Anyone using 1/2" Lennox Trimaster on 14" BS?

[James Carmichael]

Sorry for another BS blade question, there's been lots lately, but this would be a big purchase:

My question in another thread was about using the Lennox Trimaster on my 14" Ridgid (w riser), and got the reply that a 14" BS would not properly tension a carbide blade. A call to Iturra Designs confirmed that it could not be tensioned to the Lennox-recommended 25,000 PSI, but, with their hi-tension spring, it could be tensioned to 15,000 PSI and still give better cuts than any other blade they had tried.

I use my Ridgid for just about everything, rips, resawing, joinery, (the few curves I cut are over a 2 1/2" radius) and I don't like changing blades. As I gain experience, I am also working more with denser hardwoods including hickory, cocobolo, and ipe, which seem to eat carbon-steel for lunch. I haven't had cause to resaw thicker than 4" yet and doubt that I'll go over 6" anytime soon, too much for my 3/4" HP motor. I would definitely want the 1/2" Trimaster in order to get the TCG tooth geometry.

Just wondering if anyone else had tried a 1/2" Trimaster on a 14" BS and what their results had been.

Thanks,

James

[Jim Becker]

I never got around to using one on the 14" saw I used to own, but have seen posts from folks who have that were positive. The 1/2" blade is very thin and should be manageable on your saw.

[Mike Cutler]

James.I don't really think anyone likes changing bandsaw blades ;)
Imho the 1/2" lennox should work just fine. The spring that Louis sells is a nice upgrade, if it will fit your Rigid. It helped my Jet 14", w/riser, out quite abit. The only hitch I can forsee is that it sounds like you want to use one blade for everything, that may not work out too well. Most conventional woodlore, and professional opinion, is to have one blade specifically for resawing to avoid altering the "set" of the blade with radius cuts.
I found that the 1/2" Woodslicer blade from highland hardware gave me the best resawing results with my Jet 14", however I never tried a Tri Master on it. Just some additional food for thought.

[James Carmichael]

Mike,

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, were I to invest the bucks in a Trimaster, it definitely would not be used on curves. I haven't experienced that (altering set), but I have read that cutting curves will mess up a blade's straight-line tracking, I just didn't know why, but what you said makes sense.

Especially since I don't own a TS and do rips on the BS, a Trimaster would be used exclusively for straight-line work.