Blades for a Laguna LT14 SUV

[Mike Holbrook]

I am thinking about buying an extra saw blade or two for my new saw. It came with a Resaw King 1". I think some consider this to be more of a resaw/veneer blade. I should say I have a small Inca bandsaw with plenty of blades in the 1/8- 1/2" sizes.

I had some blade suggestions during my project to pick out a new saw. Some people seemed to think a 3/4" Resaw King would handle ripping the standard 8/4 lumber (finished two surfaces, one good edge) I plan to normally be cutting. I think the two blades cost about the same, just wondering if I should consider the smaller blade for most ripping, saving the larger blade for finer work? I think some even felt the Resaw King was not needed for "rough rip" cuts. I am ok spending a little more $ to get the better cut though if it saves some time and accuracy. I got the idea some feel that a 1" blade used on a 14" saw may stress the saw if over used? I want at least one extra blade anyway.

[Jamie Buxton]

You select blades for the purpose you're going them for. A wide carbide blade is a good choice for ripping, and for cuttin veneer, which is a form of ripping. There's a little benefit to a wider blade, up to the ability of the saw to properly tension it. Laguna obviously thinks that the saw is strong enough for a 1" resaw king, so there's no reason to do something else unless you see a problem with the blade you now have.

In general, carbide-tipped blades, despite their high purchase price, have a lower cost when you consider the entire life of the blade. They also provide a cleaner cut than steel blades, so you get lower overall cost and better cut. That's a good choice.

If you really want to buy blades for your saw, you might buy narrower blades for cutting curves -- 1/4" or 3/8". They'll be steel.

[Mike Holbrook]

Thanks for the reply Jamie,
My thoughts have been very similar to yours on the blades. I had several people suggest 3/4" would be what they would use on my saw. The less tension required to run the smaller blade was something they thought might be desirable. The feeling was competitive incentives among manufacturers cause them to list the highest possible blade size for these saws. Those who questioned the 1" blade thought I would not see significant performance differences. I am not sure if the 1" blade might wear on the saw more? At least one poster suggested using plain steel blades for most ripping, saving the carbide blade for resaws & veneer.

I may just order a 3/4" Resaw King as my backup blade. The greater cost of the carbide tipped blade does not concern me as I believe most of the extra cost is repaid by a longer life. I believe better cuts also save time & wood. I might as well get the best cut I can out of my saw.

I have been thinking in terms of doing curved cuts on my old Inca saw that has plenty of small blades. I 'm sure the larger saw is just going to cut better though, especially for longer cuts through thicker wood, just not sure how much to invest there?

[Jeff Willard]

Have you considered a Tri-Master?

http://www.spectrumsupply.com/trimaster.aspx

It's a popular band among many users, and not quite as spendy as the RK. I run one on the same saw and couldn't be happier with the results.