Favorite band saw blades?

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  • wassaw998
    Senior Member
    • Jul 2004
    • 689
    • Atlanta, GA, USA.
    #16
    Jeff,

    Did not mean to chase a rabbit on your thread on the woodslicer / Bladerunner blades and run you down the wrong path. If my recollection is correct, these blades start at 1/2" (highland only sells it in a 1/2" wide, and 72->136" length) so it would not fit your saw. Iturra is also offering a 5/8" wide bladerunner, but, I am pretty sure they also do not go below 1/2", but, I don't have their catalog in front of me.

    That was really why I was saying go with the Timberwolf per Tom's suggestion. Also, as a side note, I have seen a lot of blade manufacturers indicate they will not guarantee a blade against breakage on small saws, and the review I linked indicates the blades break more frequently, so , keep that in mind, esp. on the real narrow ones. (Thus, be careful about spending too much on the blade !)
    Chris

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      • mater
        Veteran Member
        • Jan 2004
        • 4197
        • SC, USA.
        #17
        After seeing a demonstration with the Timberwolf blades I tried them. After using them I couldn't believe the difference between them and other brands I had tried.
        Ken aka "mater"

        " People may doubt what you say but they will never doubt what you do "

        Ken's Den

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          • Rounder
            Veteran Member
            • Jan 2003
            • 1287
            • Sanford, FL, USA.
            • BT3100
            #18
            As a side note, if memory serves me, the recent FWW article on tuning a bandsaw suggested that most woodworkers could get by with just a 1/2" blade on their machine. I am not sure if I agree with that as my Ridgid generally has the 1/4" blade on it.
            George AKA Rounder

            "Amarillo Slim, the greatist proposition gambler of all time held to his father's maxim; You can shear a sheep many times, but you can skin him only once."

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              • BrazosJake
                Veteran Member
                • Nov 2003
                • 1148
                • Benbrook, TX.
                • Emerson-built Craftsman
                #19
                quote:Originally posted by LarryG

                quote:Originally posted by profbadger

                I'm going to buy a copy of The Bandsaw Book before starting, to make sure I am up to speed
                If you mean Lonnie Bird's book, I do NOT recommend it. Bird is a talented woodworker and a fine teacher, but that particular book contains very little useful information and it is way, way, WAY too repetitious. Definitely the most disappointing title on the woodworking shelf of my library.

                Although I don't yet own it, I have examined Mark Duginske's "The Bandsaw Handbook" in bookstores and it appears to be the one to get. Bird's book is prettier -- lots of color photos -- but I think Duginske's has more edible meat.
                I'll ditto that comment for Duginske's book, I could sum up his philosphy in two words "coplanar tracking". A recent issue of FWW (I'm thinking November or December) had the best bandsaw tips I've found yet by Michael Fortune. Fortune uses his 15" General for ripping and general woodcutting rather than a TS. Since I don't own and don't particularly want a TS, I found his techniques the most useful and have gotten the best results thus far. I also followed his blade recommendations and bought a 1/2" 3TPI Starrett blade from BCSaw (www.bcsaw.com). I've been ripping and sawing tons of birch veneers with it and am very pleased, I might still try a TimberWolf, though. Now if I could just improve on the highly-overrated (IMO) FastTrack fence.

                The other important recommendation Fortune makes that I found most useful, is rather than tracking the wheels coplanar, track the blade to the center of the upper wheel. This should square the blade the the table and save having to adjust the fence for lead, drift, whatever.

                I dunno the specs of your saw, but for a 14" BS, go 1/2" 3TPI hook tooth for general use and resawing. This will still cut at 2 1/2" radius.

                Here's some more free and useful info on bandsaws, blades, etc:

                http://www.rd.com/americanwoodworker...ain/index.html

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