Bandsaw Blades - How Long Do They Stay Sharp?

[Paul Joynes]

So I have been resawing some 6 inch wide birch to make kitchen drawers from. I have processed a little over 100 linear feet of wood and the blade is done. The blade is the standard 1" silicon steel blade (http://www.lagunatools.com/bandsawblade1inchx3tpi.aspx) that shipped with my Laguna and I am trying to gage whether this is an appropriate life for a blade.

Your feedback is appreciated.

Paul

[John Thompson]

Stock blades won't last long. Bi-metal and carbide are the best choices for re-saw which is very hard on the teeth in hardwood and the thicker the stock the quicker it dulls. But.. with that said even carbide which will last about 10 times longer or bi-metal which last about 5 time longer for re-saw won't stay sharp forever. The reality is re-saw is just tough on BS blades.

Sarge..

[Tony De Masi]

I agree with Sarge and will also add that I have found that the feed rate will also have an influence on your blade longevity.

Tony

[Mark Singer]

I have had my Trimaster for years and its still sharp! The MVP

[Paul Atkins]

About this long----arrrrgh.

[Chris Padilla]

Paul A.,

I had something like that in a chunk of rough walnut but it turned out to be lead...assuming from a bullet or something.... :)

[Rick Fisher]

This may sound simplistic but the bigger the saw, the longer they last. Simply because a shorter blade does more work per tooth..

Shorter blades obviously get hotter as well.

I have found that cutting PVC is tough on my blade. I use my bandsaw to cut 6" PVC Pipe from time to time and it seems to kick the life out of the blade.

Funny but I find the bandsaw to be the tool that suffers the most from a dull blade. I have used my Table saw and miter saw with dull blades and other than the odd burn, its not dramatic.

With the bandsaw, I start to get "drift" ..

[Alfred Clem]

My Timberwolf blades last for years -- if propertly tensioned before use and de-tensioned after use, if the feed rate is slow, if the blades are cleaned frequently, and cut only wood that has been inspected for metal objects such as nails or screws.

The blade that came with my saw was pure junk. Timberwolf blades have given me superb service.