How long does a Timberwolf last?

[Burt Alcantara]

Went to cut blanks and found the Timberwolf flexing and drifting. I don't feel like I've cut with it that much. Mostly pine and willow logs no larger then 8".

I don't exactly remember when I got the blade but I'd guess 8-12 weeks ago. The blade is an 1/2x3AS. Can these blades be sharpened? If so, is this something I can do myself?

Thanks,
Burt

[Vince Welch]

Hi Burt,

I would suggest verifying the blade is at the correct tension before doing anything else. 8-12 weeks is not long and those woods are not hard woods. Yes, these blades can be sharpened but I would much rather get a new blade from Timberwolf directly if the blade needs to be replaced. Let us know what develops.

Vince

[Harvey M. Taylor]

along with the other advice, drop the top guides down to barely above the workpiece to retard flexing. Also, consider getting a wider blade if the bandsaw will handle it. Then, tension, tension.Just my .02 cents worth after taxes, which doesnt leave very much.

[Mark Rios]

Timberwolves can live up to about 15 years in the wild but somewhere around 8 - 10 years is normal. They will live up to 17 years in captivity however, due to good care and a steady food supply.



hth













:D

[Bernie Weishapl]

Burt I agree with Harvey. I am guessing you just need to tension the blade. I had to after a couple of months. Like he also said bring the guides down till the just clear the wood you are cutting. My brother had the same problem and he had the guides 6 or 8 inches above the wood. I have the same blade as you have. It has been on the saw now for over a year and has cut from black locust to willow. Still cutting fine. I would follow the instructions for your saw and tension the blades.

[Curtis O. Seebeck]

If the blade is truely dull you can get the same results. I bought a new Rikon 18" BS. The factory supplied blade SUCKED. It went dull very qucik and started wandering all over the place. It was tensioned properly and the guides were set right. It did not last long at all. I was beginning to think the saw was a piece of junk.

I then bought a few new Lennox Diemaster II blades and I now LOVE the saw! I also LOVE these blades! I had always used Timberwolf blades on my 14" with riser but this time decided to try the Lennox on the recommendation of someone on another forum. The Diemaster II is a bi-metal blade and supposedly will stay sharp longer. They were not that much more than Timberwolf blades either.

I bought mine from Cyber Woodworking Depot. They had the best prices and did a great job. Here is their website http://www.toolcenter.com/BANDSAW_BLADES.html

[Dick Strauss]

Burt,
I've found that I like the 3/8"-3tpi AS blades best for wet wood. The 3/8" size allows you to cut smaller diameter circles without binding. I originally had some new 1/2" Morse blades that were just awful on wet wood. The TW AS blades have far outlasted any other blade I've tried. I've cut through nails (accidentally) with my TW, got it kinked from a log rolling over, and still haven't killed it.

I think they last longer if you don't have roller guides. The roller guides tend to compress the wet wood fibers to the sides of the blade and the tire. The square metal guides do a better job of removing the stuff before it becomes a problem.

[Martin Braun]

When I ordered my latest TW blades from the factory, the customer service guy made a big deal about wet vs. dry and the correct parameters of the blade for each. I don't recall the details, but you might want to call them up and ask them to see if they have any suggestions.

[Burt Alcantara]

You guys are probably right about tensioning. As the tension knob is a little high and my hands don't have the strength of yore I'm sure I'm not tightening and loosing consistently.

On the last blank that I cut I could hear banging inside the frame. I added tension with the blade running until the banging stopped. Didn't improve the performance at all.

My biggest problem is trying to remember if I've added tension or removed it. This probably throws the tensioning out the window, but I don't know how to correct it. Too many brain cells...gone. So much for the 60's.

Burt

[Dick Strauss]

Burt,
Check your tires for buildup that might cause the blade to bang every time the wheel rotates once.

You may also have a kink or bend that will make a banging sound. DAMHIKT