

I will pick one up..

Resawing rock hard 10 year old 5/4x6" mahogany i am finding it a real PITA to get no drift!

I know all the proper adjustments to make but still its a real pain.

Annoying as all hell.

 

[Tinker]

Just a suggestion. I found that, since using Carter's directions, I have almost no differences in thickness when resawing either across a single board or from board to board. A 1/4"  seems like  lot and would make it difficult to resaw a  4/4 or 5/4 board into two matched slices, yet maintaining any kind of usable thickness. However, I don't have a bandsaw with 24" resaw capacity; only about 11". I would not have a use for that as, when I resaw, I usually don't have any boards wider than 8". It's almost impossible around where I live to find anything good that is wider than than (10" sometimes). Resawing 8" wide boards with my setup, there is essentially no drift in the blade; possibly a 1/32".

I did not mean 24" in width.  24" in length end to end.
My saw is advertised as 12" width capacity for resawing.  I have learned not to go over 10" with 8" more realistic.  Even so, the resawing can be quite slow.  I do not try to force it.

With setting the fence for drift, the two sides of a resaw come out reasonably close.  A few passes thru the planer and they are both good to go.
Tinker

 

[grbmds]

Thank you,

I will pick one up..

Resawing rock hard 10 year old 5/4x6" mahogany i am finding it a real PITA to get no drift!

I know all the proper adjustments to make but still its a real pain.

Annoying as all heck.

I would agree with Tinker, though, that taking it slow is probably good also. My Rikon has a 1 1/2 hp motor and I just have to be patient. The thing that the setup did for me was give me exactly the width I want with a minimal of jointing/planing required, so I get the max I can out my wood. Having said that, I have not resawed all types of lumber, so can't tell you much about the results in mahogany. Anyway, for my use, Carter's setup steps have worked very well. I think it's the book named "How To Make Your Bandsaw Work" by Alex Snodgrass. However, I only see it as a video on the Carter website. They might only sell it as a book (which I found more useful as a reference while I'm doing it) at WW shows. You could call and ask them though.

 

[grbmds]

Just a suggestion. I found that, since using Carter's directions, I have almost no differences in thickness when resawing either across a single board or from board to board. A 1/4"  seems like  lot and would make it difficult to resaw a  4/4 or 5/4 board into two matched slices, yet maintaining any kind of usable thickness. However, I don't have a bandsaw with 24" resaw capacity; only about 11". I would not have a use for that as, when I resaw, I usually don't have any boards wider than 8". It's almost impossible around where I live to find anything good that is wider than than (10" sometimes). Resawing 8" wide boards with my setup, there is essentially no drift in the blade; possibly a 1/32".

I did not mean 24" in width.  24" in length end to end.
My saw is advertised as 12" width capacity for resawing.  I have learned not to go over 10" with 8" more realistic.  Even so, the resawing can be quite slow.  I do not try to force it.

With setting the fence for drift, the two sides of a resaw come out reasonably close.  A few passes thru the planer and they are both good to go.
Tinker

Glad to hear it isn't 24" of resawing. I don't think that would be easy on any saw. I actually use a Carter Magfence II on my bandsaw instead of the original Rikon fence (which I didn't find to be very good at all). I just set it the same distance from the front of the table (or rear) to match whatever thickness I'm resawing but the biggest thing was the setup and, as was said, a sharp blade. The plus is that I can use that fence on other cast iron tool tables also.

 

[Tinker]

Just a suggestion. I found that, since using Carter's directions, I have almost no differences in thickness when resawing either across a single board or from board to board. A 1/4"  seems like  lot and would make it difficult to resaw a  4/4 or 5/4 board into two matched slices, yet maintaining any kind of usable thickness. However, I don't have a bandsaw with 24" resaw capacity; only about 11". I would not have a use for that as, when I resaw, I usually don't have any boards wider than 8". It's almost impossible around where I live to find anything good that is wider than than (10" sometimes). Resawing 8" wide boards with my setup, there is essentially no drift in the blade; possibly a 1/32".

I did not mean 24" in width.  24" in length end to end.
My saw is advertised as 12" width capacity for resawing.  I have learned not to go over 10" with 8" more realistic.  Even so, the resawing can be quite slow.  I do not try to force it.

With setting the fence for drift, the two sides of a resaw come out reasonably close.  A few passes thru the planer and they are both good to go.
Tinker

Glad to hear it isn't 24" of resawing. I don't think that would be easy on any saw. I actually use a Carter Magfence II on my bandsaw instead of the original Rikon fence (which I didn't find to be very good at all). I just set it the same distance from the front of the table (or rear) to match whatever thickness I'm resawing but the biggest thing was the setup and, as was said, a sharp blade. The plus is that I can use that fence on other cast iron tool tables also.

I'll bet Darcy has one, and uses it. 
Tinker

 

[Tinker]

I use a Kreg adjustable fence.

The adjustment process is to just add or subtract washers until you get it right.  Once i figured it out by T&E method, I have never had to reset the fence.
Tinker