Need bandsaw blade advice from the experts

[scott spencer]

I just picked up a Craftsman 22400 12" bandsaw.....3/4hp, 7" resaw. I'm looking to pick up 2-4 blades depending on what the recommendations are. I'll likely want to do some occasional resawing...it'd be very cool to cut some of my own veneer too if feasible. I'll also want to do some general BS cutting...arcs, curves, occasional tight corners. Cost is a factor, but so is value for what I spend.

I'm getting pretty confused with all the potential brand names and blade types....Lenox, Timberwolf, Morse, Woodslicer, etc. There's a guy on Ebay selling custom length Morse blades for $10 each.....are they any good? Can some of you experts offer some insights on brands, TPI, metallurgy, hook, the average cost of a good blade, etc. $50-$75 is about the max I can spend total. I'd appreciate any insights. TIA!

[Don Baer]

Scott,
I have the same saw, I have 2 1/4" blades and 2 1/2" blades from timberwolf the half " blades are 4 tpi. They get er done. I have resawn up to 6" maple with no problems. The proper length blades should be 89.5" long but 90" will work, just can't quite get the full tension DAMHIKT.

[Mike Cutler]

Scott.

It's difficult to spec blades, but these are my choices:

General use. 3/8" 6-8tpi,
Resaw. No more than 3 tpi. The 4 TPI from T-wolf was erratic for me.
Tight stuff is an 1/8" blade. TPI is dependent on smoothness of cut desired. More teeth = smoother cut, but also equals more work for the saw. Gotta be careful though because they can deform and break easily. 1/4" blades are a good compromise for gentle tighter radius arcs. 3/8 can cut a fairly tight arc also. The bandsaw box folks will know a lot more about these types of blades than I will.

Across the grain straight cuts. 3/8", or 1/2" 8-10 tpi. Nice smooth edge. The 12's have a really smooth cut, but the heat can get to them in my opinion.

Bowl blanks and such. I know nothing about blades for that type of work.

I have found that the 1/2" Wooodslicer from Highland Harware was the best resaw blade for a My 14" Jet bandsaw. After that though T-wolves are my choice for everything else. I always had more pronounced, inconsistent blade drift problems with the T-wolf resaw blades. I don't know why though. In lieu of Don's post. I think I have to amplify this statment. The T-olve's did great slicing veneer off the waste side of the blade, but it was for bookmatching of 4/4 stock that I had the problems.

I would contact the folks at Suffolk Machinery, and let them set you up. They know more than I ever will about bandsaw blades. Nice folks too.

I use a 1" lennox Bi-metal, and a 1" trimaster,2-3 varipitch on my 18" saw, but those are strictly resaw blades, and too big for the saw you have. I've never used any of the smaller Lennox blades, so I can't comment.

I'm sure that others will chime in.

[scott spencer]

Thanks guys....my first thought was to go with TW, but then I started hearing from alot of other camps who had less flattering comments about the TW.....that's when the confusion hits. It's obviously no simpler than table saw blades, but I just haven't had the need or spent the time to learn the ropes yet, but I need the blades sooner than I can get myself edumicated on such things! :rolleyes:

[tod evans]

scott, keep in mind that bandsaw blades are a disposable item...they`re cheap enough that you can afford to play with several different brands and not loose much. depending on what you`re doing with the saw and the finish you`re looking for off the saw should guide you towards a tooth count the finest blade i use is a 4 tooth but even my scroller is a roughing tool.....02 tod

[Tom Ruflin]

Scott, I used 1/2" timberwolf and woodslicer blades on my Delta 14" and the woodslicer blade was better, smoother cut with less effort. Just my experience.

[Pete Bradley]

I use 3/8-4PC Timberwolf on my 20" machine for everything except logs and rough resaws (e.g. slicing cants into boards). They work great for everything from curves to deep resaws. I get them from Constitution Saw in SouthWindsor, CT. No web site, but cheaper than some of the better-known sources.

Don't go too wide on that machine as you'll probably get poor results. 1/2" is probably the limit and I wouldn't be surprised if 3/8 works better.

Pete

[Jim Becker]

Pete, cheaper than direct from Suffolk?

[Dave Williams]

In our shop we make our own blades, the ones you can buy seem to break a lot more; however not every one has the option to do this.

[Pete Bradley]

Jim,

Yup. I've bought from both. Constitution is a one man operation, and he can tell you more than you could possibly absorb about bands, tooth geometry, etc.

Pete

[Jesse Cloud]

I'm with Tod. Try a few different brands before you spend a king's ransom on extra deluxe blades. You probably won't find anyone who will resharpen your bandsaw blades, so view them as consumables - like sandpaper. Most midrange blades are pretty good for a while. If I'm going to resaw something special, I always put on a fresh blade.

And buy a "utility blade" to keep on the saw for day to day use. I keep a 1/2 inch 3 tpi for rough ripping on my saw and it gets a lot of use. Olson makes an inexpensive blade that is fine for day to day use.