Carbide bandsaw blades?

I am needing a carbide bandsaw blade for re-sawing wet wood. I checked out Timberwolf's site and they sell a 1" blade, but recommend that it be used on an 18" or bigger machine and also on wood with 10% or less moisture content. I happen to have a Grizzley 17" bandsaw. (dang it 1" too small). I will be re-sawing thick stock. often better than 8" thick, all hardwoods with figure in it. (nasty grain) I also looked at Lennox Tri-master blades. I seem to remember that there were some other options but can't recall what they were. Any ideas? Also what sources would any of you recommend?

Paul...call the folks at Suffolk and ask their advice. I'm sure have something that will fit the bill.

Laguna makes carbide blades especially for bandsaws less than 20".

Carbide blades may actually not be the best choice for wet wood...and should you get a bad catch/kink, the cost could be really high to you. I use Timberwolf AS blades for wet wood cutting. My carbide blade is kept strictly for straight/resaw cuts in dry wood.

When I got my MM16 I bought a carbine Lenox Tri-Master through them at the same time. They made a point of telling me not to use it on wet wood as it would dull the carbine fairly quickly.

Give these folk a call. They are very knowledgeable about all manner of bandsaw applications, are independent of the manufacturers, and can weld you any blade appropriate for your saw at a very reasonable price.

I've purchased everything from plain vanilla blades to an 1-1/2" variable pitch carbide resaw blade from them. I first heard about them six or seven years ago in a magazine article praising them for their very smooth welds. They do feature Lennox blades, but also use material from other manufacturers.

Hastings Saws:
www.hastingssaws.com
707-584-8541

I have been using Timberwolf (suffolk machinery) 3/4 blades and have resharpened them several times. I was hoping that the carbide blade would last longer and cut quicker. Helping me to cut out production time.
I wonder if the reason the carbide blades dull in wet wood has to do with heat buildup in the blade and water in the wood causing edge spaling fractures in the carbide. I'll have to ask them when I call next time.
I try to chainsaw the blocks with straight cuts but given the nature of figured wood there are often bumps and burls on the outside that make getting a resawable block problematic. I have had a few catches that bent the saw blade, I think I have learned my lesson on that one :rolleyes: It only took one time having an out of square block slam down on my finger to quit trying risky sawing.:D I still have all my apendages after 30 years around metal cutting machines, chainsaws and wwing equipment. A friend of mine has a professional re-saw machine that clamps the wood securely, maybe some day...............

Ditto the wet wood.. carbide blades mix mentioned. Highland Hardwood has a carbon blade 3/8" they had especially made for wet at around $20. I use one and do it with a Lennox bi-metal on occasion at around $45, but even then the bi-metal works better in drier wood as I re-saw with it also.

And if you have a smaller BS you certainly don't have to run a 1" blade. I have an 18" and I run 3/4" max. When I re-sawed with a 14" BS I ran 1/2" and people do it evey day and have for years. Don't get over-whelmed with the "must have" syndrome that is so common these days.

Good luck...

Sarge..

Paul, I just got the 17 inch grizzly bandsaw. I couldn't justify the cost of the carbide and read that bimetal was the best bang for the buck. Unfortunately, to get the tooth sizing I wanted I had to go to a 1 inch blade and that is somewhat dicey. First, I ordered a 131 1/2 blade and when it arrived, I couldn't tension it at all before the upper wheel hit the stop. I measured it on the outside at 132 1/4 but I can't be sure I got an accurate measurement and when I returned it they said it was only 131 3/4. They suggested that I specify the midrange length the next time I order. They did make it shorter and it is on the saw and runs, though I had to bend the blade protectors under the table so they wouldn't hit it. Also, the tension gauge is pretty useless, because it seems to measure the distance between the two wheels, not the tension on the spring. When the blade was too long, I was at a 7 on the tension scale and the blade was still visibly very loose. I have it above the 8 now on the shorter blade and it doesn't sound very tight using the pluck test, but did a pretty good job in the test cut I did tonight.

What tooth sizing did you need Barry..?.. as my source for Lennox had the 3 TPI in 3/4 cut and welded to the lenght I requested which is 137. Perfect fit and the fact you have Griz and I have Steel City should not matter.

Regards...

Sarge..

Sarge, I wanted a 2 /3 vari tooth, and Iturra only offered that in the 1 inch size for the lennox bimetal blade. The only 3/4 lennox bimetal they offered was the 4/6. I admit they did a great job on the weld, it was so smooth you couldn't feel it.

You're scaring me with that story Barry - I have a 131 1/2" Lennox carbide on the way to me now (in the 3/4" size). I hope it comes the right size!

If I have time Barry, I will attempt to dig up the invoice on where I purchase my Lennox as I found their website by Google. Northern U.S. is all I remember and you migth Google. I am male nursing as my wife just got out of surgery yesterday and will look into it.

Did you actually measure around the wheels to be sure that the 131 whatever is acutually correct? I ordered 137 which is Steel City specs for the saw and it fit exactly. But.. I have not seen the Grizzly 17" BS in person yet but will in a couple of weeks when I demo at IWF.

The Steel City has two large springs in lieu of one as most BS's and not only are they heavy but have a bit of travel. If you have short travel and the weld is an inch or more off.. could be a problem. When you do get a good fit I would meausre it and order accordingly in the future to be sure you get what you ordered. If not measured properly before the weld is made.. nothing will change that after the fact.

Good luck and I will try to get back on the source as I usaully order several as I know I will use them rather quickly.

Sarge..

I have used several different blades for general sawing. I picked up some partial rolls of 1/2" and 3/8" DoAll bandsaw blades and tig welded them for my saw. They worked great for a while but I had trouble getting the annealing to hold up, and they broke after a few hours of sawing.:(. I seem to remember that my saw takes 132-1/2 I think it was specified as a 133" saw but found that I couldn't tension the blades at that length.The Timberwolf blades have been very reliable. I might just have to order some lennox blades and see how they perform. I would also like to get a 2-3 tpi blade. Another thought; I haven't tried the other pulley on my Grizzley saw. I will have to check which speed the saw is currently running at. It may be that by switching pullies I may loose speed but gain torque. Another thought is to ask about a more aggressive set to the saw teeth. It may help to have a little more kerf when sawing thick green wood.

I had just hoped that the carbide blade would work well for what I am doing, but that is why I asked the question here. :D