Bandsaw Resaw Blades

[Art Tripp]

I am seeking recommendations on the best bandsaw blades for two separate tasks.

I have a Laguna 18BX with a 1" Resaw King blade for general resaw work. I am quite pleased with the blade but for some upcoming projects, it is likely that alternative blades would better, either due to the risk of damage or due to the type of wood being cut. (My other blades are Lenox Diemaster 2, 1/4" 6tpi & 1/2" 4tpi.)

The first task is resawing reclaimed 8/4 lumber from a one-room schoolhouse. While I will be checking the wood both visually and with a detector, as well as doing my best to avoid or remove all nails and metal, I am pretty sure that I will end up with some questionable wood. I have two trains of thought on this. One is to use a less-expensive blade and to consider it to be expendable if it should accidently contact metal. The second is the option of using a blade that is more forgiving of metal by way of being bi-metal and/or with a higher tooth count, and thereby possibly surviving the incident. Again, I will not be intentionally cutting metal, but for questionable wood, I would rather not risk the smooth-cutting $175 Resaw King.

The second task is milling / resawing hardood log sections. My intent is to eventually purchase a portable sawmill, but in the meantime I would like to begin tinkering around with smaller log sections (2' or so in length). The boards would be dried then utilized in a variety of craft or smaller projects. For this, I would prefer a blade that has a long life (durability and/or ability to resharpen) and a good cut quality at an affordable cost. I have a 103 acre tree farm and my intent is to utilize the occasional fallen tree instead of allowing it to simply waste away on the ground.

I have been actively researching the subject but any input on your personal experience is welcome. I would appreciate recommendations as to the specific manufacturer, blade, width, tpi, etc. Thanks.


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[John TenEyck]

I would use the cheapest blades you can find for resawing the reclaimed lumber. I recently bought a bunch of Lennox blades for my BS; 162" long. Some of them were less than $20 IIRC, certainly less than $25. I wouldn't saw green wood on my BS, just because of the mandatory clean up required to prevent rust, but if I did I would use Lennox Woodmaster GT blades. They are made for portable saw mills and resaws, and have a tooth geometry and construction that allows multiple resharpenings. They are cheap enough that you could use them for the reclaimed lumber, too.

John

[Art Tripp]

I have been satisfied with my present Lenox blades and the price point of their carbon blades are attractive, with the bi-metal blades being reasonable too. For the reclaimed lumber, I may begin with a cheaper carbon blade to see if I run into anything, then switch to a bi-metal blade once I am feeling confident that the wood is relatively clear of hazards.

For log milling, the Lenox Woodmaster GT is pretty attractive with a price point of $20.18 and has the ability to be sharpened multiple times. It really hadn't been on my radar but very much is now. I have seen good comments on Timberwolf blades, though at the same time the price is twice as much as the Lenox so the overall value is something that might need further evaluation. I may opt to purchase the less-expensive Lenox and do some sawing with it to get an idea of the clean-up and log-sawing intricacies then move forward from there.

I appreciate the feedback.