14" Bandsaw and RSK Carbide Blade?

[Mike Heidrick]

I have been running the Resaw King on my MM20. I really like how smooth it cuts and how easily it resaws. My buddy has my old Jet 14" with the riser he has yet to install. The band on my Resaw King looks like it would have no issue being tensioned properly on a smaller saw. Then to make it more of an issue, on woodnet Laguna goes and offers up the 3/4" Resaw King for $99 in both the 105" and 93.5" sizes. My buddy is ready to jump on it but I want feedback.

Anyone else running a Resaw King blade on a 14" saw? Is it properly tensioned? Is this worth trying at all. It is just a bit more (2X-3X?) money than some of the better non carbide blades out there. I am thinking the carbide will have some life, be resharpenable, and since he wants to try a carbide blade this is a great deal.

Anyone running one on a 14" saw?

[David Christopher]

Mike, I'm running a resaw king on my 14" rikon..it has been the best purchase I've made.....no problems with tension or tracking

[Andrew Joiner]

The resaw kings are tipped with C-8 steel not carbide.

The Laguna website is kinda misleading to me. They post a customer's comment calling it a "carbide" but go on to call it C-8.

This is from the Laguna site:
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I wanted to do something with more accuracy. I purchased the Laguna Carbide resaw blade and I've very pleased with it.
- Karson M.,May 2008

This Resaw King bandsaw blade cuts so smoothly that it greatly reduces sanding time and saves material. We weld small pieces of tough C-8 steel onto high quality bands.
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[Phil Thien]

The resaw kings are tipped with C-8 steel not carbide.

I thought carbide was short for "carbide steel," and that C-8 was one of the specialty grades that tends to be abrasive and corrosion resistant?

[Jamie Buxton]

"Carbide" is short for "tungsten carbide". It is not steel. Steel is an alloy of iron, usally carbon, and perhaps some other elements depending on which steel you're talking about. Carbide is manufactured as a fine powder and sintered together into larger pieces. Steel is melted together, at temperatures which should cause tungsten carbide to melt also.

Elsewhere on the Laguna site there's a video of Laguna's owner visiting the factory in Europe where the Resaw King is manufactured. He says the tips "have as much carbide in them as is compatible with the fusion welding [used to fasten the tips to the band]". I dunno what that actually is.

My own experience is that while the Resaw King cuts beautifully, and it holds an edge considerably longer than standard steel blades, it does need resharpening. A true carbide-tipped blade like the Lennox ones take much longer to dull.

[Andrew Joiner]

Thanks Jamie,

Your experience is valuable to me. I ran into your old posts on Lenox VS resaw king. I guess you'll stay with the Woodmaster CT ? Did you find someone to sharpen it?

[Jamie Buxton]

Thanks Jamie,

Your experience is valuable to me. I ran into your old posts on Lenox VS resaw king. I guess you'll stay with the Woodmaster CT ? Did you find someone to sharpen it?

I haven't needed to find someone to sharpen the Woodmaster CT. It is still sharp. I strongly suspect that it cannot be sharpened. The carbide teeth are tiny.

[Mike Heidrick]

Not even a Lenox Dealer?