Thread: Which bandsaw blades?

Max, who sells a good bi-metal blade for my 10" Craftsman that I could use if I decide to try some G10?

Here is a response to that question on Knife Forum, I don’t use G10 because it is hard on tools and I do not want to deal with the dust, do use a good vacuum and respirator. Other post also, recommended Lenox bi-metal blades.

I use bi metal blades from Lenox to cut both my steel and G-10/Carbon fiber/Micarta. I use 14/18 TPI blades for the steel at slow speed on my Dayton 3 speed, and I use a larger toothed 10/14 TPI blades on the medium speed for cutting handle materials.

I know some guys use tile saws with diamond blades to cut handle material, but I don't know offhand where to get bandsaw blades with diamonds, if they do make them.

When I was having trouble cutting titanium, I had a conversation with Chuck Bybee from Alpha Knife Supply and he recommended these carbide coated gulleted bandsaw blades. I haven't tried them on G-10 or CF, but they are made to cut through tough and abrasive materials, and they worked wonders on my titanium jobs. Excellent blades. They are quite pricey, but Chuck assured me they are worth it. I haven't used mine enough yet to confirm that though. Here is a link, they are the blades in the bottom row. I use the one on the right, but also check out the carbide tipped blades on the left hand side of the row.

Thanks Euclid. I think I may stay far away from G10 then. Haha

There are lots of nice Micartas out there. A lot less hassle.

Originally Posted by ProudMarineDad

Max, who sells a good bi-metal blade for my 10" Craftsman that I could use if I decide to try some G10?

I use Lenox Diemaster 2 - Bi-Metal 14/18 for my Craftsman. I order mine from Toolcenter.

Originally Posted by Maximilian

I use Lenox Diemaster 2 - Bi-Metal 14/18 for my Craftsman. I order mine from Toolcenter.

Thanks. I was looking at a site that had Lenox blades for about $30 but the shipping was outrageous at $16 for ground.

A variable speed saw helps as well. Slower speeds are used for cutting metal. G10 will eat up a normal wood blade, I use timberwolf in my big bandsaw, 3/4 to 1/4 depending on the wood and task at hand. I use my scroll saw for G10, carbon fiber, brass, etc... with a blade made for cutting non ferrous metal and you can vary the speed.

My 1/8" bandsaw blade arrived yesterday and now I am contemplating whether I should return it or keep it?
I guess it could come in handy someday if I decided to do some fine scrollsaw type cutting in thin wood. For scales I don't know if I'll use it much.

They are good for cutting thin stock and tight'ish curves but if you want to do tight scroll work you will need a scroll saw. Blades are a fraction of the thickness for super tight turns. You can also go with spiral blades in them. 1/8 is not much good for anything beyond thin stock. I have one and never use it in part because changing and re tuning a 111 inch blade is a pain. I run a 3/8 6TPI blade most of the time. Good general purpose blade. I will use a 1/4 10TPI for fine cut work. A 1/4 inch blade will get a cut radius of 5/8 inch and is good for stock up to around 1 inch thick but best at about 1/2 inch. The 3/8 blade will get you a cut radius of around 1 1/4 inch and take wood up to around 2 1/2 inch. For resawing I use a 3/4 3TPI blade and have resawn 12 inch thick oak. A 1/8 inch blade will get you just under a 3/8 inch cut radius but they are also fragile. Easy to buckle/bend and once kink a blade, it is trash. For the cost of one 1/4 inch blade I can get a big box of scroll saw blades.

Another thing. A very critical part of using a band saw is proper tuning of the blade for both tension and drift. Every time you change a blade, you have to re adjust your fence for the drift of the blade. It is also a good idea to check the drift on the blade as it wares, it will shift. There a lot of YouTube videos out there on tuning a bandsaw. If you are new to them, I highly recommend watching a few. I have been doing carpentry for a couple decades. Get yourself some good cool blocks or swap them all out for a roller bearing setup, makes your blades last a lot longer.