bandsaw blade for dovetails

[Jason Thaxton]

I need some advice on a band saw blade for cutting dovetails. I have a jet 18 inch 3hp bandsaw. I'm looking for a super smooth straight tracking blade. speed is not real important. I Will be cutting 1/2-1 inch stock. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

[Van Huskey]

.022 or .016" thick 1/2", 5/8" or 3/4" wide 3 TPI or 3/4 variable TPI blade with minamal set:

Lenox Kerfmaster from Spectrim Supply (cheapest of the three)
Woodslicer from Highland
Bladerunner from Iturra

Some may want a less agressive blade but these give excellent results.

If your saw is the current triangle spine Jet I would use the .022 5/8" or .022 3/4", if it is the older version then the .016 5/8" or .022 1/2" blades.

[Jason Thaxton]

Those blades look good I have also thought about the diemaster 2 (1/2") (.020) 10/14. I thought more teeth would give you a better cut? How long do the kerfmasters last? I really like the longevity of bimetal?

[Chris Padilla]

I use the Lenox Diemaster2 for resawing and it works very nicely and I'm quite surprised how long it has lasted me after slicing many veneers off a plank of black walnut. Mine is the 1/2" blade, 6 tpi, hook style, 0.035" kerf (I think...could be less).

It leaves a pretty smooth cut resawing but I'm not sure if it good enough for dovetails...could well be.

If you want a really really REALLY smooth cut, you might need/want to consider a carbide blade like the Lenox Trimaster but it is ~5x the cost of the Diemaster2 above. I have both blades and really like them a lot...for resawing.

More teeth should give you a smoother cut at the expense of speed but in cutting dovetails, speed is of little consequence as you point out. That Diemaster2 you found sounds pretty good and if the cost is under $50, it is probably worth a shot. Overall, I really like Lenox BS blades.

BTW, that Highland Woodslicer and Iturra's Blade Runner are the exact same blade stock but Iturra sells it cheaper than Highland. :)

[Van Huskey]

I love the Diemaster 2 (bimetal in general) and it will save you money if you use it a lot! I am not a fan of high TPI standard tooth designs for much of anything but if you have the time and patience they are fine. I look at it like this, try to draw a straight line very slowly, then try it faster, which one is straighter? For most people there is a place well above very slow (but not extremely fast) that the drawn line is straightest. I would use a 4 TPI hook Diemaster 2. The Diemaster 2 should run you about $4 a foot, so about $45-47 for that saw.

Chris is correct the Iturra is cheaper than the Highland, the Spectrum blade is cheaper than either and though I have never been able to confirm it is the exact same stock it performs as well or better. None of these will last as long as the bimetal by a LONG shot since they are spring steel (though unusually hard) but these three blades give a finish that is hard to beat.

[bob hertle]

Jason

The beauty of this place is you'll get many opinions on how to do any given job. I used to think like Van, and used a 1/2" blade for my dovetails. Still do for large structural dovetails in thick stock. But for drawers and boxes, 1/4"-3/4", I now use a 1/8-14tpi blade. Rather than try to expand on the reasons here, I'll refer you to this thread: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=131057&highlight=bandsawn+dovetails

Bob

[Van Huskey]

Jason

The beauty of this place is you'll get many opinions on how to do any given job. I used to think like Van, and used a 1/2" blade for my dovetails. Still do for large structural dovetails in thick stock. But for drawers and boxes, 1/4"-3/4", I now use a 1/8-14tpi blade. Rather than try to expand on the reasons here, I'll refer you to this thread: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=131057&highlight=bandsawn+dovetails

Bob

Bob,

There is no way to argue with results!!! That is one well executed set of drawers!

[bob hertle]

Van

Thanks for the kind words! I stuck with the 1/2" blade for dovetails for a long time, using the blade to nibble out the waste. What really surprised me was that with guides set at about a total of .003", the 1/8" blade nibbles as well as the 1/2", and cuts just as straight for the short length of cut necessary to cut pins and tails. Now I nibble only enough to allow the 1/8" blade to enter the pin or tail area, set the fence to cut on the marking gage line, and saw out the waste as a chunk. This is quite possibly the only use I'll ever have for the 1/8" blade, but it does a surprisingly good job.

Bob