[Don W]

Hi, I'm getting a 14" band saw and trying to figure out what blades I need to get. For roughouts I figure I should get an 1/8" wide blade to make the radius cuts, but how many teeth per inch & tooth type skip, hook, rake, standard etc. Someone I know that has a smaller saw said he uses an 1/8" 6-8 tpi. So far all the one 1/8" blades I see are 10 or 14 tpi. I guess I should get a 3/16", 1/4" also. So far I have only got a good blade for ripping & resawing.
appreciate any and all help. Brand or source suggestions also appreciated.
Thank you for your help.
Don

[wood-whittler]

don,


if you want a good blade buy the timberwolf blades, the 3/16 or 1/4 skip tooth blades are the best and with the skip tooth they cut fast and smooth.


bart

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Amen on the wolf brand from suffolk machinery! A 1/4 blade with 4 teeth per inch does a good rough out job...and with only 4 teeth, doesn't load up. I have some 10 tpi blades and they cut very smooth, but I am constantly cleaning out the gullets..the build up isn't worth the smooth cut imho.....my next blade is going to be a 3/16 in...........I tried an 1/8 in blade and didn't have any luck at all with it........it was before I knew about wolf blades, but still..............? It broke immediately and without putting it through any extreme turns?

[mark yundt]

I've never really used anything other than a 1/4 skip tooth.

[Lynn O. Doughty]

3/16" Skip Tooth are the way to go. You can turn a real tight radius even up to 4" thick wood. Just remember, no matter what type of blade you get once you get it on the machine take a moment to round off the back edges of the blade. You'll be amazed at just how much this improves the performance when making a turn.

[Plain_Ol_Ed]

The "Olson All-Pro" blades are every bit as good as the Timberwolf's and maybe a wee bit better. They are a little less costly also. There's a big difference between Olson's standard blade and their All-Pro though.

[Lynn O. Doughty]

One thing I forgot to mention is to make sure you invest in a blade repair kit as it will pay for itself many times over. A blade will break long before it's teeth get dull and it only takes a second to fix it. I repair my blades until they get too small to go on the wheels, only then do I toss them out. I'm still using the same Timber Wolf blade I won as a door prize 5 years ago and I do a lot of sawing. Bet I've fixed that thing 5 or 6 times. And it has never broken on one of my welds.

[Don W]

I really appreciate all the info from each of you! Now I know what blade to buy. I also learned something else new, about the blade repair kit, which I will look into. May as well keep the blade as long as it still cuts good even if it breaks.
Thank you all very much
Don

[xsailer]

Lynn,
Can you tell us more on the blade repair kit thing-a-ma-jing? Costs where to buy etc.
Thanks.

[mdallensr]

I've used Delta, Woodcraft, Olsen and Timberwolf, and the Timberwolf worked the best for me. I use 1/8" blades to do some intricate decorative carvings and those small blades can really have a tracking (or drifting)problem. Just a minor difference in the set or sharpness on one side of the blade will throw it off line. So far, I'm sold on the "wolf". Mike