Which Lenox Bandsaw Blade for Resawing?

[Joe Adams]

I'm looking for a new resaw blade for my LT-18" Italian-made (ACM) Laguna bandsaw (circa 2003) equipped with a Driftmaster fence. It takes a 148-151" blade up to 1-1/4".

I've done some research on past threads here and seriously considered the Laguna Resaw King, Lenox WoodMaster CT, and Highland Wood Slicer (aka Spectrum KerfMaster).

I work almost exclusively with hardwoods from Walnut to Maple to European Beech to Texas Pecan to Mesquite.

Veneer slices may range from a few inches wide up to the saw's 12" capacity.

My shop sawn veneers tend to be 3/16" off the saw before going through the drum sander.

I have pretty much settled on the Lenox WoodMaster CT and am trying to decide between the 1.3 TPI and the 2 TPI variants.

Any recommendations from those who have tried one or both? Am I missing something (other than lower cost) that should make me take a second look at the other brands?

I'll probably purchase from Spectrum Supply unless someone can recommend a better source.

Thanks for the advice!

Joe

[Dennis Yamamoto]

Hi Joe,

The Krenov School uses a Lenox Woodmaster CT 1.3 TPI 1" blade for resawing on their Agazzani bandsaw. Bigger gullets in the 1.3 TPI blade allow for more sawdust for a tall resaw. I have only used the 1.3 TPI and have been very happy with its performance to cut veneers on my Minimax/Centauro saw.

I buy my blades from industrialblade.net. I like their prices and service.

Dennis

[roger wiegand]

I need a new blade and this thread had me looking. Spectrum Supply is _way_ cheaper than my usual source bandsawbladesdirect, $143 vs $221 for what is billed as the same blade. That seems like too good (or bad) to be true. Am I missing something?

I've been using the Woodmaster CT 2 tpi 1" blade that came on my used saw for a very long time now, it has worked very well, but it is now time to replace it. Any thoughts on the Woodmaster vs Trimaster?

[John TenEyck]

I have a 1" x 1.3 tpi CT on my 17 Grizzly. It cuts super well, and super fast. I use it for everything thicker than 2". My friend has a 3/4" x 2 tpi CT on his older MM16. It cuts fine but no smoother, just slower. I can't compare blade life because I cut 100X more through mine than he does, mostly slicing 8 - 12" wide veneer. With a tall resaw fence and feather board to hold the stock against it, it's pretty easy to stay within 0.010" top to bottom and end to end. That's more than good enough for my needs.

I buy mine at Spectrum Supply. As noted, they are cheaper than anyone else I've found. And, yes, it's a genuine Lennox blade and the welds are good (with one exception I had). I had trouble ordering from them the last time using a Chase Visa card. For whatever reason, Chase denied the transaction. Another card worked fine.

To the OP, you don't want a Woodslicer if you are going to cut dense woods like mesquite. Actually, if you compare them side by side you will only consider the Resaw King and CT in the future. The cut quality is great, they come in widths that will allow you to take advantage of the size/power of your saw, and they last a LOT longer. I sharpen my CT myself, so the cost is pretty low by the end of life. If that's something that sounds appealing, I should probably only consider the 1.3 tpi blade to make sharpening easier. FWIW, I see no reason to go wider than 1".

You might consider spending some time to get your saw to cut straight and parallel with the miter slot. Your comment about having a Driftmaster fence suggested that's been an issue. Resawing and veneer slicing are much easier when the blade cuts straight, with no drift.

Put 20 - 25 ksi on it and enjoy how well it cuts.

John

I wouldn't consider the Lennox Tri-Master for resawing. Besides the price, it has too many teeth for wide resaws and the gullets aren't very deep. It wasn't even designed to cut wood.

[Jared Sankovich]

I need a new blade and this thread had me looking. Spectrum Supply is _way_ cheaper than my usual source bandsawbladesdirect, $143 vs $221 for what is billed as the same blade. That seems like too good (or bad) to be true. Am I missing something?


No it's really that cheap from them.

[Phillip Mitchell]

Can confirm that Spectrum Supply is a good option for Woodmaster CT. I’ve bought a couple 1” 1.3 TPI from them over the last handful of years. The last time (this past summer) took longer than before (a few weeks) but it worked out fine and thankfully it was a backup and not something I needed quickly.

Never used the 2 TPI, only the 1.3 and I’ve been *very* happy with the cut quality and speed. I wouldn’t bother with Laguna Resaw King, personally, just knowing how good the Lennox is.

What I’m not sure of, but would like to find out a bit more definitely, is who is willing to re-sharpen a Lennox CT. I’ve had mine on for almost 2 and a half years and cut many thousands of LF of wood with it. I can notice a slight degradation in sharpness but not much compared to how a traditional bi-metal blade really drops off when it looses its edge. I have a feeling it will snap before it really gets dulls, but would still be good to know if there’s a realistic option to get it sharpened properly.

[John TenEyck]

Can confirm that Spectrum Supply is a good option for Woodmaster CT. I’ve bought a couple 1” 1.3 TPI from them over the last handful of years. The last time (this past summer) took longer than before (a few weeks) but it worked out fine and thankfully it was a backup and not something I needed quickly.

Never used the 2 TPI, only the 1.3 and I’ve been *very* happy with the cut quality and speed. I wouldn’t bother with Laguna Resaw King, personally, just knowing how good the Lennox is.

What I’m not sure of, but would like to find out a bit more definitely, is who is willing to re-sharpen a Lennox CT. I’ve had mine on for almost 2 and a half years and cut many thousands of LF of wood with it. I can notice a slight degradation in sharpness but not much compared to how a traditional bi-metal blade really drops off when it looses its edge. I have a feeling it will snap before it really gets dulls, but would still be good to know if there’s a realistic option to get it sharpened properly.


The last I knew Connecticut Tool and Saw sharpens Lennox carbide blades. When I looked into several years ago, I think it was about half the price of a new one from Spectrum, plus shipping both ways. That's when I decided to sharpen it myself.

John

[Andrew Hughes]

I have both the 1.3 and the 2 tpi woodmaster. The 2 tpi was almost as good as the Resaw king I used to have. It didn’t cut as fast but the surface i was getting darn near perfect. I resaw for bent lamination and set the guides meticulously. No tension gauge
Heres pics of the cut Lennox woodmaster 2 tpi . This blade has been sharpened once by my saw service.
You can see some of the fiber broken but still a darn good cut. My saw is a Aggizani B202/20.
Good Luck

[John TenEyck]

Here's the 1" x 1.3 tpi on my Grizzly cutting walnut:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ADCreHej9PTLFpXcqSlLTCkobydG3PmgVytkyd9pouYHKYCgLc eLFexIvtjP23dmLX06oyLzznYy8BSV5UbxW7RkHwWlfEz2_6bz D3N-4qr04588-bItkFT_rvn3C9inhSNmlTelg0QjStjCycwnRGpEiG3sgw=w157 4-h885-s-no?authuser=1


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ADCreHcLLp9rIP3YYfduDTyvKbrcCUCvZaoOX4Ou1iBfFL_er8 dcKqiaD0MWelDpHWSa1A73UuH48NaB_3quP_FIOZgrsXiAbx3x d13XQXYFWEs1avqiCKfxFSGc-b8oa7QwiyOF4kIv0mXUR-1oIEedKCu-OQ=w1574-h885-s-no?authuser=1

[Andrew Hughes]

That’s a very good cut John.
I thought I should mention something about the resaw king blade that’s important. The kerf is very small compared to the Woodmaster blade 2 tpi I compared it too. For my saw the cost is about the same. Some wood is so expensive I think it’s worth paying for a blade with a small kerf.
The 1.3 tpi blade that John recommends is less money and cuts faster.
I have one coiled up ready for tall resawing.
Good Luck

[John TenEyck]

That's a good point, Andrew, for those cutting expensive wood.

I was looking at your prior post again. You might consider building or buying a tension gauge. Guides are pretty much unnecessary if you put 25 ksi on a sharp 1" blade and it cuts straight. The guides on my saw never touch the blade. You'll get optimum performance and cut quality between sharpenings, too.

John

[lou Brava]

I have both the 1.3 and the 2 tpi woodmaster. The 2 tpi was almost as good as the Resaw king I used to have. It didn’t cut as fast but the surface i was getting darn near perfect. I resaw for bent lamination and set the guides meticulously. No tension gauge
Heres pics of the cut Lennox woodmaster 2 tpi . This blade has been sharpened once by my saw service.
You can see some of the fiber broken but still a darn good cut. My saw is a Aggizani B202/20.
Good Luck

I use a Resaw King it's sharp & my cuts are no where near as smooth as what your showing & you mentioned the Resaw king cut a bit better . I'm pretty sure the saw is set up correct at least the fence, my cuts are near perfect dimension wise it's very accurate even when cutting 1/8" or less on 8-9" stock. I get very faint saw marks. I'm thinking maybe not enough tension or a tooth or 2 aren't set correctly ? Blade is 125" 3/4 resaw king
I didn't know cuts like you & John show were possible !

[Andrew Hughes]

The Resaw King should give you a near perfect surface. What does your cut look like?
I guess it’s possible you have a blade with a tooth or two out I’ve seen on regular carbon blades usually around the weld.
Good Luck

[Tom Trees]

I didn't know cuts like you & John show were possible !
Ain't it great to see an example of what is achievable!, I often link John's Woodmaster CT posts on other UK forums, when the usual bandsaw shopping thread pops up,
and suggest getting a larger used Italian saw for less money, what's capable of tensioning one of these carbide blades,
but most of the time this falls on deaf ears. :confused:

Guess carbide tipped blades are just a bit too expensive yet for folks across the pond.
Best results I've seen other than that, might likely be on Mario's channel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiphC3qWFvw

[Larry Edgerton]

While you guys are throwing recommendations out I need a blade to make cedar shingles on my 20". $750 a square for shingles, decided as its for my own garage I'll cut them myself. Have a 1" carbide but it hit a embedded bolt in some oak I was sawing. Prefer carbide, what do you suggest for cedar up to 8"?

[Tom M King]

Lenox Woodmaster CT 1" 1.3 TPI is what I use for making Cypress shingles. I made a sled with an adjustable fence that I can put any taper needed on them. They are pushed through about as fast as I can move the sled. My old sled ran on a 6' T-track, but I have linear bearing rods to make the next one out of if I ever get another shingle job.

From 10' boards on a trailer, with two helpers we could make a pickup load of shingles in a little over an hour. I set up a screamer table saw next to the trailer with a 20 tooth thin rip blade and no fence. One helper handed me a board. I ran it through the saw to rip the sap wood off. Second helper finished the cut and stacked the boards on sawhorses.

Next in line was a 12" miter saw with a 100 tooth blade with the trigger zip tied on. Helper 1 would slide a board through to the stop. With my left hand I slammed the saw down to make the 28" cut and with my right hand pass the piece to helper 2.

Helper 2 stacked the boards next to the big bandsaw. 24" Centauro running 10% overspeed with VFD.

When next stage was loaded. Helper 1 would put a piece on the sled. I'd hold it in place with a strip of wood about like half a pool cue with my right hand and slide the sled through as fast as I could push it with my left hand. Helper 2 took the two shingles off the sled and stacked them in the back of the pickup. Maybe 3 to 4 seconds per 2 shingles.

Don't ask me how many squares, but more than a few per hour.

See Cypress shingles page on my website.

[John TenEyck]

Lenox Woodmaster CT 1" 1.3 TPI is what I use for making Cypress shingles. I made a sled with an adjustable fence that I can put any taper needed on them. They are pushed through about as fast as I can move the sled. My old sled ran on a 6' T-track, but I have linear bearing rods to make the next one out of if I ever get another shingle job.

From 10' boards on a trailer, with two helpers we could make a pickup load of shingles in a little over an hour. I set up a screamer table saw next to the trailer with a 20 tooth thin rip blade and no fence. One helper handed me a board. I ran it through the saw to rip the sap wood off. Second helper finished the cut and stacked the boards on sawhorses.

Next in line was a 12" miter saw with a 100 tooth blade with the trigger zip tied on. Helper 1 would slide a board through to the stop. With my left hand I slammed the saw down to make the 28" cut and with my right hand pass the piece to helper 2.

Helper 2 stacked the boards next to the big bandsaw. 24" Centauro running 10% overspeed with VFD.

When next stage was loaded. Helper 1 would put a piece on the sled. I'd hold it in place with a strip of wood about like half a pool cue with my right hand and slide the sled through as fast as I could push it with my left hand. Helper 2 took the two shingles off the sled and stacked them in the back of the pickup. Maybe 3 to 4 seconds per 2 shingles.

Don't ask me how many squares, but more than a few per hour.

See Cypress shingles page on my website.


Professional driver on closed circuit course. Do not attempt.

John

[Andrew Hughes]

While you guys are throwing recommendations out I need a blade to make cedar shingles on my 20". $750 a square for shingles, decided as its for my own garage I'll cut them myself. Have a 1" carbide but it hit a embedded bolt in some oak I was sawing. Prefer carbide, what do you suggest for cedar up to 8"?

What does cedar up to 8 inches mean? Wood shakes and shingles are two different styles of roofing materials. Shakes are split and layed with a shake liner.
Shingles are resawn in different lengths not using any felt but relies on spaced sheathing. Three layers thick properly spaced.
Obviously you can do what you want if you resaw shakes you might get lots of diving boards. Before too long
Good Luck

[Larry Edgerton]

What does cedar up to 8 inches mean? Wood shakes and shingles are two different styles of roofing materials. Shakes are split and layed with a shake liner.
Shingles are resawn in different lengths not using any felt but relies on spaced sheathing. Three layers thick properly spaced.
Obviously you can do what you want if you resaw shakes you might get lots of diving boards. Before too long
Good Luck

Been a high end builder for over 45 years, know the difference between shingles and shakes. Have made a lot of shingles already, not really a problem but as I am in need of a new band I thought I would ask for preferences.You did not answer the original question. Cedar up to 8" is kind of self explanatory, but if you need clarification I cut it into blocks first on my sawmill, up to 8". And I did not say they were going on the roof, they are siding. I knew I should have just shut up.

[Andrew Hughes]

Cedar pretty easy on blades I don’t see why a carbide blade would be needed.
Side wall shingles that sounds like fun.
To be clear where I’m coming from I would never consider making shingles or shakes any more then a cabinet maker would think about making plywood.
Ive not seen 8 long shingles or 8 inch wide. Must be decorative
Good Luck

[lou Brava]

The Resaw King should give you a near perfect surface. What does your cut look like?
I guess it’s possible you have a blade with a tooth or two out I’ve seen on regular carbon blades usually around the weld.
Good Luck

Like this, not the best pic these pieces were off fall from a taper cut. If you enlarge you will see saw marks/lines. I have a feeling it's not a bad tooth after all. I think it's possible tension and or technique. These were cut on a sled & fence height is 4" these boards are 8 1/4". Next time I'm going to increase fence height & pay more attention to sled slop & applied pressure against the fence. I did aprx 16 of these cuts and there not consistent so I'm chalking up to operator error.
511131
511132

[Larry Edgerton]

Cedar pretty easy on blades I don’t see why a carbide blade would be needed.
Side wall shingles that sounds like fun.
To be clear where I’m coming from I would never consider making shingles or shakes any more then a cabinet maker would think about making plywood.
Ive not seen 8 long shingles or 8 inch wide. Must be decorative
Good Luck

Again, you are making assumptions that are not in evidence. I did not say 8" LONG. I am cutting them in to blocks up to 8" thick and 18" long. I would be cutting 8" thick stock. Then I cut the end profile on both ends for the pattern I want on the butt, then free cutting the shingles. I like carbide. May not need it but I want it. If I had not hit a bolt the one I have would still be going strong after years of service.

[Tom M King]

For the Cypress shingle roof shown on my website, we cut 10,000 lineal feet of boards. That blade is still good, but I'd buy another one for another similar job.

I built lake spec houses with Cedar Shake siding in 1976 and 1982. Both are right down the road from our house and are still in good shape. Part of our roof is Cedar Shakes installed in 1980 and still has a lot of life in them. All on open purlins. That was before I had ever seen a stainless steel staple, so I expect the galvanized fasteners will fail before the wood does. It was also before I knew anything about Cypress shingles.

Shake is a 20th Century term to differentiate hand split from sawn. For many centuries they were all hand split and called shingles.

Install them according to the Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau and you will get a roof that might last for 30 years. They've engineered the life out of them.

I came close to buying a 36" Northfield bandsaw on ebay yesterday, but don't have anywhere to put it. The only thing I would want it for would be making shingles to run a wider Woodmaster CT with bigger teeth on. It's probably a good thing I don't have anywhere to put it because I don't have time to mess with it now anyway.

[Andrew Hughes]

That’s good because a 8 long shingle would be very small rows. :) I have not laid shingles with a round or pointy end I can see why you mentioned the cost is high.
One inch stagger is typical for sidewalls out here. On roofs it’s a waste of money integrity of the work is paramount but some places want it.
Your lucky to have nice clear cedar to work with its one of my favorite woods.
Good Luck

[Tom M King]

We have White Oak siding on our house and on an addition gable facing the road I put fancy edged shingles I made out of White Oak.

On the shingle roofs I've found that were over 140 years old, under tin applied on top of them, about 1/4" of the exposed wood had been eroded away, so surface finish at install is not of highest importance. Those roofs never had any shingle over 5" wide and had a single nail in the center. 7" exposure with the single nail 15" up. The nail in the center has to be that high to be upslope of the slot between the next row of shingles up. Both roofs had failed by someone heavy footed walking on them to install TV antennas. The wrought iron nails had eroded away enough to let the shingles pivot on the single nail.

Since we can saw them any length we want, I made the replacements 28" long for the 7" exposure. That let me put another fastener in the next purlin up. It should exponentially decrease the chance of leaking from any shingle splitting too, but the main reason was for the extra fastener. The wood is a small cost in the overall job.

[Larry Edgerton]

For the Cypress shingle roof shown on my website, we cut 10,000 lineal feet of boards. That blade is still good, but I'd buy another one for another similar job.

I built lake spec houses with Cedar Shake siding in 1976 and 1982. Both are right down the road from our house and are still in good shape. Part of our roof is Cedar Shakes installed in 1980 and still has a lot of life in them. All on open purlins. That was before I had ever seen a stainless steel staple, so I expect the galvanized fasteners will fail before the wood does. It was also before I knew anything about Cypress shingles.


Shake is a 20th Century term to differentiate hand split from sawn. For many centuries they were all hand split and called shingles.

Install them according to the Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau and you will get a roof that might last for 30 years. They've engineered the life out of them.

I came close to buying a 36" Northfield bandsaw on ebay yesterday, but don't have anywhere to put it. The only thing I would want it for would be making shingles to run a wider Woodmaster CT with bigger teeth on. It's probably a good thing I don't have anywhere to put it because I don't have time to mess with it now anyway.

I sold my commercial building Tom and no longer had a place for my 36" Oliver. I miss it, but trying to wind down. Only worked 56 hrs last week, and only 8 on Thanksgiving? Would have given you the Oliver for turning me on to those secret pencils. Shhh.....

I just ordered a Lenox Woodmaster CT 1" 1.3 TPI, thanks for the suggestion. I can't remember what the one I have is, old age I guess.

[Joe Adams]

I have been following along with all the replies to my thread and want to thank everyone for their advice.

Based on the feedback, I'm going with the Lenox Woodmaster CT 1.3 from Spectrum Supply.

Many thanks!

Joe

[Jeff Ramsey]

I use a Lenox WOODMASTER CT
1"x.035", 1.3T(.051 Kerf) on my Felder FB510 and the results are excellent.

[Thomas Crawford]

I use a Woodmaster 2 TPI and the BiMetal 1/2" 4 TPI.