The Metal Artist Forum

Just purchased a new vertical bandsaw. Would appreciate any advice on best blade brand, teeth PI, do's, don'ts and other words of wisdom.

Many thanks...

J. Snow

You need to tell us what you'll be using it for, you use different speeds and TPI for steel, aluminum and wood.

Jim

Well brand and type are like asking the best beer,Nascar Driver, welder color, women or man one likes. It's what one becomes use to or learned on etc.
I buy Lenox when they are on sale, bimetals,carbide tipped or carbon all have there advocates. It really will depend on what you will be doing the most, for the choice of what blade lives on your machine instead of changing it all the time.

Quick rule of thumb:
A fine toothed blade (18 to 32 TPI) should be used for thinner metals and plastics under 1/4".

This a page from the Lenox catalog, on blades they don't have it on Lenox's
web site.
Blade types and teeth

This is what i generally have on it, it cuts wood, metals, and tree limb wood

Quote:REGULAR TOOTH - Straight faced tooth with deep gullets to rake out chips. This style is used for general metal cutting.

This is the kind that I'm going to try next:

Quote:VARIABLE TOOTH - (Bi-Metal only) Also known as vari-tooth or broach tooth this tooth has varying set angles and gullet depths The variable tooth cutting edge reduces vibration while the back absorbs the impacts of cutting in and out of holes slots and narrow webs This is the best all-purpose blade for production work and for general shop cut-off and contouring. Use it for cutting off solids bar stock and especially structural.

Some other rules of thumb:

More TPI give a smoother but slower cut

Fewer TPI allow a faster cut with a slightly rougher finish

At least three teeth must be in the workpiece ( as with jewelry saw frames)
some things are universal whether metal,wood or other

You can cut other material with the metal cutting blades, I have cut,ivory, horn,fake ivory,(cue balls) wood, tree limbs, plastic, sheet goods rubber, foam both rubber( need to remove the rake and set from the teeth) and insulation type, non ferrous and ferrous metals. I have two verticals, a large 12 inch cut height, and a small bench top Royobi which is easier to swap blades on.

You just have to go slow and watch the blade and speed you are forcing the material. I learned and use the stick type saw lubricant not the liquid lenox suggests(can get messy) if the saw isn't set up for it.
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Castroil makes a version,available at the tool palaces. It is a mixture of tallow and synthetic waxes, it is better than the old standby of beeswax as it isn't as sticky and clogs the blade.

It can be used on drills,end mills, hand saws hack and jeweler you don't want to use it when tapping or on drawer slides been there done that! won't do it again!

Lenox tools web site

I will say here that I'm only using Lenox as an example. There are 1,000's of places and sites on the net. I do use them, as they say "it depends on how much you use it. As I'm still a hobbyist and have more way to cut things than stuff"!

1/4 to 3/8 wide. Try to keep blade speed betweed 75 & 150 Inch per min. 14 teeth per inch.

Just wanted to add my two cents to the discussion. I do a fair amount of cutting of 1" mild steel plate with a older Rockwell bandsaw with a 1 hp motor. I have a 1/2 wide bi-metal blade, 10-14 varitooth, and .025 thick. The speed is around 300 sfm. Cuts great with hand feeds and does what I need without a lot of hassle. I am thinking, however of making a weighted and clamping metal sled for help out with hand fatigue and safety.

Mark

I run a doall with a hydraulic power feed, I never used the power feed until I had to make lots of cuts and my back and hands were hurting so I just decided to try it, well I am never going back power feed is the only way to go. It would not be to hard to make a gravity fed power feed unit with a foot pedal to release the pressure take a look at some doall and Grob power feeds.