Recommend bandsaw blade w x tpi for this

[Gene Davis]

I helped a friend get most of the way through a Morris chair build, and now it is time to bandsaw the curved back slats.

See the pic attached of the SU model. The top slat is 3-7/8" H and the others are 2-1/2".

The inside and outside curved faces have a pretty big radius. The stock to be cut is kiln dried black cherry.

The only available bandsaw is an old Jet JWBS-12OS 12-incher that has an 82" blade length. I suggest he use a 3/8" 4 TPI blade available from multiple makers.

[Van Huskey]

First how thick are the slats? You want to keep 3 teeth in the stock at all times so a 4tpi blade is good down to 3/4". Any blade width that will fit the saw will cut that wide of a radius so the main issue is getting a high enough TPI without going too high and taking forever to make the cuts. There are tons of online and likely a local supplier or two that will weld whatever blade length you need almost always cheaper than the pre-packaged blades.

[Gary Ragatz]

First how thick are the slats? You want to keep 3 teeth in the stock at all times so a 4tpi blade is good down to 3/4". Any blade width that will fit the saw will cut that wide of a radius so the main issue is getting a high enough TPI without going too high and taking forever to make the cuts. There are tons of online and likely a local supplier or two that will weld whatever blade length you need almost always cheaper than the pre-packaged blades.

OP says the slats are 2-1/2" high - isn't that what matters? Or does thickness have an impact on blade choice, too?

[Van Huskey]

OP says the slats are 2-1/2" high - isn't that what matters? Or does thickness have an impact on blade choice, too?

You are absolutely correct! The curve on these will be cut through the 2 1/2" and 3 7/8" portions of the slats, not the thin part. So the OP was on the right track either a 3/8 or 1/2 blade and I would prefer 3TPI for those cuts on that saw.

[Gene Davis]

That's what I thought. I sold my Delta 14-inch bandsaw and my assortment of blades, one of which was a Woodslicer 1/2" 3 tpi that I used for resaw work. I was pretty certain it would track nicely through these large radii curves, but wanted confirmation.

The other part of the equation is tool setup, which I have to help with remotely at a distance of 1,000 miles. I want my guy to understand and apply everything there is to know about blade tracking, tension, bearing and guide placement, and fixturing. I am advising he do all this, and only when making satisfactory cuts in trial pieces of stock, then proceed.