1" or 1 1/4" resaw blade?

[Cliff Polubinsky]

I'm ordering a Laguna 18bx tomorrow along with a ResawKing blade. The saw is supposed to handle a 1 1/4" blade, but is there any advantage to using a 1" blade instead so the saw has some headroom and isn't at its limit? I currently have a Rikon 10-325 and I found that even though it was capable of using a 3/4" blade it did better with a 1/2".

Or is this a silly question, it's a different class of saw, just use the widest blade and be done with it.

Thanks for any insights.

Cliff

[Richard Coers]

My opinion is that no one needs a 1" resaw blade, unless they do higher speed resawing every day. A 3/4" is more than stiff enough and does a wonderful job. It can be tensioned much easier than the larger blades.

[Alex Zeller]

I don't have the BX18 (almost but Grizzly offered a sale first) but I question how well it can handle a 1 1/4" blade. My Grizzly said it can also do a 1 1/4" blade but I went with a 1" just because I know I could properly tension it. Hopefully someone else who has a BX18 can confirm that it will do a 1 1/4" blade otherwise I would stick with a 1". I had no problems resawing with my 1" blade.

[John TenEyck]

My saw can tension a 1-1/4" blade to over 25 ksi but I opted for a 1" and have no regrets. Wider blades will let you saw faster, assuming your saw can tension it, but the speed on the 1" Woodmaster CT is more than fast enough for my needs and the cut quality is excellent.

About a 3/4" blade being adequate; maybe, it depends upon how fast you want to cut. More important to me, you can't get a 1.3 tpi tooth count on a 3/4" blade. That was one reason I opted for the 1" blade. It's cheaper than a 3/4" x 2 tpi blade.

John

[jerry cousins]

i have a mm16 and use the 1" resaw king - seems more than enough beam strength and don't really see the need for the 1.25 blade
jerry

[Tom Trees]

Hello, a 3/4" would be the maximum width blade I would install on any sub 200kg bandsaw.
The specs don't state what gauge thickness 1" blade you could theoretically install ...
so that is a clue that these are wildly overstated claims.
You risk damaging your machine by going over 3/4" IMO.

All the best
Tom

[Cliff Polubinsky]

Tom,

Thanks for passing on your concern. In this case the blade is made by Launa and the saw is a Laguna 18". I checked and the blade thickness is .024, so the saw should be ok with it.

Cliff

[Cliff Polubinsky]

Thank you all for your input. I'll mull it over this evening and try to make up my mind before I head to the woodworking store in the morning. Well, late morning. Being retired, late morning is the preferred start time for everything.

Cliff

[Tom Trees]

Tom,

Thanks for passing on your concern. In this case the blade is made by Launa and the saw is a Laguna 18". I checked and the blade thickness is .024, so the saw should be ok with it.

Cliff

At 186kg I would be concerned about an inch wide blade.
Have you seen folks install one that's not a LagunaTM video?
Surely some folks will be along soon, if its a new saw then you might have to wait until those honeymoon reviews are over.

Tom

[Tom Trees]

Hello again Cliff
This article might be some interesting reading if you want to go to the shop and query some specs.
Fair enough the N440o is 170kg and its a WoodmasterCT blade, but I would call it a bit more than a rough estimate.

https://www.swedishwoodworking.com/articles/upgrading-the-blade-tension-spring-on-the-hammer-n4400-bandsaw/

Do you really need that blade?

Tom

[andy bessette]

Been using the same 1" carbide blade on my 20" Agazanni for many years.

[Bill Dufour]

Considering the biggest commercial bandsaw blades were about 8" inches wide I think 1" is plenty. They had something like a 10' resaw capacity so they had some leverage to fight.
Bill D

[John K Jordan]

I currently have a Rikon 10-325 and I found that even though it was capable of using a 3/4" blade it did better with a 1/2".

Or is this a silly question, it's a different class of saw, just use the widest blade and be done with it.



I use a tension gauge to tension blades. I found that the tension indicators on most bandsaws were woefully inadequate and the saws could not properly tension the claimed largest blades. For example, Delta and Jet advertised 3/4" capacity on their older 14" saws which was likely to damage them if tensioned properly. Manufacturers apparently are fond of advertising inflated capacities to sell more saws. I am personally happy with 1/2" and 3/4" blades on my 18" Rikon.

[Erik Loza]

I've used them both and found no advantage to the extra 1/4". Just more cost. Hope this helps,

Erik

[Dave Sabo]

In this case the blade is made by Launa and the saw is a Laguna 18".

What does that have to do with the price of tea in China?

NO WAY an 18bx is stout enough to properly tension a 1 1/4" carbide blade. NONE. In addition, the xtra 1/4" isn't likely to give you better results you can consistently see even if your saw could tension one that size. Which it can't. If Laguna tells you it can, they are misleading you.

But, you seem to have your heart set on a 1 1/4" blade so .......... Lot of guys here with tons of experience have told you you don't need 1 1/4" blade, but it's your saw and your money and time.

[Patrick Walsh]

First machine I ever purchased was a Laguna 14/12. Guy at woodcraft sold me a 3/4 resaw king. Went home and got to it with some 8/4 hard maple. Made a giant mess and destroyed a expensive blade. Did some internet Sherlocking around and found out on that saw 1/2 is about the most it can tension and what people got the best results with.

I got a 1/2 blade. It was better and “decent” on medium to soft woods but still not up to my expectations of a saw I would use mostly to resaw with. I made clear this would be my use.

Anyway I sold the saw and got a Minimax S500P and put a Lenox Woodmaster CT 1.3

That saw does everything and anything. It resaws as I was led to believe the Laguna would.

Shame on me looking back but not really, I had no idea what I really needed to resaw the timber I wanted to. But I sure told the woodcraft guy what I was up to. My first mistake was thinking I could take some guy at woodcrafts advice. Weird as I would still be convinced that guy knew what he was talking about the way he talked..

[Alan Lightstone]

I'll chime in with everyone and say that a 1-1/4" isn't necessary, and I don't believe that your saw can tension it to any reasonable level.

I had a 1" Resaw King on my Laguna 14 SUV. Yes I did decent resawing with it, but also no question that it was too large a blade and didn't believe Laguna's recommendations in retrospect.

Now with a large Felder FB710 (18", 250kg/550 lbs) it can tension a 1-1/4" blade, but I chose a 1" blade (which I measure and can easily tension to 25kpsi) and am more than happy with that choice. Like John, I use a tension meter to tension my blades (I actually have several, don't ask...)

[Jared Sankovich]

I'm running a 1" woodmaster Ct on a 600lb 21" saw. I dont think I could tension a 1.25" carbide blade adequately without significant deflection.

The 1" works great for my needs.

[Cliff Polubinsky]

What does that have to do with the price of tea in China?

NO WAY an 18bx is stout enough to properly tension a 1 1/4" carbide blade. NONE. In addition, the xtra 1/4" isn't likely to give you better results you can consistently see even if your saw could tension one that size. Which it can't. If Laguna tells you it can, they are misleading you.

But, you seem to have your heart set on a 1 1/4" blade so .......... Lot of guys here with tons of experience have told you you don't need 1 1/4" blade, but it's your saw and your money and time.

Dave, I don't have my heart set on anything yet. That's why I am asking for opinions. And part of evaluating offered opinions is trying to determine what is based on experience and what is based on prejudice.

Thanks for your input.
Cliff

[Cliff Polubinsky]

Put in my order today for the 18bx, mobile kit and a 1" Resaw King. Was told the saw would be here in a week. The blade is probably a couple of weeks out. While the Laguna sale ended yesterday Laguna allowed the store to continue the sale for another 4 days, which helped.

Thanks for all your input. It definitely helped.

Now I need to clean up my Rikon and post it for sale.

Cliff