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How long does a bandsaw blade last?
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. |
How long does a bandsaw blade last?
I would think you may have a few contributing factors. Blade tension
may be to low. As the blade is being used it will stretch, you may need to adjust. Double check you guides, upper and lower. Some drift is normal, and if using a fence, adjust the fence for the drift. Changing grain in the material will also contribute to drift. Have you cleaned the rubber on the wheels? This problem shows itself by the blade not tracking true. Working green wood would leave residue on the blade and be deposited on the wheels. Do you have another blade? Try it. Could you have cut through a nail that might have contributed to premature failure? I've not done much re-sawing, but this has happened to me. This was not noticed when cutting on the bandsaw, but did show itself on my jointer with chipped cutters -nick |
How long does a bandsaw blade last?
In article , "Toller" wrote:
Could the blade be getting dull after 160' of 5" thick fresh walnut, or is there another possibility I am over looking. Thanks. Perhaps you hit a foreign object (nail, stone, etc) embedded in the wood. Have you checked the teeth to make sure they're equally sharp on both sides? -- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com) It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again. |
How long does a bandsaw blade last?
"Nicky" wrote in message oups.com... I would think you may have a few contributing factors. Blade tension may be to low. As the blade is being used it will stretch, you may need to adjust. Double check you guides, upper and lower. Some drift is normal, and if using a fence, adjust the fence for the drift. I think it was probably the guides. When I pulled them out, I found the faces weren't square anymore. Resurfaced them, and it is much better now. Changing grain in the material will also contribute to drift. Have you cleaned the rubber on the wheels? This problem shows itself by the blade not tracking true. Working green wood would leave residue on the blade and be deposited on the wheels. Cleaning the wheels was easy enough, but yes, there is residue on the blade. That can't be helping matters. How do I clean the blade? Plastic wool did nothing at all. Thanks. |
How long does a bandsaw blade last?
On Sat, 29 Apr 2006 12:04:43 GMT, "Toller" wrote:
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. IMHO, from 5 minutes to several weeks.. *g* I buy pretty good quality blades, made up at a local saw shop.. If I'm cutting dry wood for pen blanks or kiln dried and FLAT wood for bowl blanks, they seem to last forever... OTOH, cutting green wood usually beats them up pretty fast... my guess is because not only does the green wood drag more, which heats the blade, but you get more twists and binds because the surface resting on the table is not going to be real flat and square.. I think that if I cut 160 feet of 5" stock with the same blade, I'd feel pretty good about it... YMWV Usually the first sign that my blade is not sharp anymore is wander... much like a drill bit that is clogged or dull will wander on a deep hole... I think that instead of cutting what you put in front of it, it tends to follow grain or stress patterns or something, what ever the "point of least resistance" is.. (just a WAG) Mac https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm |
How long does a bandsaw blade last?
In article ,
"Toller" wrote: How do I clean the blade? Plastic wool did nothing at all. Thanks. I think your wander may be running into dullness of the blade - 160' is a fair amount for a carbon steel edge. I touch up my bands with a dremel and chainsaw stone - just a quick touch on the underside of each tooth/gullet. The way I clean off the sappy compacted sawdust residue from green wood cutting is to run the saw and carefully, using a scrap piece of dry wood in a sharp wedge shape, scrape the sides of the blade. If it's really bad, I'll occasionally stop the saw and rotating the top wheel backwards by hand will use the same scraping action. Call me foolhardy, but I even use the scraper wedge on the tires as it's running - just make sure you have a good grip so it's not pulled out of your hand and between the blade and tire. Having roller guides on my saw really packs the wet saw dust on the blade - I have a metal scraper that I keep magnet-ed to the saw and very carefully and gingerly (though I prefer Mary Ann) scrape the blade body but keep back of the gullets. This is more risky of dulling the teeth real quick if you slip onto the tooth area... -- Owen Lowe The Fly-by-Night Copper Company __________ "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the Corporate States of America and to the Republicans for which it stands, one nation, under debt, easily divisible, with liberty and justice for oil." - Wiley Miller, Non Sequitur, 1/24/05 |
How long does a bandsaw blade last?
You can try tension, guides, etc. but I bet the blade is dull.
Everybody raves about Timberwolf blades, but I am totally unimpressed. I switched to a Lenox bimetal blade (1/2", 4 tpi) and it lasts MUCH longer (10x?) . You can buy it from Iturra Designs or carbide.com. Another consideration is that heat totally destroys the carbon steel blades. (As I understand it, "silicon steel" is essentially the same as carbon steel.) If you pushed too fast and got burning, etc. that can wipe out the blade instantly. Also, if the tracking was off and the blade ever came off and hit the guards, that can destroy it. Mark |
How long does a bandsaw blade last?
In article , "Toller" wrote:
How do I clean the blade? Plastic wool did nothing at all. Thanks. Washing soda. 1/4 cup in a quart of warm water. Soak blade for 5-10 minutes. Rinse gunk off. -- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com) It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again. |
How long does a bandsaw blade last?
"Doug Miller" wrote in message . com... In article , "Toller" wrote: How do I clean the blade? Plastic wool did nothing at all. Thanks. Washing soda. 1/4 cup in a quart of warm water. Soak blade for 5-10 minutes. Rinse gunk off. Would a Walmart carry it? I haven't heard of anyone using washing soda for many years, but will give it a try if I can find it. |
How long does a bandsaw blade last?
In article , "Toller" wrote:
"Doug Miller" wrote in message .com... In article , "Toller" wrote: How do I clean the blade? Plastic wool did nothing at all. Thanks. Washing soda. 1/4 cup in a quart of warm water. Soak blade for 5-10 minutes. Rinse gunk off. Would a Walmart carry it? No. Not the WalMart stores here, anyway (Indianapolis). I haven't heard of anyone using washing soda for many years, but will give it a try if I can find it. Your best bet is a grocery store, on the same aisle as laundry detergent. If you find the borax, the washing soda is probably close by. Arm & Hammer brand. Big yellow box -- looks like their baking soda box, only bigger. Here in Indy, Kroger and Safeway grocery stores have it, and I believe Ace Hardware, too. If you can't find any, email me for my PayPal address, and I'll send you a box at cost (approx. $2.50 plus shipping). -- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com) It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again. |
How long does a bandsaw blade last?
Fly-by-Night CC wrote:
In article , "Toller" wrote: How do I clean the blade? Plastic wool did nothing at all. Thanks. I think your wander may be running into dullness of the blade - 160' is a fair amount for a carbon steel edge. Toller's using bimetal blades, iirc. er -- email not valid |
How long does a bandsaw blade last?
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How long does a bandsaw blade last?
In article , Toller wrote:
..... Could the blade be getting dull after 160' of 5" thick fresh walnut, or is there another possibility I am over looking. Thanks. 120V or 240V? Is the switch adequately rated for the HP? giggle Seriously, I'd guess that the blade got a bit hot. and maybe stretched a _little_. And not uniformly front-to-back. |
How long does a bandsaw blade last?
Toller,
You should be able to find washing soda at any decent size grocery store. Probably won't find it at Walmart, but your local Kroger et.al. should have it. It also doubles as an electrolyte if you want to remove rust by electrolysis. Regards, Roy On Sat, 29 Apr 2006 20:57:13 GMT, "Toller" wrote: "Doug Miller" wrote in message .com... In article , "Toller" wrote: How do I clean the blade? Plastic wool did nothing at all. Thanks. Washing soda. 1/4 cup in a quart of warm water. Soak blade for 5-10 minutes. Rinse gunk off. Would a Walmart carry it? I haven't heard of anyone using washing soda for many years, but will give it a try if I can find it. |
How long does a bandsaw blade last?
In article ,
Roy Smith wrote: In article , (Doug Miller) wrote: Your best bet is a grocery store, on the same aisle as laundry detergent. If you find the borax, the washing soda is probably close by. Arm & Hammer brand. Big yellow box -- looks like their baking soda box, only bigger. You gotta be careful, though. The big yellow box of Arm & Hammer Detergent looks very much like the big yellow box of Arm & Hammer Cat Litter. DAMHIKT. Hah! there are *worse* mistakes you can make. Like making gravy, deciding it needs a little thickening, reaching in the cupboard for the _yellow_ box of Argo Corn Starch, and getting the A&H box instead. All things considered, it was amazing that that particular disaster had never happened before. those boxes had lived side-b-side for *years*. However, from that day on, I took the raven's advice. "Nevermore". :) |
How long does a bandsaw blade last?
In article , Roy Smith wrote:
In article , (Doug Miller) wrote: Your best bet is a grocery store, on the same aisle as laundry detergent. If you find the borax, the washing soda is probably close by. Arm & Hammer brand. Big yellow box -- looks like their baking soda box, only bigger. You gotta be careful, though. The big yellow box of Arm & Hammer Detergent looks very much like the big yellow box of Arm & Hammer Cat Litter. DAMHIKT. So didja put detergent in the cat box, or dump kitty litter into the washer? Not much of an issue in the grocery store, I wouldn't think: not on the same aisle. -- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com) It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again. |
How long does a bandsaw blade last?
In article ,
"Toller" wrote: How long does a bandsaw blade last? 'Bout the same length of time as a lollipop. And that is because a canary is yellow and the Eiffel Tower is also made out of steel. Which brings me to: What is the price of a car? Major yukkage |
How long does a bandsaw blade last?
In article
, Fly-by-Night CC wrote: Call me foolhardy, but I even use the scraper wedge on the tires as it's running - just make sure you have a good grip so it's not pulled out of your hand and between the blade and tire. You are foolhardy! *shuddering at the thought* And you are right...Mary Ann.... hands down...down her shirt, pants, I digress....*slaps self* |
How long does a bandsaw blade last?
Toller wrote:
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. Make sure you're minimizing cutting through bark; better yet, remove the bark entirely. Watch out about tensioning with the TimberWolf blade, it is a low tension blade, read their instructions carefully. |
How long does a bandsaw blade last?
On Sat, 29 Apr 2006 22:14:10 -0400, Robatoy
wrote: In article , "Toller" wrote: How long does a bandsaw blade last? 'Bout the same length of time as a lollipop. And that is because a canary is yellow and the Eiffel Tower is also made out of steel. Actually, it's made of iron, not steel. |
How long does a bandsaw blade last?
"Toller" wrote in message ... I think it was probably the guides. When I pulled them out, I found the faces weren't square anymore. Resurfaced them, and it is much better now. Symptom, not cause. Ceramics. Changing grain in the material will also contribute to drift. One of the worst ways to get drift is to saw close to the actual grain direction, but not quite. Least resistance. Have you cleaned the rubber on the wheels? This problem shows itself by the blade not tracking true. Working green wood would leave residue on the blade and be deposited on the wheels. Might cause sticking or slipping, but hardly drift. Cleaning the wheels was easy enough, but yes, there is residue on the blade. That can't be helping matters. How do I clean the blade? Plastic wool did nothing at all. Thanks. WD40 here. On a cloth, power off, rotating blade in reverse. Walnut is corrosive, like cherry and oaks, so you want to clean up after each session and the lube it retains doesn't hurt in sliding through the wood. That corrosion is a likely cause of blade dulling, along with cutting bark, which is usually loaded with grit. Commercial operations debark for that reason. If you've neglected the blade to the point where cloth and solvent won't work, you can try the brass BBQ brush for caked. Soaking in TSP, washing soda or any of the other "green" surfactants will probably work, too, but it involves a lot of extra time and effort. |
How long does a bandsaw blade last?
I haven't heard of anyone using washing soda for many years, but will give
it a try if I can find it. Your best bet is a grocery store, on the same aisle as laundry detergent. If you find the borax, the washing soda is probably close by. Arm & Hammer brand. Big yellow box -- looks like their baking soda box, only bigger. Here in Indy, Kroger and Safeway grocery stores have it, and I believe Ace Hardware, too. Tried WD40, did nothing. Tried mineral spirits, did nothing. Found washing soda at the grocery. It took off 95% of the crude Saw cut much better afterwards also; thanks. |
How long does a bandsaw blade last?
In article , "Toller" wrote:
I haven't heard of anyone using washing soda for many years, but will give it a try if I can find it. Your best bet is a grocery store, on the same aisle as laundry detergent. If you find the borax, the washing soda is probably close by. Arm & Hammer brand. Big yellow box -- looks like their baking soda box, only bigger. Here in Indy, Kroger and Safeway grocery stores have it, and I believe Ace Hardware, too. Tried WD40, did nothing. Tried mineral spirits, did nothing. Found washing soda at the grocery. It took off 95% of the crude Saw cut much better afterwards also; thanks. You're welcome. I use it on table saw blades, too --works great. -- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com) It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again. |
How long does a bandsaw blade last?
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How long does a bandsaw blade last?
In article ,
Wes Stewart wrote: On Sat, 29 Apr 2006 22:14:10 -0400, Robatoy wrote: In article , "Toller" wrote: How long does a bandsaw blade last? 'Bout the same length of time as a lollipop. And that is because a canary is yellow and the Eiffel Tower is also made out of steel. Actually, it's made of iron, not steel. Darn... I've been messin' with peoples' heads all these years? From now on...iron it is. |
How long does a bandsaw blade last?
Doug Miller wrote:
In article , "Toller" wrote: How do I clean the blade? Plastic wool did nothing at all. Thanks. Washing soda. 1/4 cup in a quart of warm water. Soak blade for 5-10 minutes. Rinse gunk off. I agree with Doug on cleaning the blade. If you're cutting "green" walnut, after cleaning the blade, try spraying the it with "Pam" (or other brand substitute) cooking spray. It helps in keeping the build-up off the blade. -- Jack Novak Buffalo, NY - USA (Remove -SPAM- to send email) |
How long does a bandsaw blade last?
originally was cast iron, but I think they've replaced most of it with
structural steel by now.... |
How long does a bandsaw blade last?
On Sun, 30 Apr 2006 16:39:10 GMT, "Toller" wrote:
I haven't heard of anyone using washing soda for many years, but will give it a try if I can find it. Your best bet is a grocery store, on the same aisle as laundry detergent. If you find the borax, the washing soda is probably close by. Arm & Hammer brand. Big yellow box -- looks like their baking soda box, only bigger. Here in Indy, Kroger and Safeway grocery stores have it, and I believe Ace Hardware, too. Tried WD40, did nothing. Tried mineral spirits, did nothing. Found washing soda at the grocery. It took off 95% of the crude Saw cut much better afterwards also; thanks. I pay $12 to $16 a blade and use them up to a month.. (I cut tons of pen and bowl blanks) I've never cleaned one as it would not be worth my time or money.. Mac https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm |
How long does a bandsaw blade last?
Hey,
I can usually tell by just feeling the teeth and looking at the blade. I think the belt could be dull especially if the wood was not that clean. Are you using a straight fence, doing free hand or using a resaw type curved fence. I found that when I used delta blades or even olson, 160' would have used at least one or maybe more blades. |
How long does a bandsaw blade last?
"mac davis" wrote in message ... I pay $12 to $16 a blade and use them up to a month.. (I cut tons of pen and bowl blanks) I've never cleaned one as it would not be worth my time or money.. Don't know what you're cutting, but green, corrosive woods will eat the sharpness off a blade real fast. Not to mention that a bit of lube helps turn the corners, too. |
How long does a bandsaw blade last?
"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 |
How long does a bandsaw blade last?
On Tue, 2 May 2006 06:53:22 -0400, "George" George@least wrote:
"mac davis" wrote in message .. . I pay $12 to $16 a blade and use them up to a month.. (I cut tons of pen and bowl blanks) I've never cleaned one as it would not be worth my time or money.. Don't know what you're cutting, but green, corrosive woods will eat the sharpness off a blade real fast. Not to mention that a bit of lube helps turn the corners, too. never had anything that looked like corrosion.. not sure what kind of wood would do that... I spend about $10 a month on blades, which I can live with.. Mac https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm |
How long does a bandsaw blade last?
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How long does a bandsaw blade last?
"Doug Miller" wrote in message . com... In article , wrote: never had anything that looked like corrosion.. not sure what kind of wood would do that... Pretty much anything green (i.e. wet), but particularly woods with high acid content such as cherry or oak. It's the kind you _don't_ see. The fine edges that make the blade sharp are the ones being pitted and eroded. If it gets so bad you see it on the sides of the blade, you're sadly neglecting your cleaning. You can control some of the corrosion by cleaning the teeth with WD40 between uses. Even if you don't get all the acid-concealing cake off the teeth and gullets, you get a bit of benefit in the WD -water displacement - category. Plus a smidgen of lube for the next time you fire up. |
How long does a bandsaw blade last?
On Thu, 04 May 2006 10:58:07 GMT, (Doug Miller) wrote:
In article , wrote: never had anything that looked like corrosion.. not sure what kind of wood would do that... Pretty much anything green (i.e. wet), but particularly woods with high acid content such as cherry or oak. Not much worry about those on the left coast... we're pretty much hardwood challenged here.. *g* Mac https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm |
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