RoyJ wrote:
I'd start by figuring out the actual length of the blade. length = 2x

distance between center of the wheels + 3.14 * diameter of the wheel.

Good chance it is a stock size.

Zipper wrote:
I have an older vertricle bandsaw that currently has a wood blade
in it.
This is an older bandsaw, but it's pretty decent, but I'm not sure
about the
length of the blade. I want to get a new blade, and I was curious
if anyone
was aware of a place around Atlanta, preferably on the North West
side, but
anywhere will do, that made custom length bandsaw blades for
cutting metal.
Any help is greatly appreicated. I googed this, but didn't come up
with
anything very useful for what I was looking for. Also any tips on
the right
blade to get would be appreciated. I found this
http://www.toolcenter.com/Lenox/, and it looks like I want a
bi-metal blade,
but I don't know much about what makes a good blade.

-Stephen




I've always used a piece of string wrapped around the wheels and marked
at the intersection for finding blade sizes on a bandsaw. Unless it's
a real oddball or homemade, it'll have something standard for a blade.
Just got a flyer from HF, they've got their 220v blade welder on sale
currently. Just another option.

What type of blade you want depends totally on what you want to cut.
Wood blades are different from metal blades and there's a lot of
differences in tooth patterns even for wood blades. If it's a
woodcutting bandsaw, you're going to want to slow it way down for
anything ferrous. Tooth shapes can be different for alloy compared
with steel-cutting blades, too. Usually the maker has some line sheets
that state what each pattern is good for. Starrett used to have some
nice stuff in the back of their catalog on bandsaw blades and
applications.

Lenox makes good bimetal blades, they're what I've been using on the
4x6. You've got to match the tooth pitch with what you're cutting, too
coarse a pitch with thin steel or thin-wall tubing and you'll shuck
those nice hardened teeth right off. I usually have three pitches on
hand and swap blades depending on what I want to chop and its shape.

Stan