bandsaw blade question

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Bob Francis
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Re: bandsaw blade question

Post by Bob Francis »

Mark Fogleman wrote:A diy Shinto rasp?

I lie this idea!
Alan Carruth
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Re: bandsaw blade question

Post by Alan Carruth »

I knew I should have taken a pic right away. I'm kind of busy today and tomorrow, but will see what I can do.
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Bryan Bear
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Re: bandsaw blade question

Post by Bryan Bear »

Thanks, take your time, I won't be sharpening blades anytime soon.
PMoMC

Take care of your feet and your feet will take care of you.
Alan Carruth
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Re: bandsaw blade question

Post by Alan Carruth »

you should know by now that you NEVER say 'take your time' to a luthier!! EVER! You absolutely need it last week, or yesterday at the very latest! 'Take your time'. You'll never get anything from a luthier with that attitude! :P
David King
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Re: bandsaw blade question

Post by David King »

I sharpen my thin kerf bandsaw blades freehand in a bench vise filing straight across with a diamond coated chainsaw file. I use the 1/8" dia but a 9/64" dia would be better. The round file does add a bit more hook to each tooth over time and this hook can grab the wood in a way that will take your breath away, usually with a loud bang. Not really an issue except with very small or short items that you can't get a firm grip on. Filing the 3/4TPI x 105" blades takes me about 20 minutes by hand. My vise holds 5" at a time or about 18 teeth, 4 strokes per tooth, mark the last tooth with a sharpie and slide the blade to do the next 5".
Alan Carruth
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Re: bandsaw blade question

Post by Alan Carruth »

One of the first jobs I had when I got aboard the ship in the Navy was sharpening a half dozen bandsaw blades by hand off the saw. The big advantage of doing them on the saw is the time saved in not having to demount an remount them. There are round burrs made for Dremel tools and the like for sharpening chain saws that deepen the gullet, but the setup would be a little trickier an they would take a bit more time. Also, I get a lot of blades with hardened teeth that chew up files in a couple of strokes.
Alan Carruth
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Re: bandsaw blade question

Post by Alan Carruth »

So here's a picture of the jury-rig in question. The set screw is pulled back out of the way, since this is a 3-4 tooth blade. Note that the holder for the Dremel pivots left and right: it leaves a slight burr on one side of the teeth that tends to pull the saw in one direction, and having it at a very slight angle helps minimize the drift. The original purpose was, of course, for sharpening left-center-right tooth sets, but I've never done that. The little block on the front of the sled originally held a lever that pushed the blade up when the sled was pulled back. It didn't work well and I took it off. It would be pretty straightforward to put in a vertical angle adjustment and some other refinements, but this has worked well enough for a decade and more.

Alan
sawsharp.jpg
Simon Magennis
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Re: bandsaw blade question

Post by Simon Magennis »

Rather than start a new thread I resurrected this one.

Yesterday, I finally got round to a project I have been thinking about vaguely for years. New legs for my workbench to make it higher. I ripped them from some 5cm (2") wood I picked up from a bin at some point.

Cutting this with my bandsaw was painfully slow. I was using my 1/2" x 4tpi blade.

So the first very simple question is: slow cutting=blunt blade?

Given two blades, 1/2" x 4tpi and 3/8" x 10tpi, which blade would you use for which guitar making tasks?

Thanks.
Marshall Dixon
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Re: bandsaw blade question

Post by Marshall Dixon »

Simon Magennis wrote: Wed Jun 02, 2021 2:54 am

So the first very simple question is: slow cutting=blunt blade?

Given two blades, 1/2" x 4tpi and 3/8" x 10tpi, which blade would you use for which guitar making tasks?

Thanks.
Ripping 2" hardwood shouldn't be a problem with a half inch blade. Obviously ebony will cut slower than maple but it should feed into the saw without effort while cutting. If you notice any smoke from the cut, it's dull.

I had been using a 3 tpi 3/4" resaw blade that I've resharpened with a chainsaw file and was able to resaw 7 1/4" softwoods, maple and walnut with difficulty i.e. wandering uneven thicknesses that required 3/8" to safely end up with a 1/4" board. I bought a new Timberwolf brand bi-metal blade (3/4" 3 tpi) and that made it so I can make cuts 3/16" wide and do it easier. It wasn't expensive and has paid for itself with less waste. Better tracking and nice smooth cut.

Cutting the curves of a guitar shape outline, especially with a cutout or cutting any tight curves needs a smaller blade.

I'd say you need a minimum of two blades. If you want to slice rosette tiles it would be best to have another special fine tooth, thin kerf blade for that.
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