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Thread: If not BC Tool & Saw, then who?

  1. #16
    I am a fan of Cater products fast and fair pricing.

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Doylestown, PA
    Posts
    7,551
    I've had good luck with this company. I've found their premium gold pretty durable.
    http://www.supercutbandsaw.com/products.html

  3. #18
    IMO it's not as much about price or shipping time. The important factor is weld quality which can vary wildly between suppliers. Michael Fortune recommended BC Tool and Saw because their welds are consistently good.

    I have received consistently good welds from bandsawbladesdirect.com. Iturra can be hit or miss. Sometimes to stack the deck in my favor I have asked Louis Iturra to not rush, take his time and make sure I get a good weld, even if I have to wait a day or two longer.
    If you have a local dealer of Lenox products, they can order the blade of your choice to size, welded by the factory which will be very good because of the welding equipment they are using. My local source cannot give me a good weld to save their lives, but they can order from Lenox so I do so to bypass the weld issue and it costs very little more.

    Hope this helps,
    Edwin

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Shrewsbury, VT
    Posts
    142
    Lots of recommendations leading to lots of searching. My head is starting to spin. If I stay hung up on 1/2" 3 TPI skip carbon, which I find myself doing (for whatever reason - mostly Fortune's K-I-S-S principle, I guess, that configuration being general purpose and inexpensive) it eliminates a lot of recommendations........should I remain so? My brain wants to tell me an extra TPI or two or a hook configuration can't make THAT big a difference, can it? I just dunno. I think it's time to stop overthinking this and just make a purchase. I'm intrigued by supercut (thanks Curt) and reviews seem mostly positive - anyone here have negative experience with them? I do wish I could order online, though - don't really want to do this via phone on a 10 min. break......BUT - all this will change at the end of this year when I will start collecting MY money from the gummint.........can't wait.

  5. #20
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    LA & SC neither one is Cali
    Posts
    9,447
    Quote Originally Posted by Bruce Darrow View Post
    Lots of recommendations leading to lots of searching. My head is starting to spin. If I stay hung up on 1/2" 3 TPI skip carbon, which I find myself doing (for whatever reason - mostly Fortune's K-I-S-S principle, I guess, that configuration being general purpose and inexpensive) it eliminates a lot of recommendations........should I remain so? My brain wants to tell me an extra TPI or two or a hook configuration can't make THAT big a difference, can it? I just dunno. I think it's time to stop overthinking this and just make a purchase. I'm intrigued by supercut (thanks Curt) and reviews seem mostly positive - anyone here have negative experience with them? I do wish I could order online, though - don't really want to do this via phone on a 10 min. break......BUT - all this will change at the end of this year when I will start collecting MY money from the gummint.........can't wait.
    First, I would never consider a single bandsaw blade, but then I would never consider a single bandsaw or even just 3. If I was forced to choose one blade it would not be a 1/2" blade, it is too limiting in cutting diameter. I would always choose a 1/4" blade if I was locked into one, a 1/2" is too limiting. If I used one blade it would never be a carbon blade, they dull too quickly and are not cost effective long-term especially if just using one blade. Get a bi-metal blade and you won't regret it, the one caveat is if you trash blades consistently. I probably have a dozen different blades I use regularly and another 5-6 that I use for certain cuts.

    I have used just about ever companies blades I am aware of, I always come back to Lenox except for 3 specific blades that Lenox doesn't produce. They have a large catalog and are simply the best IMO. If I was stuck with one manufacturer it would be Lenox, if I was stuck with one blade it would be a 1/4" x 6tpi Hook in the Lenox Diemaster 2. It is not ideal for a lot of cuts but there aren't many it won't accomplish. Personally, I think 3 blades is a minimum to get wide use out of a bandsaw.

    Some info on bandsaw blades: https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread....andsaw-blades!

    If you buy from a supplier long enough you will get a bad weld, some places are more notorious than others. CT saw in Connecticut is the one I mentioned because they have very consistent welds over the years and they are close to you. Spectrum Supply is my goto source for Lenox and the Atalanta Sharptech stock they sell as the Kerfmaster, but they are better for larger orders. There are plenty of good blades out there, my recommendation is based on long-term consistency, availability and a large catalog of various configurations.
    Of all the laws Brandolini's may be the most universally true.

    Deep thought for the day:

    Your bandsaw weighs more when you leave the spring compressed instead of relieving the tension.

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