Bandsaw blade for woodturners............

[Roger Chandler]

I was visiting the Highland Woodworking site, and they have listed now a band saw blade just for wood turners. It is 3/8" x 3 tpi and is a thicker blade made for cutting turning blanks, even in green wood.

I have been pretty satisfied with the Timberwolf blades I have been using, however, I think they dull a little quicker than some others. I just this week installed a complete new upper assembly for the hub, spring, tensioning/tracking apparatus.........and while I was doing this thought I might ought to go ahead and get a new blade. Went to the local hardware/machine vendor............they were out of stock on what I wanted.

I found these wood turners blades, and have ordered one for my 14 inch saw and one for my 18 inch saw.......

I was wondering if others on this forum have used these specific blades, and how they have worked for you......also thought I would let everyone know that I plan on doing a review on these blades to give some info that might be helpful to turners, once I have tried them out with a good workout.

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/woodturners-bandsawblade.aspx

[Steve Vaughan]

Looks like a great blade, might have to try them myself. Look forward to your review on them. Be careful though...I couldn't help but notice that proposition 65 warning...FOR A BANDSAW BLADE!

[Roger Chandler]

Looks like a great blade, might have to try them myself. Look forward to your review on them. Be careful though...I couldn't help but notice that proposition 65 warning...FOR A BANDSAW BLADE!

Yeah Steve.........I missed that one! O my, what to do, what to do?!!! :eek: I'd be more worried about losing a finger to a bandsaw blade than all this ____________ [reader can fill in the blank!]

If they could they would pass a law outlawing breathing in air! :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Thanks for the heads-up! :D

[Bill Bolen]

I spotted those also and plan on trying one when my timberwolf is ready for replacement. Looking forward to your thoughs after a few blanks are cut.

[Hayes Rutherford]

Roger, I have wore quite a few of them out(Highland Hardware) and like them alot. They are .032 which is a little thicker than Suffolk Machinery's Timberwolf blades.which are .025. I re-sharpen them several times before they either brake, have very little set left, or have been ground beyond the hardened area in which case they dull almost instantly when re-installed. They don't seem as sharp as the timberwolf blades initially, but that doesn't really matter when you saw through bark and other debris. Currently I am using Timberwolf that were purchased when they had "buy two-get the third free" sale. They more often offer buy three get the fourth free which still makes them price attractive. They are both good.

[Pete Copeland]

These are the blades I use on my bandsaw (Grizzly 17") and I like them.

[Art German]

I ordered 3 of these blades and due to my screwup I got six of them for my 18" bridgewood. They worked very well right out of the box, but within 3 weeks all 6 had broken all at the weld. I'm back to Timber wolf now.

Art

[Bill Bulloch]

I use them also. They work well on sawing blanks from green wood and they are cheaper than Timberwolf blades. I'll have to admit though, in my over 50 years using a bandsaw this Highland Woodturners Blade is the only one I ever had break.

[Baxter Smith]

I am on my third one of them. They are the only ones I have tried since I started cutting green blanks so have nothing to compare to.

[Luke Townsley]

I'm using them too, and like them. I haven't tried the Timberwolf blades either.

[Kevin W Johnson]

Yeah Steve.........I missed that one! O my, what to do, what to do?!!! :eek: I'd be more worried about losing a finger to a bandsaw blade than all this ____________ [reader can fill in the blank!]

If they could they would pass a law outlawing breathing in air! :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Thanks for the heads-up! :D

Nahhh, they'd let you breathe in. It's exhaling that would be illegal.

[Kevin W Johnson]

I was visiting the Highland Woodworking site, and they have listed now a band saw blade just for wood turners. It is 3/8" x 3 tpi and is a thicker blade made for cutting turning blanks, even in green wood.

I have been pretty satisfied with the Timberwolf blades I have been using, however, I think they dull a little quicker than some others. I just this week installed a complete new upper assembly for the hub, spring, tensioning/tracking apparatus.........and while I was doing this thought I might ought to go ahead and get a new blade. Went to the local hardware/machine vendor............they were out of stock on what I wanted.

I found these wood turners blades, and have ordered one for my 14 inch saw and one for my 18 inch saw.......

I was wondering if others on this forum have used these specific blades, and how they have worked for you......also thought I would let everyone know that I plan on doing a review on these blades to give some info that might be helpful to turners, once I have tried them out with a good workout.

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/woodturners-bandsawblade.aspx

Who's the local vendor you went to? Just wanna make sure I'm not missing someone local.

[Roger Chandler]

Kevin,

I went to Rocking "R" Hardware.........South High St. They just were out of stock on a 3/8" or 1/4" x 3tpi blade........they do carry them at times. The Olsen brand.

[Kevin W Johnson]

Okie. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing another local source that I hadn't heard of.

On a side note, did you make it to the CVW meeting tuesday? I looked for ya, but didn't see you. It's entirely possible that I just missed you, it was a turn out of about 70 people.

[Reed Gray]

Lennox Diemaster 2 bandsaw blades. A bit harder to find, but by far the best blades out there.

robo hippy

[Dan Forman]

My local sharpening service makes bands to order, I get 1/2" 2 tooth alternate set, under $15 each, they cut fast and clear the damp sawdust well. Not a pretty cut on dry wood, but I only use them for green.

Dan

[Jack Mincey]

I go through 6 to 8 of these blades every year at my school shops that I teach at. I buy them because it is easier to purchase from Highland Hardware with all the red tape one has to go through to purchase through the purchase order system that the state makes use go through. If you start to hear a clicking sound turn the saw off and check for a crack in the blade. More than have of the ones I replace are still some what sharp, but develop a crack in the blade. Have had 2 break over the last 4 years. I use the timber wolf blades on my saw at home and like them a lot. I do let off the tension when not in use at home so maybe this is helping the timber wolf blade to out last the turners blade from Highland hardware. The blades in my school shops stay under tension at all times since I can't afford for a student to turn the saw on with a blade not under tension. The blades are run on 18" Jet saws at school and on a 16" MiniMax saw at my home shop. I spend a bit of time each year taking the guide bearings off the jets and soaking them in thin oil to loosen them up which is not much fun. The bearings should be sealed better IMHO. Not had any issues with the bearings on my MiniMax.
Jack

[Dennis Ford]

I agree with Reed, the "Lennox diemaster 2" is a great blade, lasts a long time. I use 1/2" 3 tpi. It is 0.032" thick which may be too much for some 14" saws but works great if the saw has enough stiffness to tension it properly.

[Richard Jones]

Lennox Diemaster 2 bandsaw blades. A bit harder to find, but by far the best blades out there.

robo hippy

Ditto. Get mine from bandsawbladesdirect

[Justin Stephen]

Just checked my old receipt from Highland and yup, I use a "Woodturner's 3/8" Bandsaw Blade". Like one of the previous posters, I haven't used much else to turn blanks than this, but it seems to work very well.

[Rob Sitze]

I've used them, only broken one and that was my fault, I was forcing the log in. I've worn several out.

[Richard Jones]

I agree with Reed, the "Lennox diemaster 2" is a great blade, lasts a long time. I use 1/2" 3 tpi. It is 0.032" thick which may be too much for some 14" saws but works great if the saw has enough stiffness to tension it properly.

That's what I use on my big saw.

[Roger Chandler]

Okie. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing another local source that I hadn't heard of.

On a side note, did you make it to the CVW meeting tuesday? I looked for ya, but didn't see you. It's entirely possible that I just missed you, it was a turn out of about 70 people.

Kevin,

I did not make it to the meeting of CVW..........my wife had surgery on Monday, and I needed to be close at hand to help her.

[Jon Nuckles]

Late getting in on this, but I have used 2 of them on a 17" Grizzly and found them to work as well as other turner's blades, at least at first. Unfortunately, both of them fell victim to my forgetting to tension the blade before turning on the bandsaw and were irretrievably kinked before they could wear out.

[Donny Lawson]

I'm bad about messing my bandsaw blades up shortly after installing them. They get cankered up with tree sap from the "Green" wood or I wind up kinking them shortly after going through the first log. I need to make me a sled for slicing up my logs with. Any ideas on this? I had one in my old shop but it burned and I'm not sure how I made it. I sawed up some spalted Holly and some Dogwood yesterday for pen blanks. I buy most of blades from Grizzly. Good blades and have never broke one. I have kinked the "fire" out of it though.

[Pat Scott]

I've never used Lennox blades before, but I have a Woodmaster CT blade coming with my new Agazzani saw that I ordered last week. From what I've read so far the CT should only be used on dry wood. Is that true?

Is the Lennox Diemaster 2 a good blade to use for green wood?

[Jamie Donaldson]

Jon- I seldom detension the blades on my Minimax 18" saw, but when I am not using it for long periods I place a red fridge door magnet on the loose blade to "enhance" my memory that the blade is loose.

[Reed Gray]

My local blade maker told me that the carbide tipped blades are for sawing veneers, and fine finish cuts. I tried out a couple anyway, and agree with him. The Diemaster is far better for green wood, and rough cuts. If you want to bookmatch slabs, then the CT is the way to go. The carbide tips are so tiny that my sharpening guy said he could not sharpen them. The Laguna Stellite tipped blade might be better for that as the tips are larger and can be sharpened, though I think they want you to send the blades back to them for resharpening.

robo hippy

[Mike Peace]

I am on about my 4th Highland Turners blade on my 14" Delta with riser. One snapped at the weld but Highland replaced it. I resharpen mine a few times before I replace 'em using a dremel and a cutoff wheel.

[Jim Burr]

Like Dan, our local turning shop makes blades and the work well for cutting blanks. Having no tablesaw, I needed something for a smoother cut on laminate blanks. Stopped by a friends shop...it's bigger than my house and puts out the most amazing furniture. He sent me home with a lightly used Highland Wood slicer. I'll never go back to the turning shop for blades again. Smooth, clean surface cuts that are so straight I can glue a laminate blank after using that blade. The downside is that they are expensive.

[Bill Wyko]

Haven't you heard, California state regulation says breathing can cause cancer in labratory animals. Using air in high doses can cause birth deffects there too. Actually might be true. Afterall, I was born there and look at what happened to me.:eek::D



Yeah Steve.........I missed that one! O my, what to do, what to do?!!! :eek: I'd be more worried about losing a finger to a bandsaw blade than all this ____________ [reader can fill in the blank!]

If they could they would pass a law outlawing breathing in air! :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Thanks for the heads-up! :D

[David E Keller]

I just ordered three of them to give them a try... I've been long overdue for a new blade, so this thread motivated me to try something new. It sounds like a mixed bag from the comments thus far.

[Dan Hintz]

Lennox Diemaster 2 bandsaw blades. A bit harder to find, but by far the best blades out there.

robo hippy
Not much to compare it to, myself, but this is what I use... have been through many many many hundreds of feet of lumber with the first one without any sign of dulling. The only reason I had to replace it was I hit a piece of quartz hidden within a crotch piece. Took the set right out in an instant and gave me a 30+ degree drift :(

[Ralph Lindberg]

I've used them also, but I also note they tend to break easier then other brands. Other then that I like the cut they give