As mentioned in my "Mini gloat" thread, I recently acquired a Jet 16"
bandsaw. The 3/4" blade that was on it was crap and it required
Herculean effort to push a piece of stock through it.

New blades were definitely in order. Using the Finewoodworking
Mar/Apr 2004 issue as a guide, with a touch of Scottish heritage
thrown in, I decided to go with the low cost provider, BC Saw.

Since this story is a work in progress, I'll try to offer it without
editorial comment.

I called in an order for four blades on 10/27. 1 ea. 3/4" 3 TPI, 1
ea. 1/2" 3 TPI, 1 ea. 3/8" 6 TPI and 1 ea. 1/4" 6 TPI. Figured this
would be a representative sample and get the 10% discount offered when
four or more blades are ordered.

Package arrived 11/1. Invoice cost was $64.69 (Canadian) material and
$19.98 shipping. Ouch! Oops---sorry---I said no editorializing.

Since saw is nominally set up for 3/4" blades, try new 3/4" blade
first. To make a long story shorter, after all is said and done, there
is a lot of runout in the blade and while I can resaw a nice thin,
even slice, the cut quality is very bad. Viewed edge on, there is a
twist in the blade at the weld and viewed from the side it appears
that when the ends of blade were welded, they were either not cut off
square or were not butted together squarely.

Placing a 12" machinist's rule vertically against the back of the
blade, in contact top and bottom, shows a gap of nearly 1/16" at the
weld. A dial indicator placed against the back side shows over 0.050"
variation as the blade is rotated through its length. The teeth are
similarly proud on the opposite side.

11/2 Take a coupla photos of the above, compose email with them
attached and send it off to BC Saw.

11/4 After no response to email, give BC Saw a call and explain
problem to "Anthony." Anthony sez it couldn't possibly be a bad
blade, it must be my saw, I don't know what I'm talking about, etc.
blah, blah. He also sez that blade expert has gone home for the day
but he will have him call me on Monday (11/4).

11/7 (Late afternoon) After no call from BC Saw I call them. Anthony
sez expert has left for the day, but to make it right they will send
me two new blades, is this okay by me? I say yes, that should do it.

11/17 I'm still waiting.

On Thu, 17 Nov 2005 07:42:36 -0700, Wes Stewart
wrote:
[snip]

but he will have him call me on Monday (11/4).

That should be, "Monday (11/7)"

If you got a lemon, sounds like you could make something out of it. But
you don't say a thing about the other blades! Check the 1/2 incher, and
put it on the saw to see, saw. Also, you don't say what type of wood
you're resawing. Sorry to bring it up now but I guess that's fair, as I
never told you of the "gloat" I had with that "Free wood in Tucson". To
make up for that, would you like some of it? But just a little, as I'm
hoarding it! Pam really fell in love with the cherry and it's got some
interesting dark spalting going on, I believe, along with some termite
damage that came with the wood. So you'd probably have to fight her for
any of that .The hard Ohio maple's got some flame, and there's enough
for my new workbench, besides. It's all stickered under a temporary
shelter, and the cats can't catch all the mice that're settin' up shop
in there. Could be hantavirus heaven, but what are ya gonna do? Tom

On 17 Nov 2005 07:07:28 -0800, "tom" wrote:

|If you got a lemon, sounds like you could make something out of it. But
|you don't say a thing about the other blades! Check the 1/2 incher, and
|put it on the saw to see, saw.

Done that. There is a little bit of the same problem, but since the
blade is narrower, less so. I think they were just having a bad day
[g].


|Also, you don't say what type of wood
|you're resawing.

I've just been testing with poplar and a little alder. The saw works
great (IMHO), none of the blade drift and other horror stories I've
read about resawing (so far).

|Sorry to bring it up now but I guess that's fair, as I
|never told you of the "gloat" I had with that "Free wood in Tucson".

I remember that, you beat me to it :-(

|To make up for that, would you like some of it?

You bet, I'll not turn down free wood! 682-8189

|But just a little, as I'm
|hoarding it! Pam really fell in love with the cherry and it's got some
|interesting dark spalting going on, I believe, along with some termite
|damage that came with the wood. So you'd probably have to fight her for
|any of that .The hard Ohio maple's got some flame, and there's enough
|for my new workbench, besides. It's all stickered under a temporary
|shelter, and the cats can't catch all the mice that're settin' up shop
|in there. Could be hantavirus heaven, but what are ya gonna do?

I could trade you some rattlesnakes.

Wes

Wes wrote: I remember that, you beat me to it :-(
Well, that's true, but I didn't want to gloat, as I had hoped you'd
never had found out who it was. It must be those darned unhappy face
emoticons. I guess I'm sorta gloating now, though. I appreciate the
offer of the rattlesnakes, but we've got a few that we like, and with
their territorial nature, Pam tells me to tell you it'd be like signing
their death warrant. But I knew you were only kidding. I'll give you a
call. Tom

"Wes Stewart" wrote in message
...
As mentioned in my "Mini gloat" thread, I recently acquired a Jet 16"
bandsaw. The 3/4" blade that was on it was crap and it required
Herculean effort to push a piece of stock through it.

snip
I have the same saw. I replaced the blade with a lenox blade welded by a
local saw blade builder.
It works great. The whole process took less than an hour.

Contact a local saw blade builder/sharpener. They most likely have the
bandsaw blades in (bulk) stock and can make you one in short order.

Dave



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On Thu, 17 Nov 2005 07:42:36 -0700, Wes Stewart
wrote:

As mentioned in my "Mini gloat" thread, I recently acquired a Jet 16"
bandsaw. The 3/4" blade that was on it was crap and it required
Herculean effort to push a piece of stock through it.

New blades were definitely in order. Using the Finewoodworking
Mar/Apr 2004 issue as a guide, with a touch of Scottish heritage
thrown in, I decided to go with the low cost provider, BC Saw.

Since this story is a work in progress, I'll try to offer it without
editorial comment.

I called in an order for four blades on 10/27. 1 ea. 3/4" 3 TPI, 1
ea. 1/2" 3 TPI, 1 ea. 3/8" 6 TPI and 1 ea. 1/4" 6 TPI. Figured this
would be a representative sample and get the 10% discount offered when
four or more blades are ordered.

Package arrived 11/1. Invoice cost was $64.69 (Canadian) material and
$19.98 shipping. Ouch! Oops---sorry---I said no editorializing.

Since saw is nominally set up for 3/4" blades, try new 3/4" blade
first. To make a long story shorter, after all is said and done, there
is a lot of runout in the blade and while I can resaw a nice thin,
even slice, the cut quality is very bad. Viewed edge on, there is a
twist in the blade at the weld and viewed from the side it appears
that when the ends of blade were welded, they were either not cut off
square or were not butted together squarely.

Placing a 12" machinist's rule vertically against the back of the
blade, in contact top and bottom, shows a gap of nearly 1/16" at the
weld. A dial indicator placed against the back side shows over 0.050"
variation as the blade is rotated through its length. The teeth are
similarly proud on the opposite side.

11/2 Take a coupla photos of the above, compose email with them
attached and send it off to BC Saw.

11/4 After no response to email, give BC Saw a call and explain
problem to "Anthony." Anthony sez it couldn't possibly be a bad
blade, it must be my saw, I don't know what I'm talking about, etc.
blah, blah. He also sez that blade expert has gone home for the day
but he will have him call me on Monday (11/4).

11/7 (Late afternoon) After no call from BC Saw I call them. Anthony
sez expert has left for the day, but to make it right they will send
me two new blades, is this okay by me? I say yes, that should do it.

11/17 I'm still waiting.

Follow-up:

11/21 Called Anthony again. He sez thought they shipped, but give
him the particulars again and he will send me two blades gratis.

12/1 Blades finally arrive.

12/2 First one I try is marginally better but still not what I
expected. Guess that's the last of my dealings with BC Saw.