"Toller" wrote in message
...
I am cutting some walnut lumber. Using the advice I got here, and a new
Timberwolf 3tpi blade, things have been going reasonably well. The first
40 cuts (4' long, averaging 5" thick) were perfectly straight, but the last
few have developed a significant drift angle; the ends have become too thin
to be used and the wood is getting curved. I readjusted everything, but it
doesn't help. All I can think is that the blade is getting dull, but I
would expect a blade to last much longer than this.
Frankly though, I am a complete beginner with a band saw (14" Delta 1hp)
and really don't know. It was actually getting easier as I picked up a
little skill in feeding the wood, but I can't continue like this.

Could the blade be getting dull after 160' of 5" thick fresh walnut, or is
there another possibility I am over looking. Thanks.

Toller,

It's possible that there is something amiss with your setup (blade tension,
drift angle, technique, etc.) that was being masked by the sharp blade. But,
once the newness of the edge wore off and the blade became only semi-sharp,
these problems became apparent. Just a guess on my part here.

I just wanted to add that,according to Mark Duginske, while carbide-toothed
blades are 10 times more expensive, they last 50 times longer. Most people
think carbide bandsaw blades are more expensive, but they're actually much
cheaper in the long run. For the price of a new timberwolf blade, I can get
my carbide blade re-sharpened and then it lasts a long time...again.

I have a Laguna wood slicer (think that's what it's called) and it's fine.
Lenox makes a good blade too if your interested. Both are in the $200 range
though.

Good luck,

Mike