Bandsaw blades - brand and source recommendations

[Randy Roberts]

I'm going to need to replace my resaw blade as well as get a couple utility everyday blades for the bandsaw.

Would especially like your opinions on the resaw blade, the current 1 1/4" carbide blade I bought from Laguna when I bought the saw 6 years ago seems to have been pretty well destroyed by (in my opinion) a couple of factory resharpenings.

If you don't mind rehashing this old topic, I'm listening...

[Rodger Knox]

How big is your saw? I've been very pleased with the Timberwolf blades, but my saw is only 14". There's a lot more options for the larger saws.

[Wayne Brown]

I too like the Timberwolf bandsaw blades. Woodcraft Supply carries them. Maybe Rockler? They have a blade that has an irregular tooth spacing that is made for resawing.

[Bob Gramann]

I have a Rikon 18" bandsaw. I use a Lenox Woodmaster CT for most of my resawing but a Lenox Trimaster blade for the truly hard woods like Osage Orange. The Trimaster has a more aggressive hook angle than the Woodmaster and a slightly wider kerf. The Woodmaster makes a cleaner cut but makes the wood dance with the hard ones. Iturra Designs is a good source. The catalog he sends you when you order is a pretty good bandsawing text.

[Randy Roberts]

Roger.
Sorry, left out that it's a 16 inch saw.

[Michael Lewis]

I have been using Lennox bands made at Hasting's Saw in Rhonert Park CA. They know bandsaw. There are many available sources, and it helps to deal with professionals wherever you buy.

[Rodger Knox]

I knew with a 1 1/4" blade it had to be bigger than a 14". The Timberwolf might not be a bad choice, it's probably not as good as the other's recommended, but it's probably less than half the price. How much do you hate changing blades?

[Michael Lewis]

The largest band I use is 3/4", and that is for ripping up to 12" billets. For most all other work I use 1/4" bands of various tooth arrangements depending on the material to be cut. The folks at Hastings Saw guided me to select these sizes for my saw even though it will carry 1 1/4" bands (it came with 1"). Their reasoning is that bigger bands require much more power, and they're right.

[Rodger Knox]

That has been my experience as well. My saw will take a 3/4" band, but it seems to cut better with a 5/8". I usually don't cut hardwood thicker than 8", which is pretty close to the "comfortable" limit for my saw. It's only 3/4 HP, but it's pretty easy to change blades. I've got 3 or 4 that I use regularly, one for general, a couple for resaw, one for cutting out solid body shapes. I've got a riser block that gives me 10" of resaw depth, but 3/4 HP isn't enough to cut 10" hardwood comfortably.

[Steve Senseney]

I don't understand how a bigger blade requires more power?

The power should be related to the number of teeth in the wood, and the width of the tooth, and the hardness of the material being cut, and any drag on the blade by resins.

[Dave Gentner]

Suffolk Machinery Co. makes the Timber Wolf blades. Their 1" carbide tipped resaw blade is only .035" thick and leaves a .060" kerf. Best resaw blade I've ever used. It's for 18" and larger only.

[Rodger Knox]

Steve, I don't think it's exactly a cause and effect relationship. Larger blades require greater tension to cut efficiently, and if the tension isn't adequate more power is required.

[David King]

If you aren't resawing full-time I'd suggest that you check out the thin kerf blades al la woodslicer etc. These feature ground teeth that cut straight with a kerf of around .036. The 3/4" blade is the one I use on my 14" and it's quite capable with only 1/2HP driving it. Try out this sample pack from spectrum supplyhttp://www.spectrumsupply.com/kerfmaste ... total.aspx The free shipping makes it an unbeatable deal and you'll love the extra thin blade when you are sawing up snakewood bindings or resawing fingerboards.