Bandsaw re-saw blade recommendations?

[Joe Pack]

I need a bandsaw blade dedicated to re-sawing hardwoods (maple, cherry, walnut, sycamore, etc.) and exotics (purple heart, bocote, cocobolo, bubinga, etc.) for book matched dulcimer backs and tops. I need to cut to about 3/16" to finish at about 1/8". This will be on a Grizzly 17" 2.0 hp. bandsaw using a 131 1/2" blade. Suggestions?

[Jim Finn]

I use re-saw blades from "SuperCuts" on my 14" grizzly. 105" blade costs me about $25

[John TenEyck]

If your saw can tension a 1" blade, the Lenox Woodmaster CT 1", 1.3 tpi blade is amazing:


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pzJpVgL44fl0EivqreS3fG1OJ6URGc6Z3Bu-XZYyr6Lx07-S2S7B9gU9VMoKAhSY4fvB4e6Ke0J9CMsgFEvjG_YMy0YVddfJd p0Lg52Y97_iWmn8gek1TexX2VnC8RKtmNsEqWPHWJQeBPSDqJq 3arqK_eieyqPBLbvlVaaNUbs3rUvRV4nssCfM7PCADsyKjPxHs u1tUYI8dLBZndilOhWjaIKZvllwkOXvxjgmYitbYvL7BKLK3lE mQpWWWmbH7WaaXXWN2ye91FWkcE8j2ijIJUb3fvQ9lqHckqtT5 7Whk7iBWdnm1jl2PJB91hj3grEgJ7lk4UB-7-2mPo_hZcDzOcsd33WyiqU0OhvUVqVMDsLabNJzSQHfh9ioqAJJ _9fD03I3oLJHIE6whSedqeWOcRYwlAvDAvGu73a8c4WF5nxrU-bi490DCYZ5rYxJqV91ZthR8d3uF9rTlseuLSdKvOCWjAQP13-6R5m9j6wDz6MnIP2fmB5T3z5ZAKl0ZlDMpL3eropGw8LnhCw5x pl6ukbb289ZBTEQH6uAAuUo-yWYIFvmK_W0Z86FoJ1mMerTxW6dZ1UsQ8kwME4LmmbzMq8puDb VZST_uDIRCh3V_OA5Yg=w640-h480-no

John

[Erik Loza]

I would suggest a Lenox Die-Master II, as wide as your saw will handle. The Lenox Woodmaster CT requires lots of tension to be able to cut straight and I would want to make sure my machine could do that before paying for one of those. Good luck.

Erik

[Mastruca e Cambales]

Eric i don't know the reason why bimetal bandsaw blades thick 0.6 mm are made only in 1/2 size and not 3/4 or 1"

[Erik Loza]

Eric i don't know the reason why bimetal bandsaw blades thick 0.6 mm are made only in 1/2 size and not 3/4 or 1"

Because they might break?

Erik

[Chris Padilla]

The Lenox Die-Master II is only available in 1/2" (mine is the 6 tpi hook style FWIW) and I love it. It is a reasonably-priced blade and I cut veneers with it all the time on my MM20 band saw and it sure has lasted a long time (for a hobbyist) cutting mostly walnut but a fair amount of maple, too.

[Michael Koons]

So I've had a 1/2" blade in my MM24 as my general use blade. About to start resawing. From what I'm hearing, I should go 1" or higher with the Lennox Woodmast CT. Sound right?

(Sorry for riding the coattails of this thread.) :)

[Jim Sevey]

1/2" Woodslicer. Exceptional cut and finish.

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/woodslicer12resawbandsawblades138to166.aspx

[David Kumm]

So I've had a 1/2" blade in my MM24 as my general use blade. About to start resawing. From what I'm hearing, I should go 1" or higher with the Lennox Woodmast CT. Sound right?

(Sorry for riding the coattails of this thread.) :)

You don't want a Trimaster or CT 1.3 wider than 1". The band gets thicker on the 1.25" and a MM24 won't tension it. I run a 1" on my Oliver 36" 116 and don't need anything wider if you crank up the tension to 30000. Dave

[Mastruca e Cambales]

Erik, I always thought that tended to crack the too thick blades in relation to the diameter of wheels not those too wide

[Mark HortonMD]

Wow John that cut is amazing right off the saw, I have a similar 1" blade on my saw (dont know the manufacturer) that came with it , purchased used. Testing resawing its as rough as a cob , seems like the tension is way up but the alignment of fence may be my issue. The blade is razor sharp, and it came with another new one. The fence is a roller type with very little adjustment, may have slot the holes.

345350

[John TenEyck]

Mark, not much is similar to the CT. Maybe the Laguna Resaw King. I haven't used one, though, so I'm just speculating. The Woodslicer is ok, short term, but it has a very short life especially in anything abrasive. Diemaster II or Olson MVP blades are good but the surface is much rougher, even if you squeeze out some of the set. Anything that comes stock on a new saw is likely worthless for resawing.

That photo I took with the Woodmaster CT is nothing special. It cuts like that consistently on my Grizzly G0636X.

John

[Erik Loza]

Erik, I always thought that tended to crack the too thick blades in relation to the diameter of wheels not those too wide

what blades are we talking about and what diameter flywheel?

erik

[Mastruca e Cambales]

what blades are we talking about and what diameter flywheel?

erik
16" or 20" flyweels; 1"×0.35' or 3/4"× 0.35 bimetal or carbide tipped bandsaw blades

[Van Huskey]

First, if you need to save wood (I don't know how precious the blanks are) one of the hardened spring steel blades will give a VERY good finish off the saw and has a very narrow kerf, they are cheap but do dull quickly. You can get them from Highland (Woodslicer) Iturra (Bandrunner) or Spectrum Supply (Kerfmaster) they are all the same blade stock listed from most expensive to least expensive.

If you really want a carbide blade the Laguna Resaw King in 3/4" would be my choice, it is a thin gauge carbide blade which has a thin kerf so it works on saws that are tension limited as well as saving wood and being easier on lower horsepower saws.

The Lenox bi-metal Diemaster is also a good choice but now every aggresive so the feedrate is slower. A Lenox Woodmaster C (not CT) is also a good choice for the saw, it is the most aggressive blade I have mentioned and will give up some level of finish vs speed.

[Erik Loza]

16" or 20" flyweels; 1"×0.35' or 3/4"× 0.35 bimetal or carbide tipped bandsaw blades

Well, you definitely won't have any issues on the 20" flywheel. The rumor going around in the early 2000's was that the band of the Lenox Tri-master 1.0" was so stiff that the bladw would crack at the gullets on a 16" flywheel. I sold as many 1.0" Tri-masters as anyone for the MM16 back in those days and could never credibly locate a single customer who experienced this. I heard of blades breaking at the weld and plenty of blades with uneven welds but not one instance of a Tri-master cracking at the gullets on a 16" machine. The other rumor floating around was that sometime around that period, Lenox allegedly re-formulated the metal of their band stock on the Tri-master to make it more flexible. I don't know if this is true or not but can say that I have no hesitations about suggesting a 1.0 Tri-master on a 16" machine. Now, whether or not your 16" machine can actually tension a Tri-master properly is a possibky a different conversation.

Erik

[Chris Padilla]

I also have a Lenox Woodmaster CT 1.3 tpi (.051" kerf, carbide) and never really cared for it. My Trimaster (pre-bending and fixing) gave a much nicer finish. Maybe mine was put together on Friday before closing and perhaps I need to give it another shot but seemed to cut a lot rougher than I liked. It hangs on the wall perhaps deserving another chance. :)

[John TenEyck]

I also have a Lenox Woodmaster CT 1.3 tpi (.051" kerf, carbide) and never really cared for it. My Trimaster (pre-bending and fixing) gave a much nicer finish. Maybe mine was put together on Friday before closing and perhaps I need to give it another shot but seemed to cut a lot rougher than I liked. It hangs on the wall perhaps deserving another chance. :)


Chris, if your CT is 160 - 162" long, just send it to me, I'll put it to good use! Maybe your BS can't tension it enough? No idea, but the CT cuts amazingly well on my saw.

John

[Allan Speers]

I also have a Lenox Woodmaster CT 1.3 tpi (.051" kerf, carbide) and never really cared for it. My Trimaster (pre-bending and fixing) gave a much nicer finish. Maybe mine was put together on Friday before closing and perhaps I need to give it another shot but seemed to cut a lot rougher than I liked. It hangs on the wall perhaps deserving another chance. :)

I also have a 1" Lenox Woodmaster CT, on my 21" Grizzly. I bought it because I needed a long lasting blade for a huge amount of white Oak I had to process, and also because it cost $100 less than the Laguna Resaw King.

It has indeed lasted a loooong time, but I'm not crazy about the finish. On my old Delta 14", I got a MUCH nicer finish with a Wood Slicer, though those blades dull very quickly. A sharp Woodmaster CT still beats the pants off of a dull ANYTHING.

Next time I'll be trying the Resaw King, which is said to give a very nice finish (as carbide blades go) and is thinner than the CT as well. But MAN, are they expensive.

[Scott T Smith]

I've used Lenox Trimasters and Laguna Resaw Kings on my dedicated resaw. Both work great, but the RK's have a thinner kerf and leave a smoother surface.

Both cut more smoothly after being resharpened and reset.

[Van Huskey]

The other rumor floating around was that sometime around that period, Lenox allegedly re-formulated the metal of their band stock on the Tri-master to make it more flexible. I don't know if this is true or not...

Erik

I have it on good authority that it was simply a placebo effect... though I wouldn't bet my life on it. Another thing to note is flat tired wheels are kinder to bands and less likely to produce fatigue cracks, that said few small (18" and under) saws with crowned wheels can produce enough tension to cause issues and the large old iron saws that can usually have (much) larger wheels.

To those discussing the Woodmaster CT keep in mind it was designed as a sawmill blade with preference to feedrates and beam strength with less emphasis on finish. It has its time in place but its only advantage in a hobby shop (being hand fed) is cost, the Trimaster and RK are the finish carbide blade of choice.


Scott, who sharpened your Trimaster?

[Mastruca e Cambales]

Another thing to note is flat tired wheels are kinder to bands and less likely to produce fatigue cracks, that said few small (18" and under) saws with crowned wheels can produce enough tension to cause issues and the large old iron saws that can usually have (much) larger wheels.
Very interesting topic, Van. Any other specification about advantages and disadvantages of crowned vs flat tires? (Sorry for my English)

[Joe Pack]

Thanks for the information, folks. My budget says I need to skip the carbide blades, so I settled for a dedicated Timberwolf 2/3 vp blade from Suffolk.

[Tom Trees]

To those discussing the Woodmaster CT keep in mind it was designed as a sawmill blade with preference to feedrates and beam strength with less emphasis on finish. It has its time in place but its only advantage in a hobby shop (being hand fed) is cost, the Trimaster and RK are the finish carbide blade of choice.


That's not what those luthier folks keep saying .
A lot of them use the Woodmaster CT as they are sawing mostly exotics .
some of them have got good at sharpening instead.

[David Kumm]

I have both Lenox blades and I think the results of either depend on how well the particular band has been ground. It only takes one tooth out of whack to make a finish rough. There is more carbide on the Trimaster and the 2-3 varitooth will generally leave a little better finish but when hand feeding it isn't all that significant. Most boards will need a final finish due to the hesitation built in when hand feeding.

I did have problems with the Trimaster on an 18" saw in the early 2000s but believe it may have been due to the heat generated by the back bearing. The saw could not tension the blade adequately. It still gave a decent cut but I broke several- costly. I now tension to 25000+ so the back bearing seldom engages. Dave

[Chris Padilla]

Chris, if your CT is 160 - 162" long, just send it to me, I'll put it to good use! Maybe your BS can't tension it enough? No idea, but the CT cuts amazingly well on my saw.

John

The MM20 takes a 14 foot blade. One of these days I'll break it out again and give it another shot.

[Van Huskey]

Thanks for the information, folks. My budget says I need to skip the carbide blades, so I settled for a dedicated Timberwolf 2/3 vp blade from Suffolk.

The "Swedish steel" blades are a carry over from the friction band market. They are softer than quality carbon blades but harder than hardened spring steel. The advantage over hardened spring steel (like the Woodslicer and others made from the same stock) is they last longer but still not as long as carbon blades. They aren't the most economical blade (actually one of the least cost efficient) but they do cut well when sharp. If you end up using it enough to dull it relatively quickly I strongly suggest moving to a bi-metal blade, for not a lot more money it will last 8+ times longer than the TW.

[Van Huskey]

That's not what those luthier folks keep saying .
A lot of them use the Woodmaster CT as they are sawing mostly exotics .
some of them have got good at sharpening instead.

I can only share my own personal experience but will point out mine matches what one would expect just looking at the blade specifications. The WM CT (1" since few of us can use the 2") only comes in low tooth counts and non-variable pitch. The Trimaster and RK both have higher variable pitch geometry both of which lead to a finer finish. That said it is important to note that when hand feeding being able to distinguish the difference in finish will be almost impossible unless one can hand feed the particular stock nearly as consistently as a power feeder.

[Mastruca e Cambales]

Another thing to note is flat tired wheels are kinder to bands and less likely to produce fatigue cracks, that said few small (18" and under) saws with crowned wheels can produce enough tension to cause issues and the large old iron saws that can usually have (much) larger wheels.
are the finish carbide blade of choice.


Very interesting topic, Van. Any other specification about advantages and disadvantages of crowned vs flat tires? (Sorry for my English)

[Brian Cosgrove]

I see that most people use the 1" 1.3 tpi blade (Woodmaster CT), however, it is also available in 2 tpi. Does anyone have experience with this blade? Would this give a finer finish, albeit while sacrificing a little speed rate?

Brian

[Mike Cutler]

I need a bandsaw blade dedicated to re-sawing hardwoods (maple, cherry, walnut, sycamore, etc.) and exotics (purple heart, bocote, cocobolo, bubinga, etc.) for book matched dulcimer backs and tops. I need to cut to about 3/16" to finish at about 1/8". This will be on a Grizzly 17" 2.0 hp. bandsaw using a 131 1/2" blade. Suggestions?

Joe
I can't comment too much on the domestic species, but I've cut all of the exotics on your list. You will want a carbide tipped blade for those exotics. Those tropical are hard on blades.
I use a 1" Lennox, 2/3, varipitch on my 18" Rikon, 10-340. Blade length is 142". This saw is only setup, and ever used, to re-saw. It's purpose specific. I have another band saw, for the other tasks.
I can hold the thickness variation on a resawn board to between a 32nd and a 64th, pretty much regardless of the length, or width, of the board being re-sawn. (If I used a power feeder it would probably be less.) Re-sawing boards the lengths you would need, the blade and saw could effectively hold the thickness variation to "zero", (you'd need a mic) for that size. longest re-saw I've done on it was just over 22'. We were cutting parts to make wings for an ultra-light airplane. It was Sitka spruce, but still.... This blade will do what you need, no worries.
It doesn't come off the saw as "finish ready", but I just have to clean it up a bit on the drum sander.

[richard b miller]

1/2" Woodslicer. Exceptional cut and finish.

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/woodslicer12resawbandsawblades138to166.aspx

highland wood slicer is the one i purchased also. love it!

ps- i also have the grizzly 14". they have the 93-1/2 for the 14" griz. just looked at the current price 29.99

[Van Huskey]

highland wood slicer is the one i purchased also. love it!

ps- i also have the grizzly 14". they have the 93-1/2 for the 14" griz. just looked at the current price 29.99

I know I sometimes sound like a broken record on this but...

Iturra and Spectrum Supply sell the same bladestock named the Blade Runner and Kerfmaster respectively. Each are significantly cheaper than Highland. For example Spectrum sells a 4 blade Kerfmaster sample pack including 1/2, 2 different thickness 5/8 and one 3/4" in 93-1/2" for $50 and a few pennies. The regular price for a single blade to fit Delta and clones without a riser is just under $16.