Which bandsaw blade?
- Thread starter Johnwa
- Start date
Did you mean 7x12? I always run coolant, I use the same blade for everything ….. I’ll look up the tooth count
Tom Kitta
Ultra Member
Ah this is the age old question. The problem is that there does not seem to be a "universal" blade available. I.e. a high tooth count blade will have issues cutting thick material and low tooth count blade will have its teeth rip out on thin stuff.
Solution is - I know this is enabling some people - to have multiple bandsaws. I have this small 4x5 portable bandsaw mounted on a base next to the big saw. It has fine tooth count for anything above roughly 3/8" round. 3/8 and under I can cut with a grinder. Heck 1/2 is OK as well. For flat sheets I have upright bandsaw. For stuff over about 1 1/4 or even sometimes 2" I use the big saw which has I think variable pitch 6/4 tooth count.
On the small saw I do not use coolant or just a few squirts of coolant.
Oh and for hardened steel or partially hardened stuff - which will destroy your bandsaw quickly - I use a chop saw - have two, one 12" and one 14".
Solution is - I know this is enabling some people - to have multiple bandsaws. I have this small 4x5 portable bandsaw mounted on a base next to the big saw. It has fine tooth count for anything above roughly 3/8" round. 3/8 and under I can cut with a grinder. Heck 1/2 is OK as well. For flat sheets I have upright bandsaw. For stuff over about 1 1/4 or even sometimes 2" I use the big saw which has I think variable pitch 6/4 tooth count.
On the small saw I do not use coolant or just a few squirts of coolant.
Oh and for hardened steel or partially hardened stuff - which will destroy your bandsaw quickly - I use a chop saw - have two, one 12" and one 14".
Dabbler
ersatz engineer
I use 24 tpi in a portable bandsaw. on my horizontal bandsaw I use 12-14 tpi. On my vertical I have about 10 sizes: it is very easy to change, and I cut a wide variety of things. I usually stick to a 14 tpi on the vertical for cutting metal.
For very thin parts, I set the hydraulic down feed to as slow as I can get. Tchhnically I'm way overstressing the blade, and from time to tiem I lose some teeth. It is very hard to get 133" + blades in high tooth counts with a thick band. I prefer .035 and .045 band thicknesses in jy two big saws. I buy whatever is cheap for the porta saw.
For very thin parts, I set the hydraulic down feed to as slow as I can get. Tchhnically I'm way overstressing the blade, and from time to tiem I lose some teeth. It is very hard to get 133" + blades in high tooth counts with a thick band. I prefer .035 and .045 band thicknesses in jy two big saws. I buy whatever is cheap for the porta saw.
Former Member
Guest
You are limited on these saws because of blade depth, 3/4".
You basically can get way with 2 pitches, fine and coarse. Fine for thin or small items, coarse for everything else. (PM me to remind me if you want pitches when I get back from Holidays Sept 5th.) Both sets I have are Variable pitch.
I have the option of coolant, but find with the correct feed rate you don't need it.
Alum, Steel, SS, 4140, brass and copper. Key trick is feed rate and good blade tension.
Finally well manufactured blade ensure great cuts, mis-aligned at the joint or poor clean up grind causes issues.
You basically can get way with 2 pitches, fine and coarse. Fine for thin or small items, coarse for everything else. (PM me to remind me if you want pitches when I get back from Holidays Sept 5th.) Both sets I have are Variable pitch.
I have the option of coolant, but find with the correct feed rate you don't need it.
Alum, Steel, SS, 4140, brass and copper. Key trick is feed rate and good blade tension.
Finally well manufactured blade ensure great cuts, mis-aligned at the joint or poor clean up grind causes issues.
I have multiple blades with different tpi. Which one do I use? The one that's in the machine of course! I'll change it if I really need too like cutting thin walled stuff but otherwise just cut. I never use coolant any more. It just makes a mess, needs maintenance, blah blah.