How tight of a curve will a 1/4" bandsaw blade cut?

[Paul Arnold]

I just purchased a bandsaw and was wondering if a 1/4" blade would make a 3" radius cut (haven't tried since I haven't finished setting it up yet)? If not, what size would?

Thanks,
Paul

[Mark Hollingsworth]

Blade Radius

http://www.bobvila.com/images/PageTools/PageTools_04a.gif http://www.bobvila.com/images/icons/TipIcon.gif The width of your bandsaw (http://www.bobvila.com/HowTo_Library/Blade_Radius--T88.html#) blade and its tooth set will determine the smallest circle you can cut without damaging the blade or the saw guides. Generally a 3/16-in. blade will cut a radius as small as 5/16 in.; a 1/4-in. blade will cut as small as 5/8, and a 3/8-in. blade as small as 1-7/16. The wider a blade, the thicker it will be and the longer it will stand up and keep its edge

[Greg Peterson]

Paul, a good book to pick up is "The New Complete Guide to the Band Saw: Everything You Need to Know About the Most Important Saw in the Shop" by Mark Duginske (isbn #: 978-1565233188).

Great book with lots of useful information, including minimum radius cut by blade size.

[James Carmichael]

http://www.bcsaw.com/pages/bandsaw%20guide/bandsaw2.htm

YMMV

[Dave MacArthur]

Paul, I watched a streaming video (podcast) yesterday from the Shopnotes crew, on bandsaws, and the guy had a good way to remember how small a circle you could make:
1/8" blade you can cut around a pencil's eraser
1/4" you can just cut around a quarter (coin), "one-quarter can do a quarter".
1/2" was something bigger, like a quart paint can, I believe... looking for the link, but the 1/4"==size of a quarter seems a good memory aid to me ;)