Bandsaw Blades being such a versatile tool has become an integral part of any woodworking.Any respectable wood shop has one. Whatever your saw, it is only as good as the blade you put in it, so always use the best – and at the correct cutting speed too of course!
followings Things to Consider before Buying a Band Saw Blade :
Constant: All the teeth have rake angle, gullet depth and evenly spaced. You can identify them by a pitch number. They’re for general cutting.
Variable: The depth and bandsaw blade size of the gullet vary. This helps cut down vibration and noise for smooth and quick cutting. These blades have two pitch numbers.
Tooth Pitch: The best band saw blades – and all saw band blades – are identified by the number of teeth per inch (TPI). Aggressive blades have a low pitch number. This also leads to a faster cut but the surface has a rougher appearance. Higher pitch blades produce a smoother but slower cut.
Width of the Blade: Wide blades are stiff and ideal for making veneers, thinning a board or straight cuts. For tighter curves, narrow blades are recommended. Narrow blades come with more teeth per inch.
Blade Thickness: The thicker the blade the wider the kerf is going to be, and vice versa. A narrow kerf leads to easier cuts. Thickness is usually not a factor except when cutting veneer or working on green wood.
Tooth Styles / Geometry: Band saw teeth come in different geometries including standard, raker, hook and skip. A hook tooth is suitable for general band saw work. Standard, raker and skip teeth produce clean cuts. However they are not as fast as a hook tooth.
Tooth Sets: The best band saw blades are compatible with a wide range of tooth sets.
Choose Your Blade by Cutting Type
Re-sawing and Ripping: The best band saw blades for this are 1.3, 2 and 3 TPI. These are thick stock and make very aggressive cuts. 2 TPI can cut 50 mm thick wood and higher. 1.3 cuts 100 mm and above and 3 TPI is used for wood that is 25 mm thick and higher.
Metal Cutting: The tooth pitch and cutting speed determine its efficiency. Most band saws have two speed settings for cutting metal. The rule of thumb is the harder the metal the slower the cut has to be. The slow speed on your band saw can be used for aluminium, brass and other non-ferrous metals.
Bowl Blanks: Coarse teeth blades are the most practical option. They’re especially good for hard wood. For straight cuts you’ll need a wide blade. For radius cuts, the 3/8” will do. For thin stock 4 to 6 TPI will suffice. For general cuts 3 TPI works fine.
General Cutting: Everyone has their own idea of what general purpose cutting is, so the definition is a broad one. Anywhere from Bandsaw Blade 4 TPI to 10 TPI works fine, both 1/2” and 3/8”.
followings Things to Consider before Buying a Band Saw Blade :
Constant: All the teeth have rake angle, gullet depth and evenly spaced. You can identify them by a pitch number. They’re for general cutting.
Variable: The depth and bandsaw blade size of the gullet vary. This helps cut down vibration and noise for smooth and quick cutting. These blades have two pitch numbers.
Tooth Pitch: The best band saw blades – and all saw band blades – are identified by the number of teeth per inch (TPI). Aggressive blades have a low pitch number. This also leads to a faster cut but the surface has a rougher appearance. Higher pitch blades produce a smoother but slower cut.
Width of the Blade: Wide blades are stiff and ideal for making veneers, thinning a board or straight cuts. For tighter curves, narrow blades are recommended. Narrow blades come with more teeth per inch.
Blade Thickness: The thicker the blade the wider the kerf is going to be, and vice versa. A narrow kerf leads to easier cuts. Thickness is usually not a factor except when cutting veneer or working on green wood.
Tooth Styles / Geometry: Band saw teeth come in different geometries including standard, raker, hook and skip. A hook tooth is suitable for general band saw work. Standard, raker and skip teeth produce clean cuts. However they are not as fast as a hook tooth.
Tooth Sets: The best band saw blades are compatible with a wide range of tooth sets.
Choose Your Blade by Cutting Type
Re-sawing and Ripping: The best band saw blades for this are 1.3, 2 and 3 TPI. These are thick stock and make very aggressive cuts. 2 TPI can cut 50 mm thick wood and higher. 1.3 cuts 100 mm and above and 3 TPI is used for wood that is 25 mm thick and higher.
Metal Cutting: The tooth pitch and cutting speed determine its efficiency. Most band saws have two speed settings for cutting metal. The rule of thumb is the harder the metal the slower the cut has to be. The slow speed on your band saw can be used for aluminium, brass and other non-ferrous metals.
Bowl Blanks: Coarse teeth blades are the most practical option. They’re especially good for hard wood. For straight cuts you’ll need a wide blade. For radius cuts, the 3/8” will do. For thin stock 4 to 6 TPI will suffice. For general cuts 3 TPI works fine.
General Cutting: Everyone has their own idea of what general purpose cutting is, so the definition is a broad one. Anywhere from Bandsaw Blade 4 TPI to 10 TPI works fine, both 1/2” and 3/8”.
