Band Saw Tension

[Joe Pelonio]

I'm not experienced at the mechanics of a band saw so I need some help.

I have an inexpensive Delta 1/3 HP with 1/4" blade that I use mainly for rounding corners on MDO for wood Signs. I was just trying to rip a small
piece of MDO and even with a fence in place the blade was turning into the wood.

Is that the blade tension being too loose? Does the tension normally loosen itself up over time and have to be adjusted? I don't think I've
touched the tension since I first set it up a couple of years ago.

[tod evans]

joe most likely your blade is dull. tod

[Andy Hoyt]

.... I don't think I've touched the tension since I first set it up a couple of years ago.
Joe - My number one rule for bandsaw blades is to relieve the tension when I'm done with the saw. I use mine off and on throughout the day, so my practice is to simply add tension when I first use the machine and then release it at the end of the day.

Good chance the blade has stretched. And dull - which compounds the issue since you're pushing harder - which in turn will make the blade deflect more.

Get a new blade and enjoy.

[Joe Pelonio]

Thanks guys, I'll get a new blade, and since I may use it only a few times a month I'll release the tension until I need it.

[Frank Pellow]

Im having exactly the same problem with my saw. On the weekend I more or less destroyed a very nice section of 7.5 inch by 2 inch by 5 foot white quarter sawn oak due to drifting on my bandsaw. :( I am using the cheap 1 inch blade that came with the saw. I will definately buy a better blade and hope that helps.

I have not used a bandsaw very much so I really don't know if the problem is me or the blade, but getting a good blade should tell me something. :confused:

[Neil Bosdet]

Frank,

Getting a good blade may not solve your problem. It is just as likely or even more so, a problem with set up. I've been going through bandsaw hell for the past 6 weeks. It started with my 1" carbide blade blowing up inside my machine. That was expensive and boy did it scare me. It went BANG! Anyway, I have spent many hours since figuring out why it happened and how I could prevent it from happening again. So, at this moment I am better versed at bandsaw issues than I was a couple of months ago.

I have a very good bandsaw (IMHO). It's a Laguna LT18 and in my experience if I run a poor blade on the machine I get crappy cutting but not drifting. A dull blade gets me slow cutting and maybe burning but again, no drifting. A 1 inch blade needs quite a bit of tension. What machine do you have? Have you had this problem before and have you used this blade much before? What was your tension set at (relative I know).

I'm certainly not an expert on this but if I can offer any suggestions, I will.

Neil

[Frank Pellow]

Frank,

Getting a good blade may not solve your problem. It is just as likely or even more so, a problem with set up. I've been going through bandsaw hell for the past 6 weeks. It started with my 1" carbide blade blowing up inside my machine. That was expensive and boy did it scare me. It went BANG! Anyway, I have spent many hours since figuring out why it happened and how I could prevent it from happening again. So, at this moment I am better versed at bandsaw issues than I was a couple of months ago.

I have a very good bandsaw (IMHO). It's a Laguna LT18 and in my experience if I run a poor blade on the machine I get crappy cutting but not drifting. A dull blade gets me slow cutting and maybe burning but again, no drifting. A 1 inch blade needs quite a bit of tension. What machine do you have? Have you had this problem before and have you used this blade much before? What was your tension set at (relative I know).

I'm certainly not an expert on this but if I can offer any suggestions, I will.

Neil
Thanks Neil. I have an ACM 400, which is almost the same machine as the old Laguna 16HD. I have done very little bandsaw work in my life and no resawing until last weekend. The instructions on the machine say to tension the blade so that the number on the mchines tension readout matches the width of the blade (in millimetres), so I set it at 25. The blade seems to be quite tight with little deflection (about 1/4 inch). I attempted to use my jointer push pads to keep the wood tight to the fecne and this helped some but, after getting into the cut by about 15 inches I had great difficulty keeping the board snug to the fence.

[Neil Bosdet]

I don't know your saw but it sounds like a decent unit. Blade tension indicators are at best, a guesstimate but it sounds like you set it up correctly as far as the manufacturer wanted you too. When you say 1/4" deflection, over what distance between your upper and lower guides is this test being done?

Did you have the blade guides snugged up to the blade? Were the guides snugged down to your work piece? What kind of guides are they? What was your feed rate? In other words, were you really having to push the board hard? Does the grain in the suspect board go off to one side or is it dead straight?

I know I'm asking a lot of questions. I've come to the realization that bandsaw problem tuning is more of a applied science than a simple answer. There are so many factors involved.

[john whittaker]

Joe, blade should not be kept in tension while not in use. There are several ways to guesstimate the proper tension. Goggle "band saw tension" and read several tutorials on the methods. Also agree that blade may be dull and also make sure you have the guard adjusted so if you are cutting a 3/4" board you are not using a 6" guard height. It just needs to be high enough to clear the thickest part of your board.

Frank - I also don't do much re-sawing but I tried a method and it worked for me. Take a flat board about 3/4" thick x 24" long (in this case...actual size does not matter much:rolleyes: ) and draw a straight rip line down the middle parallel with the sides. Now free had cut the line being careful to follow the line as close as possible. you will probably have to skew your board over a bit to stay on the line. Note the angle of the board after you have had to skew it. This is the angle the fence should be set at (approx) I did this and the re-saw came out perfectly. Might have been dumb luck but the set up procedure made sense to me.

Edit....Neil makes a good point. The guides must be adjusted properly or everything else is out the window.

[Ken Garlock]

Gentlemen, you all need to get on the phone to Ittura Designs down in Jacksonville Fl. Order their blade tensioning gauge, and their catalog. The catalog is an education in itself, definitely worth the phone call. They don't have a website, but you can find a small ad in the back of most, if not all, WW magazines. Their 800 number is 1-888-722-7078. They also sell excellent blades, spelled L E N O X.

Also, refer to David Marks program on DIY channel(diynet.com), the program on power tool tuneup. David explains the correct way to set up your BS.:cool:

[Dan Forman]

Frank and Joe---I think John has the answer. Each blade will have a differing deflection angle (drift), so you will have to reset the fence for each different blade that you use. If you maintain the same tension on the blade, the angle will not change for that blade. Not all fences are adjustable for drift, so you may need to clamp a straight board to your table for a fence. You can set the fence by aligning it to the board (still in position) you did the test cut with.

What I do to keep consistent tension on my resaw blade, is to mark the adjusting wheel with a piece of masking tape, then back off the tension each time the same number of turns, so each time I reapply tension it returns to the same place.

Dan

[Frank Pellow]

I don't know your saw but it sounds like a decent unit.
.
Neil, I suggest that you really do know the saw since it is the same as the old Laguna 16HD.





Blade tension indicators are at best, a guesstimate but it sounds like you set it up correctly as far as the manufacturer wanted you too.

Yes, I did.




When you say 1/4" deflection, over what distance between your upper and lower guides is this test being done?

The distance from the centre of the top guide to the centre of the lower guide is 14 inches.




Did you have the blade guides snugged up to the blade? Were the guides snugged down to your work piece? What kind of guides are they?

The guides are the European ball bearing type. They are exactly the same as those on the Mini-Max MM-16. They were set according to the directions in the Mini Max manual (much better than the ACM manual).




What was your feed rate? In other words, were you really having to push the board hard?

I pushed it quite slowly. There was no burning and the blade did not appear to be having any difficulty sawing the wood.




Does the grain in the suspect board go off to one side or is it dead straight?

The board that I more or less destroyed :( had a perfectly straight grain. (aside: I did manage to salvage parts of it and trim those parts down on my planer, but I sure destroyed it as the sourse of the 1.5 inch and .25 inch finished boards that I was attempting to get out of it)




I know I'm asking a lot of questions. I've come to the realization that bandsaw problem tuning is more of a applied science than a simple answer. There are so many factors involved.
Neil, I appreciate all your questions and the fact that you are taking the time in an attempt to help me.

[Frank Pellow]

Gentlemen, you all need to get on the phone to Ittura Designs down in Jacksonville Fl. Order their blade tensioning gauge, and their catalog. The catalog is an education in itself, definitely worth the phone call. They don't have a website, but you can find a small ad in the back of most, if not all, WW magazines. Their 800 number is 1-888-722-7078.

No website. How can any business that does not have a web site expect me to buy anything from them. :confused: Seriously, :) I research at least 90% of what I buy on the web. And, about 50% of my purchases are actually made on the web. But, I will phone and ask for a catalogue (if they sell into Canada).



They also sell excellent blades, spelled L E N O X.

It is a Lenox blade that I plan to buy (locally).



Also, refer to David Marks program on DIY channel(diynet.com), the program on power tool tuneup. David explains the correct way to set up your BS.:cool:
I spent about 15 minutes at that web site looking at various things and doing various searches but could not locate any info about the program that you mention. Is it on a CD or DVD?

[Bernie Weishapl]

I use the Suffolk Machinery method of putting tension on the blade. You can find the method on their website. When I bought the blades from them he explained to me how it was done.

So far I have had no problems resawing. It seems to work well at least with their blades and with the woodslicer I bought. One other thing they told me was bring my blade guide down to within 1/4" of the board I am sawing.

Once I get the tension I do like Dan does marking it with masking tape and count the number of turns I let it off. Then I go back that same number of turns. Now since I have the quick release I don't do that much anymore although I have found out that they don't release it that much. I still do this on the smaller one which doesn't have the quick release.

[Frank Pellow]

Frank and Joe---I think John has the answer. Each blade will have a differing deflection angle (drift), so you will have to reset the fence for each different blade that you use. If you maintain the same tension on the blade, the angle will not change for that blade. Not all fences are adjustable for drift, so you may need to clamp a straight board to your table for a fence. You can set the fence by aligning it to the board (still in position) you did the test cut with.
...

Dan
Dan, my fence is not adjustable for drift.

I must be thick, because I do not understand the procedure that you and John are suggesting. It seems simple according to your words, but I just don't get it. :confused: :confused: :confused: Maybe I can find a book with pictures that will explain all this to me.

[Dick Strauss]

Frank,
I think they are suggesting the following...

1. mark the center line of your wood
2.make a cut following your pencil line down the middle of the wood running the piece of wood freehand
3. check to see at what angle the board seems to riding as you cut straight along the line
4. stop your saw and mark a line on your platform
5.align your fence to that line if possible

So if it looks like you have to run the board with about a 5* rotation to get it to cut along the line, make a 5* offset of some sort on your fence to match. If you don't have a fence that can be adjusted, you might be able to draw a line with a sharpee on the sawing platform and clamp a straight piece of wood to match a line that parallels the sharpee mark to act as your fence. Each time you move it you'll have to measure the front and back of your wooden fence to make sure your line is parallel to your sharpee line.

I hope this helps. I don't own a bandsaw just saw a friend do it this week while I was helping him.

Good luck!

[Frank Pellow]

Thanks, Dick.

A big problem I see with this set up is that one has to sacrifice some wood. In my case I was using very expensive 8/4 by 8 inch quarter sawm white oak which ended up being 7.75 inches by 1.9 inches after flatening one edge and one side on my jointer. Then, my cut was 7.75 inches deep. I just dont, have a any hardwood scrap around that is big enough to test for drift. :(

Also, it sounds like I should have been looking for an adjustable fence when I purchased my bandsaw earlier this year. :(

[Dan Forman]

Frank---I often have a hard time visualizing such things as well. You might try to find the video or dvd "Mastering Your Bandsaw" with Doug Duginske from Taunton Press. It was very helpful to me in understanding the beast. The only suspect info is the bit about using a stone to round the edges of the back of the blade. There is a fair amount of controversy about this practice.

A fence adjustable for drift is very handy for any straight line cutting, especially resaw, though you can set up a board as mentioned earlier, if that makes sense to you yet.

Ok, realizing a pic is worth 1000 words, I just ran down and did this series.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=26349&stc=1&d=1132652553

Step one--- take a board and mark a straight line down the length. It doesn't really need to be centered, and doesn't have to be the thickness of the wood you want to resaw. Any 3/4 inch scrap should work fine. I think you need about 24 to 30 inches of length. In this pic I didn't draw the line all the way through, but I should have. The sides of the scrap do need to be parallel, so best make sure they are before you start.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=26350&stc=1&d=1132652903
Step two--- cut halfway up the line, guiding the board by hand, then stop the saw with the board still in place. Be very carefull not to move it at all.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=26351&stc=1&d=1132653377
Step three---Take another board that will be your fence, align it with the test board and clamp it to the table, and finish the cut. If all is well, the saw should follow the line you were cutting on. You now have the angle of drift for that blade. I exagerated the angle here for the sake of the photo.

You can mark this angle with a bevel gauge, and use it to set your makeshift fence at whatever distance from the blade that you need. If you use the bevel gauge to make a wedge on your table saw, you can use that to set the fence in the future. I think the blade needs to be close to same tension to have this work repeatedly, but not sure.

With a fence adjustable for drift, you would just loosen a bolt, move the fence to mate with your test piece, tighten up, and be done with it. Not a necessity, but very nice to have if you plan on doing much ripping or resawing with the bandsaw. There are several after market bandsaw fences available that are adjustable, the Kreg springs to mind. Might be worth it to pick one up, though many do without.

There is another method for resawing, which uses a "point fence". Let's see if I can describe this. It's like a finger of wood, usually several inches high, which is clamped to the table, the finger is pointing at the blade from the left side, pointed at the flat side of the blade, and spaced from the blade the distance of the thickness of the desired cut. You then feed the wood by sight, using the "finger" as a pivot point to steer the wood through the cut. It is a little steadier than freehand. I have never tried this, but it is in the Duginske video too, as well as many books and articles.

Hope this makes sense, and good luck.


Dan

[Frank Pellow]

Thanks very much for taking the time to do this Dan. I now understand, :) although I am really surprised that the method works with a board of any height, rather than requiring a board the height that you are trying to cut.

I will look into an aftermarket adjustable fence although I envision having difficulty finding one that will fit onto my bandsaw. I see that Rockler has an aftermarket table/fence combination and I will look into that.

I see "Mastering Your Bandsaw" with Doug Duginske is in stock at my local Lee Valley store and I am planning to go to that store today anyway. I will browse through the book and probably purchase it. Dan, I know that you mentioned the DVD rather than the book, but often I like books better.

[lou sansone]

I use the Suffolk Machinery method of putting tension on the blade. You can find the method on their website. When I bought the blades from them he explained to me how it was done.

So far I have had no problems resawing. It seems to work well at least with their blades and with the woodslicer I bought. One other thing they told me was bring my blade guide down to within 1/4" of the board I am sawing.

Once I get the tension I do like Dan does marking it with masking tape and count the number of turns I let it off. Then I go back that same number of turns. Now since I have the quick release I don't do that much anymore although I have found out that they don't release it that much. I still do this on the smaller one which doesn't have the quick release.

I agree with bernie on this one ( this is called the flutter method and I personally think it works the best) . I have used tension guages and have found that the bottom line is you need to get the blade to a point where it will not "flutter". You will actually find that you can have a few tensions where that will happen. Normally you stop at the first "null" where the blade stops fluttering. It is somewhat difficult to see on smaller saws, you will have to raise up your guides all the way, or try to peak into the other "straight section" of the band saw. I have use this method for tensioning both my 36" band saw and my "woodmizer style" band mill with great results.

lou

[Lee DeRaud]

Possibly stupid question: how often should the tension for a particular blade be checked/adjusted? Is it a one-time thing after installing it the first time or do they stretch enough to require one or more adjustments?

[Byron Trantham]

[B]I see "Mastering Your Bandsaw" with Doug Duginske is in stock at my local Lee Valley store and I am planning to go to that store today anyway. I will browse through the book and probably purchase it. Dan, I know that you mentioned the DVD rather than the book, but often I like books better.

Frank, I would try to get the catalog from Iturra Designs. Their 800 number was posted earlier in this thread. About a year ago, I decided I had enough of the crap put out by my 14" Jet and contacted them. In my case I did spend some money but the result was a great saw [for a 14"]. I bought the tensioning gage and stiffer springs. The gage can be used for any saw I may buy in the future. As for drift, like you, my fence cannot be adjusted for drift so I used a technique recommended. By setting up your wheels - blade tracking in the middle, you can adjust the top wheel to track a little to the left or right center which does compensate for drift. So, after setting the tension on my 1/2" Lenox blade I marked the scale for future reference then I adjusted the drift. When i am done I back off the tension wheel a turn or two and the blade tracking doesn't change. If I change the blade I have to adjust the tension and drift again but I don't change the blade all that much.

[Sam Blasco]

I could be wrong, Frank, but I do believe your fence is adjustable for drift, but you have to get under the knuckle where it is riding the bar to do so. Again, it's been a while since I've cut on an ACM unit, but I thought most of them use the same type of fence mounting system. If I am mistaken, I apologize for getting your hopes up.

[Ken Garlock]

No website. How can any business that does not have a web site expect me to buy anything from them. :confused: Seriously, :) I research at least 90% of what I buy on the web. And, about 50% of my purchases are actually made on the web. But, I will phone and ask for a catalogue (if they sell into Canada).


It is a Lenox blade that I plan to buy (locally).


I spent about 15 minutes at that web site looking at various things and doing various searches but could not locate any info about the program that you mention. Is it on a CD or DVD?


Ittura reputation is the secret of their success.:)

As I recall, the Lenox DieMaster bimetal blade is a good choice.

I agree that the DIY channel website is not quite intuitive. First you go to the woodworking section, then to the program "Wood Works", and finally look for the program "Shop Tours." Here is the URL:
http://www.diynet.com/diy/wk_tools/article/0,2037,DIY_14429_2278285,00.html

[Dick Strauss]

Nice demo Dan!:) You did a much better job of explaining it than I did.

Frank, don't forget...we're here at this board to help each other.

Sorry if we hijacked this thread!

[Frank Pellow]

Ittura reputation is the secret of their success.:)

OK, but a lot of other successful companes with great reputations have provided WEB sites.




As I recall, the Lenox DieMaster bimetal blade is a good choice.

I have a Lennox catalogue, and it says that the DieMaster is for use with contour cutting. For resawing, they recommend either WoodMaster or TriMaster.



I agree that the DIY channel website is not quite intuitive. First you go to the woodworking section, then to the program "Wood Works", and finally look for the program "Shop Tours." Here is the URL:
http://www.diynet.com/diy/wk_tools/article/0,2037,DIY_14429_2278285,00.html
Thanks for the link Ken. Looks like there is a lot of good information there.

[Frank Pellow]

...
Frank, don't forget...we're here at this board to help each other.
...

Dick, how could I ever forget that after all the help that I have received here? :)

[Ken Garlock]

Frank, the Tri-master is an excellent choice. In the past there has been some discussion about how small a BS could use them successfully. I think Lenox has a new steel in the Tri-Master that will flex better thus allowing the blade to be used on smaller saws. Check with your vendor to be sure, since they are relatively expensive.:eek: For general day to day cutting, I find a 1/4" blade to work just fine, and will most likely buy a 1/4" and a 1/2" DieMaster the next time I get the urge.:)

[Curt Harms]

I will look into an aftermarket adjustable fence although I envision having difficulty finding one that will fit onto my bandsaw. I see that Rockler has an aftermarket table/fence combination and I will look into that.

Hi Frank

Your fellow Canadians at www.mulecab.com can probably fix you up with a stout adjustable fence. I have a mule fence on my table saw and it works fine. The problem I could see with bandsaw use would be the fence needs to be perfectly vertical for resawing. My fence does rock a little, but once tightened down it doesn't move, and one can loosen 4 bolts and vary the angle of the fence as required. A plus is the slots on both sides and top which would make it easy to add higher subfences as required. The Rockler fence is made by Mule, I believe.

[Neil Bosdet]

Frank,

Where are you planning to buy your lenox blade? Which blade are you planning to get?

Neil

[Randy Meijer]

....I use the Suffolk Machinery method of putting tension on the blade. You can find the method on their website. When I bought the blades from them he explained to me how it was done....

Someone is welcome to correct me if I am mistaken; but as I read the Suffolk BS tensioning instructions, they apply only to the Timberwolf blade that is made of a silicone steel and requires less tension than carbon steel blades. I'm not sure you should use this method for tensioning other types of blades??

[Frank Pellow]

Frank, the Tri-master is an excellent choice. In the past there has been some discussion about how small a BS could use them successfully. I think Lenox has a new steel in the Tri-Master that will flex better thus allowing the blade to be used on smaller saws. Check with your vendor to be sure, since they are relatively expensive.:eek: For general day to day cutting, I find a 1/4" blade to work just fine, and will most likely buy a 1/4" and a 1/2" DieMaster the next time I get the urge.:)
Ken, the wheels on my saw are 400 millimetres (translation for you folks who favour Imperial :) : 16 inches). Do you consider that to be small?

[Bernie Weishapl]

Randy don't know about to many blades but it does work with the woodslicer also.

[Frank Pellow]

I will look into an aftermarket adjustable fence although I envision having difficulty finding one that will fit onto my bandsaw. I see that Rockler has an aftermarket table/fence combination and I will look into that.

Hi Frank

Your fellow Canadians at www.mulecab.com can probably fix you up with a stout adjustable fence. I have a mule fence on my table saw and it works fine. The problem I could see with bandsaw use would be the fence needs to be perfectly vertical for resawing. My fence does rock a little, but once tightened down it doesn't move, and one can loosen 4 bolts and vary the angle of the fence as required. A plus is the slots on both sides and top which would make it easy to add higher subfences as required. The Rockler fence is made by Mule, I believe.
Thanks Curt, I will check it out. I have seen the Mule fences on table saws and they look pretty good to me.

[Frank Pellow]

Frank,

Where are you planning to buy your lenox blade? Which blade are you planning to get?

Neil
I will buy one or more saw blades at Honig Industrial in Toronto (phone 416-255-8143). I will buy either a 1" WoodMaster or a 1" TriMaster and, perhaps, a 3/8" DieMaster.

[Boyd Gathwright]

.... So noted, thanks :).

[Dan Forman]

Frank---Mini-Max ships their 16" bandsaw with the 1" Tri-Master blade. Lennox has previosly recommended at least 20" wheels to prevent the early demise of these blades (meaning they would break before the carbide dulled). My understanding is that this would take many hours of use. As someone mentioned they have changed the formulation of the steel, and it is thought that they will fare better on smaller saws now. Even if they don't, it will still give a lot of use for a hobbyist.

Dan

[Neil Bosdet]

Possibly stupid question: how often should the tension for a particular blade be checked/adjusted? Is it a one-time thing after installing it the first time or do they stretch enough to require one or more adjustments?
Tension is based on compacting a heavy spring. So each time you retension your machine it does not matter if the blade has been stretched as tension is relative to the compaction of the spring, not the length of the blade. This of course assumes that the blade in question is not being left day after day, under tension. Blades need to be relieved of tension everyday. Does that make sense? It does to me but I don't know if I've written it very clearly?

[Lee DeRaud]

Tension is based on compacting a heavy spring. So each time you retension your machine it does not matter if the blade has been stretched as tension is relative to the compaction of the spring, not the length of the blade. This of course assumes that the blade in question is not being left day after day, under tension. Blades need to be relieved of tension everyday. Does that make sense? It does to me but I don't know if I've written it very clearly?Not sure my question was as clear as it could have been either. Let's try again: I have a Delta 14" with the quick release lever. If I install a new blade and tension it "properly", then use the lever to detension it after every use, does the blade eventually stretch enough to require the tension be adjusted? If so, is it a one-time thing (as in, the blade takes a "set" and stabilizes) or does it need to be repeated periodically?

(I understand how the tensioning spring works, but if the blade stretches, that spring will not be compressed as much, i.e. less tension.)

[Neil Bosdet]

I will buy one or more saw blades at Honig Industrial in Toronto (phone 416-255-8143). I will buy either a 1" Wood Master or a 1" TriMaster and, perhaps, a 3/8" DieMaster.
I just bought 4 blades from Honing. I really liked dealing with them. They are very nice. I bought WoodMaster and TriMaster blades. Here's my 2 cents:

The blade that "blew up" in my machine was a 1" TriMaster blade. It was an incredible blade and I loved it, but it blew up. It wasn't a new blade and this was the blade that caused me to do all my investigation. I spoke at length with Honing, Lenox, Laguna and another company from the US. What I found out was the 1" TriMaster is only recommended for saws 24" or better. Saws between 18"-22" are questionable and the blades are not recommended at all for saws smaller than 18". The reason is in the band material, specifically the thickness. The constant flex-straighten-flex around the radius of an 18" saw can cause stress fractures in the blade. I had these on the blade that blew up. I saw this afterwords of course. So I went down the Laguna Resaw King path as they developed this blade because of the above situation with the Lenox blades. I originally got my Lenox blade with my Laguna saw. The Resaw King blades are fabulous save one thing. They seem to have a bit of a quality control issue happening at the moment. Some or one of the teeth is not set right on one of my blades and doesn't cut smooth. They sent replacements and I now have one that's beautiful and one that still isn't cutting smooth. Based on the designed purpose of this blade, a poor cut isn't acceptable. With this happening, I had already ordered some WoodMaster blades from Honing. They came and one had a really bad weld. I called them and they were very accommodating and sent me a replacement. The interesting part about this is, when I called with the problem I spoke with a different brother, son or father (both people were "Honing"). He heard my issues (above) and told me that I should try a 3/4" TriMaster carbide blade. He knew of the 1" issue and said that the 3/4" blade is stressed 50% less than a 1" blade even though it's only 1/4" narrower. He thought that since these blades cut like a "hot knife through butter" (my experience) that the reduction in band width and beam strength, that is usually necessary for resawing, wouldn't be an issue. I agreed to give the 3/4" a try. It's great. I wouldn't recommend the WoodMaster unless you fill both the following criteria: 1. you're not concerned with a fairly rough cut 2. You're not willing to spend $200 on a carbide blade.

My vote is get the TriMaster 3/4" or the Laguna Resaw King 1" blade. The decision should probably be based on what you will be cutting. I believe the TriMaster will be more durable (this is my speculation) but the Resaw King blade is resharpenable (by Laguna). If you have a lot of abrasive woods to cut I'd lean towards the TriMaster. If not I'd go with the Resaw King even with the quality issue I experienced. This blade is the best in the business for resawing (IMHO). I'll be happy to discuss these 2 blades further if you're interested.

Neil

[Frank Pellow]

That's great information Neil. Thanks!

What is the size of your saw and what did you end up paying for the two saw blades that you recommend (including any shipping, dudties and taxes)?

[Neil Bosdet]

My saw is the Laguna LT18 using a 150" band. The Lenox blade was $200 + taxes and (for me) shipping from Honig which was about $20. The Laguna Resaw King was $140 US + shipping. From memory, the shipping was around $25 US. I don't believe there was any duties or taxes on the Resaw King.

[Scott Donley]

I'm not experienced at the mechanics of a band saw so I need some help.

I have an inexpensive Delta 1/3 HP with 1/4" blade that I use mainly for rounding corners on MDO for wood Signs. I was just trying to rip a small
piece of MDO and even with a fence in place the blade was turning into the wood.

Joe, my two bits for what it is worth. for what you use it for, rounding corners, you have worn the outside of the blade more than the inside. I have found on my Jet with riser, if I start getting drift, it is eather not enough tension or a worn blade. Not saying you never have to adjust for drift, we all try to get all we can out of the blade. Also not having the blade centerd on the wheels will cause it. This info is worth what you paid for it! I know, the check is in the mail:)