Saturday, May 21, 2011

Bandsaw Blade Question

My first guess is that the wider the bandsaw blade, the less that it will flex (and thus produce an uneven cut) when trying to cut at an angle.  But my experience has been almost the opposite--that narrower bandsaw blades seem to have less flex.  Is this my imagination, or am I failing to get the same tension on these different width of blades, and that is confusing me?

I have broken all my bandsaw blades, so it is time to buy some more.  Any recommendations on what tooth size and width would be appropriate for cutting 1/8" wall aluminum?

UPDATE: A reader who can't win the battle with the comment procedure writes:

The "rule of thumb" on bandsaw/hacksaw blades is that you want at least 3 teeth in the cut. If your blade has a coarser pitch than, say 24TPI, it won't do real well when cutting 1/8" material. IE: 1/8" is equivilant to 8 teeth per inch, times 3 equals 24 TPI. You might get away with a bit coarser blade than that if you control the feed very carefully.

3 comments:

  1. 1/8 blades are hard to weld and keep straight, I found that Sears has the best return policy so I suggest getting 1/8" blades there. For wider blades like the 1/2 I get them at www.sawblade.com they seem to have the best prices and good quick shipment

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  2. For aluminum materials the best blade to use would be m42 bi-metal bands. As far as I know, bandsaw machines only take a specific size of blades unless of course if you are using a vertical saw which can take different widths. Also, it is better to use a wider blade when cutting tough materials so you get a stronger beam strength.

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  3. Use Bipico band saw blades, i think it will be the best for your needs, no matter any.

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