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Tools you waited too long to acquire

I like 10/14tpi combo blades and then use them for everything. I also do not cut much/any thin sheet etc. with the bandsaw. Mostly ranging from 16g-1/4".

However my new Greenlee came with 5 or 6 brand new blades, haven't checked tooth count, or even if they are all the same but I will run them til they deplete. - just checked out of curiosity and they seem to be 14tpi...my new favorite

I've also used the pgn bearings as replacements for quite a few different things/projects/repairs and they always work...
 
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I have always used 14 tpi on my 4x6 bandsaw because that's what it came with and thats what Princes Auto sells. Have others used different tpi blades on these saw? Is there a better tpi for all round general hobby use for a saw this size?
 
I have always used 14 tpi on my 4x6 bandsaw because that's what it came with and thats what Princes Auto sells. Have others used different tpi blades on these saw? Is there a better tpi for all round general hobby use for a saw this size?
Try a 10/14tpi combo Lennox blade next time you're due for a change. I get them from kmstools, if you don't have one in your city they ship and I think it's free over $100, sometimes $50, or used to be.


Actually a damn good sale price right now
 
I have always used 14 tpi on my 4x6 bandsaw because that's what it came with and thats what Princes Auto sells. Have others used different tpi blades on these saw? Is there a better tpi for all round general hobby use for a saw this size?
I also predominantly use variable tooth blades (10/14 I believe) but have single 8 pitch coarse blade for bigger/faster stuff. I don't cut any real thin wall stuff with band saw buy go to abrasive chop saw for that usually.
I've never worried about mixing sawdust on the bandsaw as I often have a mix of steel, aluminum and sometimes brass on it....maybe ibshould be more concerned after reading about the possibilities above in an earlier post.
I believe bimetal blades are far superior for most things (especially steel/iron) but I've already forgotten all the technical stuff I read. I think there was a great heap of good info on the Lennox website but I was unable to locate quickly just now for a link. As mentioned above also @SkookumRob is likely a good local resource .
 
Try a 10/14tpi combo Lennox blade next time you're due for a change. I get them from kmstools, if you don't have one in your city they ship and I think it's free over $100, sometimes $50, or used to be.


Actually a damn good sale price right now
Thanks I just put a new blade on but will order one if the shipping is reasonable.
 
I only use one pitch (10/14) and one blade for all materials on my 4x6. When cutting wide material I reduce the downfeed pressure (hydraulic upgrade) to avoid overloading the gullets and tearing out teeth. I've been getting excellent life from the iMachinist blades off Amazon. I do believe that Lenox are the cream, but I doubt I would ever see enough difference to justify the price difference. (I just looked at the price on Amazon.ca for those blades, YIKES!)

The issue of carbon steel contamination of stainless is an interesting one. Are we to only use stainless steel saw blades and endmills? ;)

Back to the OT, I recently acquired a Tapmatic 50X tapping head and have been kicking myself to not doing so much sooner.
 
I only use one pitch (10/14) and one blade for all materials on my 4x6. When cutting wide material I reduce the downfeed pressure (hydraulic upgrade) to avoid overloading the gullets and tearing out teeth. I've been getting excellent life from the iMachinist blades off Amazon. I do believe that Lenox are the cream, but I doubt I would ever see enough difference to justify the price difference. (I just looked at the price on Amazon.ca for those blades, YIKES!)

The issue of carbon steel contamination of stainless is an interesting one. Are we to only use stainless steel saw blades and endmills? ;)

Back to the OT, I recently acquired a Tapmatic 50X tapping head and have been kicking myself to not doing so much sooner.
Amazon pricing is funny. Sometimes they are significantly cheaper and sometimes they are 2x the price due to their pricing algorithm. Pays to look around before ya order.
 
I bought a couple saw blades from FOXBORO in China (June 2022).
(2) 44-78” x 1/2” 24tpi bi-metal blades

I am still using the ‘first’ blade to cut Aluminum, MS 1018 HRS.
Of course, I would call my use of the saw - weekly at most.

I do not recall the actual pricing, but, it was less then NA suppliers.
 
I only use one pitch (10/14) and one blade for all materials on my 4x6. When cutting wide material I reduce the downfeed pressure (hydraulic upgrade) to avoid overloading the gullets and tearing out teeth. I've been getting excellent life from the iMachinist blades off Amazon. I do believe that Lenox are the cream, but I doubt I would ever see enough difference to justify the price difference. (I just looked at the price on Amazon.ca for those blades, YIKES!)

The issue of carbon steel contamination of stainless is an interesting one. Are we to only use stainless steel saw blades and endmills? ;)

Back to the OT, I recently acquired a Tapmatic 50X tapping head and have been kicking myself to not doing so much sooner.
It's not contamination from the hard cutting tool edges, it's from carbon steel particles that may be adhering to the cutting tools.



In our stainless fabrication shop, we use a spectacularly nasty cleaning paste called Antox 71 to clean stainless after welding. A combination of nitric and hydrofluoric acid, it dissolves the outer stainless steel oxide layer and any free iron or carbon contamination. Has a truly unique anti-human property - if you get it on your skin, it produces an acid burn. But if you don't rinse it off immediately, the hydrofluoric acid absorbs into your skin and dissolves the bones underneath.
 
I bought a couple saw blades from FOXBORO in China (June 2022).
(2) 44-78” x 1/2” 24tpi bi-metal blades

I am still using the ‘first’ blade to cut Aluminum, MS 1018 HRS.
Of course, I would call my use of the saw - weekly at most.

I do not recall the actual pricing, but, it was less then NA suppliers.
Sorry the Chinese Company that I bought the. Saw blades from was . . .

From: FOXBC (Shopify)
Date: 2022-05-31 08:02
To: order
Subject: New customer message on May 31, 2022 at 8:02 am

You received a new message from your online store's contact form.
Country Code:
CA
Name:
Len VanWonderen
 
Good point. Can't use low tpi on anything thin. Maybe @SkookumRob can help demystify all this.

Choosing TPI can be a little challenging, especially if you cut a wide range of materials and thicknesses. For the smaller 4"x 6" Horizontal/Vertical machines, the 10/14 pitch is usually a pretty good choice. It is far better to have the blade a little too fine when cutting the thicker stuff than if you go too coarse as that usually leads to tooth strippage and damage. So if you have to "err" on a side, I would recommend basing your blade off of the thinnest material you normally cut. Unless of course you don't mind changing out blades, then you can be more specific with the blade and get far better cutting performance by matching the correct tooth pitch to the cut.

Here is a quick reference chart you can use as a guide:

Bi-Metal-Bandsaw-Tooth-Pitch-Chart.jpg


Any time you try for a "one blade for everything" there is a trade off. Either in production speed, quality of cut or blade life. There is one blade for the mid size production machines that is designed specifically for a "maintenance shop" application with a variety of materials being cut. It is a "Duos" blade. Bi-Metal DUOS – These blades are exclusively designed for light-duty bandsawing machines to cover a very wide range of cutting applications. Most cutting applications can be cut efficiently and economically with the DUOS 9/11 pitch. Long life on mild solid steel, heavy wall tubing and structural steel. These blades are available in 3/4", 1" and 1-1/4" width only.
 
Ditto. Never would have crossed my mind to order blades from Skookum till I saw his post.

Question for the man....

@SkookumRob - what do you think about mixing materials steel, aluminium, stainless, copper & it's alloys on the same blade? Also, if there is such a thing as one blade for everything, what is it?

Answering the question about whether or not to mix materials that you are cutting with a blade is an interesting one. The answer is yes... and no! So this choice really depends on the characteristics of the material you are cutting and how important contamination is in your application. Obviously if you cut carbon steel, and leave the cutting debris in the gullets, and then cut some stainless, you run the risk of embedding some of that rust prone material into the rust resistant material. Which can be cause for some unattractive rust spots on your stainless project in the future. Moving between stainless and aluminum can be totally fine and I do see this in a lot of the marine fabrication shops. So, overall... if in doubt, use a different blade when changing materials - or - clean the blade really well by flushing and brushing with your saw lubricant!
 
Thanks @SkookumRob. I didn't think it would be simple. But it isn't as scary as I imagined it might be either. Nice balance of practical info.

No 1/2 inch Duos eh...... Lady luck just can't resist pissing on me again.
 
It’s been awhile since I saw someone’s post about a magnetic swarf pickup tool. I thought it was in ‘tools I waited too long to acquire’ but doesn’t much matter. I just got one. It must have been on a slow boat from China cause it took weeks for Amazon to get it to my door. The wait was worth it. It’s great. It now takes up some prime real estate on the mill. Guess I’ll be getting another one for the lathe.
IMG_2452.jpeg
 
It’s been awhile since I saw someone’s post about a magnetic swarf pickup tool.

For many many years, I used a small magnet on a long extending handle. Then I got one like yours.

Don't know how I lived without it. Wish they had one for Aluminium and for Brass......
 
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