# Need Help With A Band Saw Blade



## Jerry Bowen (Jun 25, 2011)

I have just started on the learning curve with my first band saw. Any of you that have been following my posts may be aware of this and how little I know about the machine. I have watched several videos on how to set a band saw up, but am not getting the results that I think I should get. I have a half inch Timberwolve blade on the machine. I am not sure of the number of teeth per inch as I write this but I will estimate that there are 
10-12. 

My problem, if I have one, is that the cuts look like the blade is chattering, they are not smooth. I would think that the cuts with this blade should be smooth, but not having any experience with a band saw, I don't know. Comments and/or suggestions will be very welcome. 

Jerry
Colorado City, TX


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## del schisler (Feb 2, 2006)

i do a lot of resawing with 1/2" blade 4 tpi. Their are ripples in the resaw You will now get a planed serface when resawing. At leat i don't . I make jewelry box's. I put the planed side to the inside and than when i sand off the the box's dovetales the resaw mark's come off and than you have 2 smooth side's of the board.


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## Bonka (Aug 28, 2010)

Take a look @ this video it can only help you. Some think of it is an infomercial for Carter Products but I don,t see it that way.

Band Saw Clinic with Alex Snodgrass - YouTube


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

I'm not aware of any band-saw that produces anything like a planed surface. If that's possible I too would like to know how to achieve it.


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## Jerry Bowen (Jun 25, 2011)

Your reply as well as others is greatly appreciated. It was easy to assume that cuts on the band saw should be reasonabley smooth, I was surprised when they were rough. Soo.. onward and upward. 

I had hoped that I could use the band saw to cut the tops off of small boxes like jewelry boxes, but the rough cuts won't work and I will have to go back to the TS which is not a bad option, but it is a disappointment.

Jerry


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## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

Jerry,

Why were you unhappy with using the table saw for cutting the boxes? When I do it I cut the opposite sides in the first two passes, then shim and tape these saw slots with 1/8"(blade thickness) shims and masking tape before cutting the remaining two sides. I do this to keep the box lid and base from moving apart or together while the last two sides are cut. The sawn edges rarely need more than a few swipes of sandpaper to clean them up. 

Smooth cuts on a bandsaw are a near impossibility, but the right blade and good tension can reduce the problem. Still, the cut will never be really smooth, at least not smooth enough to cut the lid off a box and leave smooth edges. Sanding or planning of a bandsaw cut is always required.

Charley


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

My only thought is try to a wood slicer blade, these have carbide teeth. They may give you a cleaner cut, but I am guessing there will still be some cleanup work. This is why you always here recommendations of leaving the line when cutting on the band saw. This gives you the opportunity to sand smooth without removing too much wood.


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## Jerry Bowen (Jun 25, 2011)

Charles,
You are correct of course about cutting the tops off of boxes with the TS. I had trouble with it until I learned to do what you have described. So, to answer you question, I have no problem with using the TS. mIn my ignorance about band saws before I bought one, I just assumed that it would be a good tool to use since I could cut the top off in one pass. Little did I know about blade drift and the rought cuts that are part of temperment of the saw. As folks keep reminding, learning is an exciting adventure. 

Jerry


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## rwl7532 (Sep 8, 2011)

*Same here.*

I am experiencing the same thing with my Timberwolf 1/2" blade.

I may go to the Wood Slicer from Highland.
Wood Slicer Resaw Bandsaw Blades 1/2" (70.5" to 137") | Bandsaw Blades

More research needed before I drop thirty bucks.

Here is a run down on many different blades from many different sources (centered around resawing):
http://americanwoodworker.com/blogs/tools/archive/2010/01/12/premium-resaw-bandsaw-blades.aspx


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## GulfcoastGuy (Feb 27, 2012)

I've been looking into the Wood Slicers, too. The fact that they offer an off the shelf 70.5 inch length is attractive for me (I own a Craftsman 10 inch saw and also works for the Rikon 10-305). I like the thin kerf, too.

GCG


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## bosox (Jun 12, 2012)

Jerry, you need to reconsider your options regarding the type and sized blade you need. I might suggest a hard back blade for more rigidity. Band Saw Blades Online - Custom Welded Band Saw Blades has the proper width blades you might need? They also show in their 201 series hard back carbon blades TPI ranging from 3 to 24 in a straight tooth. Go look at the site. There is a lot of useful information contained there.


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## rwl7532 (Sep 8, 2011)

Here's the latest Popular Woodworking YouTube on cutting a box apart:
Cutting a Lid from a Box - YouTube

Their method is to not cut through entirely so no need for shims or masking tape.
A band saw could work with this method - just a little planing or sanding to finish up.
You would still use a table saw, just the last cut is on the band saw followed by the sanding etc.


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## Fabitfast (Jun 14, 2012)

I have been reading details about those blades. I am much interested with that hard back carbon made blades. But I guess I still have questions about the specifications of the blade. Do they have customer support hotline where I can ask them my queries?


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## rwl7532 (Sep 8, 2011)

Fabitfast said:


> I have been reading details about those blades. I am much interested with that hard back carbon made blades. But I guess I still have questions about the specifications of the blade. Do they have customer support hotline where I can ask them my queries?


"If you would prefer to talk to a live person, our number is at the top of the page."
From the contact page on the website.
Order Band Saw Blades Online


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

It's all in the perspective I guess(?)...
I love the rough sawn cedar that I get from the independent sawyers, up here. They all use bandsaw type portable sawmills, as opposed to the big circular blades in the dedicated sawmill up the hill from our place. 
The bandsawn lumber can be primed or stained without any further treatment, when being used for exterior trim, fascias etc. That little bit of roughness is perfect; it gives the wood character...doesn't look like plastic.


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## Ironman50 (Jun 5, 2012)

Ironman50
What you may be experiencing are vibrations in a band saw. There are many reasons as to why this happens. Take a look at this article, What’s Shaking – Vibrations In Your Vertical Band Saw found at a band saw blog site. I will give you the link as soon as I’m allowed to post one. The article discusses how to troubleshoot band saw machine vibrations.


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## Fabitfast (Jun 14, 2012)

There it is! Thank you rwl7532 for answering.


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## The Warthog (Nov 29, 2010)

I found the snodgrass video excellent. It helped me very much. The advice that your wheels don't have to be co-planar, and the bottom of the kerf should be centred on the wheel is invaluable.

Band Saw Clinic with Alex Snodgrass - YouTube


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## Bonka (Aug 28, 2010)

I use a Timber Wolf 1/2'' blade 4 tpi on my 14'' Delta and resaw wih no drift. It is how one tunes the saw and feeds the stock. No the cuts are not smooth but they are equal in thickness and a lick or two with a hand plan and they are good to go.
Again watch the video I mentioned earlier in this thread.
No matter how expensive your blade is a poorly tuned BS will give poor results.


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## Fabitfast (Jun 14, 2012)

I would agree to Bonka! No matter how expensive your blades are, yet your band saw doesn’t perform well, results of course would be poor. Although it is the blade that cuts, still, the band saw provides its speed and power for smooth penetration or accurate cutting through every material. But will you ever stick to expensive blades? I don’t think so. I know there are available inexpensive blades with good quality. I guess I got one from an online provider posted previously on this thread. Try scrolling upwards.


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## steamfab (Jun 22, 2012)

Experiences taught me that using an expensive or less expensive blade is immaterial to the the band saw machine’s quality outcome. Getting the most expensive blade does not guarantee desired result. I think careful consideration must be on getting the correct blade for the specific cutting material. Of course, there are also other factors on band saw machine and band saw blade’s quality performance.


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## Jerry Bowen (Jun 25, 2011)

Del, I am using a half inch blade, but it is a very fine toothed blade and the cuts I'm getting when re-sawing is extremely smooth and clean. I do have to cut slow to give the gullets time to clean up, but I am really happy with the cuts. Have you done the Snodgrass set up yet, it will definitely eliminate the drift in the blade, but I have been advised that you must keep a very sharp blade on the saw or the blade will begin to drift.

Jerry


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## bosox (Jun 12, 2012)

Here are the things that you should consider to get quality results from your band saw:

Material 
Blade type/size 
Blade conditioning or break-in 
A fully-functional Band saw 
Required knowledge in proper usage of the machine 
Safety


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## surfside (Jun 27, 2012)

I am still on the phase of learning things about band saws. Bosox, your post is a great help! Thank you for the information.


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## jerrag (Sep 23, 2008)

I am still in the dreaming stage of building boxes, haven't done my first as of yet, however I do have most of the materials to begin doing just that. I think I will be using the RWS method of using the router table for separating the top from the body, but first cutting a grove on the inside, the marking and assembling the box, then an offset slot around the outside so it meets the inside about a quarter way, this way allows the top to match a raised inside ledge and keeps the top on without the need of a hinge etc. Don't guess that would work too well with jewelry boxes though after thinking about it.


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## Jack Wilson (Mar 14, 2010)

Jerry, I think you have too many teeth per inch, they are clogging up. You will be stunned at how smooth a 3-4 tpi blade will cut, the larger gullets clean away the dust and allow you to sail the wood thru with relatively smooth finish. I use woodslicer 3/4" 3-4 tpi blades, I get a very smooth cut, with consistant 1/16" flitches, I cut them just for practice and to see what I could do/how close I could get to the fence with out scratching it, and how straight the blade would cut. Amazing performance, try a blade with a very low tooth count.


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## bosox (Jun 12, 2012)

You can find good quality blades on this site -www.sawblade.com. Tried and tested! They have blades with the tpi that you need. Shipping is fast. Their blades are the best blades in my shop. That's why straight cuts were never a problem for me.


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## Fabitfast (Jun 14, 2012)

Same here bosox! I get my blades from that site too! I can never question their quality.


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## rwl7532 (Sep 8, 2011)

*Sawblade.com blade question.*

Those look economical for sure.
Which series would you advise for a weekend warrior type (aka non-production setting)?

101 Flex back Carbon Band Saw Blades
or
201 Hard Back Carbon BandSaw Blades
or some other series??

I'm looking for a good resaw blade.
1/2" 3 to 4 tpi.
I tried a Timberwolf but experienced a rough cut. Was going to try a Woodslicer next.
The Alex Snodgrass setup is a given.

Thanks!!


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## Fabitfast (Jun 14, 2012)

Hard Back Carbon Band Saw Blades are the most economical blades your money can buy for cutting mild steels, aluminum, brass, wood, and plastics. 
Ideal for cutting at slow speeds for interrupted cuts such as pipe, angle, channel, and others. 

201 blades offer economy and value for mild contour cuts on vertical machines and cutoff operations on common horizontal band saws.
This 201 blade is my blade of choice for re sawing. 

I never experienced rough cuts with this 201 Hard Back Carbon blades from BandSaw Blades Online - Custom Welded Band Saw Blades. rwl7532, you can check the site if they have available dimensions and tpi of the blade that you need.


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## bosox (Jun 12, 2012)

My blade of choice from sawblade.com is their 601 series bi-metal blade. Low cost, but with high performance! My 601 bi-metal blades cuts almost everything I feed.


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## surfside (Jun 27, 2012)

I am out of town for a week. I’ll try one of their blades soon when I get back. Thanks for the post!


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## Fishinbo (Jun 11, 2012)

Interesting thread. I will have to consider your band saw blade choices. I got mine from a local supplier. It’s doing ok for me, but I will try some other soon.


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## surfside (Jun 27, 2012)

I’m back and I have checked the site already. Their blades look good and I’ll try one! The 601 series blades are really economical in price. I’ll keep you posted for some updates regarding the blade’s capacity. Thanks.


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