# Help with Bandsaw Blade



## Dream Burls (Jan 14, 2016)

I need to buy a new bandsaw blade and I'm looking for some help in choosing the right one. As you might imagine, almost all my cutting is resawing and I can go cross grain. I cut a lot of really hard woods like Ironwood and I usually limit the height to about 12". I use an 18" Grizzly bandsaw. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.


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## jacko9 (Jan 14, 2016)

I use a bi-metal bandsaw blade on my Powermatic 81 (20" bandsaw). I have tried the Wood Slicer from Highland Woodworking and while it was great for Oak, Walnut, Mahogany - several slices of Brazilian Boxwood took the edge right off the teeth. The Brazilian Boxwood is something I acquired 40 years ago - I had two 6" x 8" beams that is a dense as any wood I've ever seen including Cocobolo.

I did manage to re-saw Brazilian and East Indian Rosewood with the Wood Slicer with no problems.

I ordered my Bi-metal blades from Standard Saw in Oakland California (my sharpening vendor). It's a Lenox Diemaster 2 Bi-metal blade, much cheaper and according to my vendor much more economical than carbide bandsaw blades. 

Jack


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## Dream Burls (Jan 14, 2016)

Thanks Jack. Great info. I was leaning towards a bi-metal. This is good support for that.


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## jacko9 (Jan 14, 2016)

Dream Burls said:


> Thanks Jack. Great info. I was leaning towards a bi-metal. This is good support for that.



Your welcome, nothing like getting half way through a re-saw slice and start to see a little smoke coming off the blade. Good luck and let me know how it works out for you.

BTW - that boxwood made an excellent desk top for my wife's L-Shaped desk that I build for her last year and it only costs me two band saw blades before I got the B-metal blade.

Jack


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## Dream Burls (Jan 14, 2016)

Yeah, been there. And those burn marks are a bit.. to get out!


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## jacko9 (Jan 14, 2016)

When I re-saw I always leave a little extra stock to be able to run it over my jointer or on a sled through my planer. I always use carbide blades on all of my woodworking machines and eliminating burn marks just plane suck.


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## Bill13 (Jan 14, 2016)

This is a general observation but I have always been impressed with Lennox bandsaw blades (and reciprocating saw blades for that matter). Both being bi-metal.


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## 29palms (Jan 17, 2016)

Myron - check these guys out: http://timberwolfblades.com/ I've used them for years on my 20" Rockwell. And they're out on the Island in Patchogue.


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## Burl Source (Jan 18, 2016)

I agree with bi-metal blades. Lenox is the brand I use.
Carbide would be nice but expensive.


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## mkriggen (Jan 19, 2016)

I second the Timber wolf blades. I replaced my last one with a carbide blade and wish I hadn't. The carbide blade goes through the hard stuff like butter, but it doesn't track nearly as well as the timberwolf did. With the timberwolf (3/4" 3TPI) I could rip a 12" long piece of 2" thick koa in a straight line using the fence.


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## Dream Burls (Jan 22, 2016)

I'm just about ready to pull the trigger on a Lenox bi-metal. Now I'm just wondering 1/2" or 3/4"?


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## jacko9 (Jan 22, 2016)

The widest blades I use on my bandsaw are 1/2" and I re-saw boards 6' to 8' long at times. You get less heat on the blade with a narrow blade and most times a 3/8" wide blade will do.


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## andrew44 (Jan 23, 2016)

I was wondering if there is a blade type that can cut both metal & wood ?

I was thinking of cutting along the tang to take off rivets instead of drilling them out
It maybe foolish


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## jacko9 (Jan 23, 2016)

andrew44 said:


> I was wondering if there is a blade type that can cut both metal & wood ?
> 
> I was thinking of cutting along the tang to take off rivets instead of drilling them out
> It maybe foolish



The problem with cutting both wood and metal on a bandsaw is machine speed. Typical woodworking bandsaws turn too fast for cutting steels and other high strength metals.

Jack


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## andrew44 (Jan 23, 2016)

jacko9 said:


> The problem with cutting both wood and metal on a bandsaw is machine speed. Typical woodworking bandsaws turn too fast for cutting steels and other high strength metals.
> 
> Jack



ok thanks makes sense


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## jacko9 (Jan 23, 2016)

If you want to make a stepped down pulley arrangement you might be able to get the speed down for cutting steel with lubricant but you also might be able to locate a used metal cutting band saw much cheaper.


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## Dream Burls (Jan 26, 2016)

I went back and forth quite a bit. Really didn't want to spent $100 or more on a bi-metal or carbide tip blade. Read really good things about the Highland Wood Slicer and just pulled the trigger on that in a 3/4". Just $40! I know, you get what you pay for, but I decided, for me, that this was a good place to start.


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## jacko9 (Jan 26, 2016)

Good luck and let us know how it works out for you.


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