best resaw blade for flame maple on 14" 1-3/4" HP saw

[Dean Nikou]

Hi all,
I'm an aspiring guitar builder doing a lot more resawing of all kinds of woods but primarily flame maple(majority 7-8" wide but rare occasions a full 13") with the best book-match being the #1 goal. My band saw is a Jet 14" 1-3/4 HP 116" length blade and my resaw skill set is moderate/good (far from great). Aftermarket blade experience includes both 1/2" and 3/4" Woodslicer with the 1/2" having been a good all-around leave it on blade and fine for resawing softer woods but nowhere near as good(for me) as the 3/4" that I 1st put on (and likely prematurely wore out in part due to new user error). Was about to reorder a WS 3/4" but am considering others with Bimetal and Carbide as options and 'maybe' a 1" (which my Jet is suppose to be able to handle but am guessing, is probably a bit too much for 1-3/4" HP motor?). The plan is to use it only when resawing.

A few options I'm considering below but am open to other suggestions with these goals in order...
1: clean, thin cut for best book-match (least likely to 'burn' maple)
2: ease of use (maybe a stupid goal as I have some experience but still learning)
3: longevity - am good paying up for this but not at a noticeable cost to #1.

* Woodslicer 3/4" 3/4 skip - $47+freight: thinnest w. variable pitch teeth for maybe cleanest, easiest cut but not as durable as others?
* Timber Wolf 3/4" 2/3VPC .025": (would consider .035" bimetal version that I've seen a couple good reviews on, but appears discontinued at 116"): a tad cheaper and close to WS specs.
* Lenox Woodmaster B BiMetal 3/4" 2 TPI - $31+freight: cheapest, well respected brand, possibly longer lasting w/bi-metal but thicker .035 blade with 'standard' tooth design that may not clear as well and maybe more likely to burn?
* Lenox Tri-Master Carbide 3/4" or 1" 3TPI(skip-design) - $110+freight(same for both sizes?): most expensive with Carbide longevity and highly respected with thicker blade, initial use listed as maybe a bit more dull than the others and more reports of breakage (maybe because its highly used at longer lengths by more pros?) - is 1" even worth considering for my saw and would I be paying more for longevity at the expense better book-match performance?

Am far from any kind of 'production' (although would be nice in the future) and am good replacing the $30-50 blades more often if they have better 'early on' performance.

[Zachary Hoyt]

I use a 3 tpi 1/2" Timberwolf to resaw for guitars and other instruments. It's the only blade I run on my 18" 1 hp bandsaw, or that I used to use on my old 18" 1.5 hp saw. I get pretty thin kerfs, and with practice can get pretty straight cuts. I haven't found that curly is much different to cut than other wood, so I would get some cheap hardwood to practice on, and then sell the pieces on Craigslist to the craft crowd if you don't want them. I tried a Woodmaster B once, but the kerf was crazy wide and the cut not very smooth, and then the blade broke at the weld after about an hour of use, so I was very unimpressed. I've never tried a Woodslicer.

[Dean Nikou]

Good info - the WM B was my last choice and this helps to rule it out.
Went back to TW to chk specs on the 1/2" and noticed the non bimetal 3/4" 2/3 (at least its not listed as such) had same specs as the 1 at Klingspor(and is prob not BM) - will correct in original thread.
Thanks

[Erik Loza]

My choice would be a 1/2" Lenox Diemaster II. Any true carbide blade will be off the table for that bandsaw, by the way. Hope this helps,

Erik

[John TenEyck]

What Eric said. It's an appropriate size for that saw and what you want to do, it's bimetal so it will last quite a good while, and it's not too expensive. Any bimetal blade would work similarly; doesn't have to be Lennox. 1/2" x 3 tpi.

John

[Zachary Hoyt]

I'm sorry, I was mixed up. It was the Diemaster II that I had such a bad experience with. I bought one after seeing a lot of folks on here recommend it. It may be that I got a bad one and most of them are quite nice, I wouldn't know. I have used a lot of Woodmaster C blades at the sawmill, and they are fine for that, but it's different from a shop bandsaw.

[Mark Rainey]

I am not seeing Lenox Diemaster in .025 thickness 1/2 inch 3 TPI, only 4. How does that compare with my favorite 1/2 .025 1/2 inch 3 TPI Lenox flex back?

[John TenEyck]

I am not seeing Lenox Diemaster in .025 thickness 1/2 inch 3 TPI, only 4. How does that compare with my favorite 1/2 .025 1/2 inch 3 TPI Lenox flex back?

You are right. The Diemaster II does come in 3 tpi but it's 0.035" thick. With that in mind, I would go with the 0.025" thick one with 4 tpi. It will be easier for light duty saw to tension it and 4 tpi is fine for resawing up to 8" or so, just a little more slowly than a blade with 3 tpi. The Flex Back is a carbon steel blade so it won't have the durability of the Diemaster II, but it's available in 1/2" x 3 tpi in a 0.025" thick band so it will cut faster than the 4 tpi blade. It you want a 3 tpi bimetal blade with a 0.025" band take a look at the Olson MVP.

John

[al ladd]

I suggest Trimaster 1/2" 3 tpi .025 kerf will give you the best cuts and highest yield, but on 14" saw blade will break before dull. Depends on value of material if more slices per blank offsets higher blade cost. In my experience the carbide blades (this one or wider) leave smoother straighter surfaces.

[Randall J Cox]

disclaimer - I've only done a few resaws over the years, nothing serious. However, I did run a Lenox diemaster II 1/2 blade somewhere around 10tpi for about 4-5 years on all sorts of wood for general woodworking. I have an 18" S45 MiniMax and was impressed with the blade, it never seemed to get dull. I finally changed it out of thinking it must be dull by now, put on another Lenox Diemaster just like the first one, works for me. I also have a small old Delta 10" BS with a 1/4 in blade for curvy stuff. Randy

[Alan Schwabacher]

On a 14" Delta I resaw with the Olson MVP 1/2" 3tpi .025" bimetal because it has a thinner band than the 1/2" Lenox Diemaster.

It is not quite as thin kerf as the woodslicer, but does last a lot longer. I do touch it up with a diamond hone sometimes before resawing because that requires a very sharp blade. A blade that works fine for ripping can be too dull for resawing.

The kerf width is due to the blade stock, but problems with the weld should not be. Lenox diemaster blades work well for me, and their 1/4" 6 tpi is my standard blade for tight curves; I chose the 1/2" MVP for resawing for the thinner bladestock.

[Robert Hazelwood]

A fresh 5/8" or 3/4" woodslicer/kerfmaster is going to be about the best thing for resawing with that class of saw. They are very thin, so can be tensioned well by a lightly built saw, and when new they seem sharper (requiring less feed pressure) than any other type I've tried. They do dull faster than other types but I think its somewhat overblown on internet forums, where they act like it is worthless after the first cut. I haven't found that to be the case at all. You can touch them up with a dremel in a few minutes, too.

Spectrum Supply sells the same sort of blade stock the Woodslicer is made from. They call it the Kerfmaster and sell it in in 1/2", 5/8" and 3/4" widths with a variable 3-4 tpi skip tooth pattern. You can specify the length and they weld it. The price is very good but shipping tends to be high with them.

A 3/4" laguna resaw king may also work on that saw. I use one with success on a Laguna 14bx which I think is pretty similar to your Jet. Its a good blade and leaves a great finish , even better than the Kerfmaster. But it does take more more feed pressure to make the cut, and of course it is many times more expensive.

[George Waldner]

I am interested in this thread because I have a 14" cast saw that I am looking at resaw blades for. The resaw king is available in 1/2" wide, .024 thick. Shouldn't our saw be able to tension those? Or is the issue blade breakige on 14" wheels?

[Mark Rainey]

The resaw king is available in 1/2" wide, .024 thick. George, I do not see the resaw king available in a 1/2 inch width. I think it was in the past. Where are you seeing it available?

[George Waldner]

eBay. Seller is Laguna Tools

[John TenEyck]

I have a lot of experience with a 14" Delta cast iron BS. I've done a lot of tension measurements as well. With a high tension spring it can comfortably apply 12 ksi to a 1/2" blade. If you try to apply more the frame will deflect and throw the upper blade guides out of alignment as the frame bends. You want 20 ksi or higher on a carbide tipped blade. Save your money. Also, if you put a wider blade on that saw the tension will go down proportional to the increased width and there will be no increase in performance.

The best you can do on these 14" cast iron saws for resawing is a 1/2" x 3 or 4 tpi blade. I cut a lot of 10" veneer on mine so it's possible. The key is a sharp blade, a really good setup so that the blade cuts straight, and a slow and steady feed rate. FWIW, I found the Woodslicer to perform very poorly. Bimetal blades are my preferred choice for resawing on that saw.

John

[Dean Nikou]

note: a couple of mistakes on pricing in my OP, will try to correct.
thx for all the replies - to briefly summarize(and feel free to correct me)...
*1" completely off the table for my saw
*most here do well with(and recommend) a 1/2" but if I go 3/4"(which I'm still leaning towards based on my experience) stay with thinner blade/low tension
*will likely avoid the expense of a carbide for now until I get a bit more time resawing - I'm also guessing that even a thinner carbide still has more tension and best for a more robust machine than mine(at least for resawing)?
*will either try a 3/4" bimetal(need to research the models mentioned) or retry another woodslicer and see if I can get better/more cuts out of it with better technique

[Dean Nikou]

forgot to ask, do most stay close to (or even trust) a saws built-in tension meter? LSS, my Jet arrived brand new with the wheels/set-up way off (2 visits from the warranty repair guy and a whole lot more time/research from me to get it to where I consider it 'good') so I'm mildly gun shy from maybe pushing it too hard but I'm finding a bit better control with a step-up in tension with my current 1/2" WS.

[John TenEyck]

forgot to ask, do most stay close to (or even trust) a saws built-in tension meter? LSS, my Jet arrived brand new with the wheels/set-up way off (2 visits from the warranty repair guy and a whole lot more time/research from me to get it to where I consider it 'good') so I'm mildly gun shy from maybe pushing it too hard but I'm finding a bit better control with a step-up in tension with my current 1/2" WS.

I think it depends on the saw, but there's no way to know for sure until you measure the tension. Think about it. Even if the onboard tension indicator is accurate, what tension should it read? 18 ksi for carbon steel blades or maybe 25 ksi for carbide tipped blades? Until you measure it you won't know. Fortunately, it's pretty simple to measure. Here's one approach that doesn't cost much: https://sites.google.com/view/jteneyck-woodworker/current-projects/bandsaw-blade-tension-meter?authuser=1

You can use nothing more than a set of 6" Vernier calipers and two little C-clamps, too. It's the same process and the same calculation.

John

[Dean Nikou]

thx for the link and info

[Dean Nikou]

A fresh 5/8" or 3/4" woodslicer/kerfmaster is going to be about the best thing for resawing with that class of saw. They are very thin, so can be tensioned well by a lightly built saw, and when new they seem sharper (requiring less feed pressure) than any other type I've tried. They do dull faster than other types but I think its somewhat overblown on internet forums, where they act like it is worthless after the first cut. I haven't found that to be the case at all. You can touch them up with a dremel in a few minutes, too.

Spectrum Supply sells the same sort of blade stock the Woodslicer is made from. They call it the Kerfmaster and sell it in in 1/2", 5/8" and 3/4" widths with a variable 3-4 tpi skip tooth pattern. You can specify the length and they weld it. The price is very good but shipping tends to be high with them.

A 3/4" laguna resaw king may also work on that saw. I use one with success on a Laguna 14bx which I think is pretty similar to your Jet. Its a good blade and leaves a great finish , even better than the Kerfmaster. But it does take more more feed pressure to make the cut, and of course it is many times more expensive.

Thanks for this - going the Spectrum route.

I wanted to try a bi-metal blade but now can't find any .5-.75 wide 116" length ones available? The TW appears discontinued and the lenox BM B one I found is now only showing a 1"+ available?

The Kerfmaster appears similar to the WS(maybe the same?) and has a 5/8" option - for the money(and if freight is a bit high) will likely buy a both 5/8 and 3/4 along with some bend options to try. I may one day invest in a resaw king or trimaster but am guessing at that time will likely replace my modded central machinery(now collecting dust) with something dedicated to resawing.

thanks again all for the replies