• It's time to cast your vote in the January 2025 Turning Challenge. (click here for details)
  • Conversations are now Direct Messages (click here for details)
  • Congratulations to Alan Weinberg for "Elm Burl Bowl" being selected as Turning of the Week for January 27, 2025 (click here for details)
  • Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.

Bandsaw blades

Emiliano Achaval

Emiliano Achaval

Administrator
Staff member
Beta Tester
TOTW Team
Joined
Dec 14, 2015
Messages
3,346
Likes
4,414
Location
Maui, Hawaii
Website
hawaiiankoaturner.com
My new, new to me, Jet 18 in bandsaw came with a lot of blades. I have about 12 brand new, they appear to be one inch wide, maybe 3 tpi blades. I know this are not ideal for cutting blanks. But, I'm guessing I could use them to cut corners off the blanks. I have lots of other sizes, but I will eventually run out of the ideal size. Anybody uses whatever they have available?
 

Attachments

  • IMG_7149.JPG
    IMG_7149.JPG
    406.3 KB · Views: 50
  • IMG_0435.JPG
    IMG_0435.JPG
    320.5 KB · Views: 50
Hi Emiliano........ I use a 1/2 in 3TPI sawblade on my 14" bandsaw and I find it is perfect for re sawing logs and cutting blanks.

......As Bill mentioned with your 18" saw cutting an 8 sided piece is good as round...... and that 1" blade can re saw some big logs for some large bowl blanks such as what you turn sometimes.......Happy turning!
 
Emiliano, A round turning blank cuts so much more smoothly and with less danger than turning a faceted blank in my opinion. Try to determine the tightest radius that you can cut with that 1" blade, and if that's not small enough consider getting some 1/2" 3TPI blades. Last year I found some coiled blade stock on eBay at a great price so now I silver-solder my own 1/2" 3TPI blades (for my 18" jet) for about 1/3 the price as mail order.
 
From the posted pics it appears that what you have are 1.3 tpi blades.
If so these are very aggressive, the issue with such an aggressive band is that if your bowl blank is not seated flat on your band saw table, your blank could rock forward into the cutting band resulting in a catch on the bandsaw. Not much different in what can happen when cutting cylinder on a band saw without proper support.
Yes it will work but be extra careful when using an aggressive band.
 
Emilliano...I have the same saw, and here is what I use. They are 3/8" wide, and .032 thick, where most blades are .025 thickness, they come with 3 tpi, and a wider tooth set for clearing the kerf. They are specially made for woodturners to cut green wood, and bowl blanks. They work better than Timberwolf blades, and most others. I have used them for about 4 years now on both my bandsaws and highly recommend them. With proper tension, and the guides on your saw properly setup, they cut like a dream!

Trust me on this! Here is the link, https://www.highlandwoodworking.com/woodturners-bandsawblade.aspx

Your saw will either use a 137" blade or a 133" blade depending on the particular time it was manufactured. Mine uses the 137". They will make the blades to your length, and you can see the price right on the page when you put in your length. Highland has great customer service.
 
Just cut a 16 sided blank if you think 8 leaves too big of flat. Wear some really good leather gloves when you open them up! Some band mill guys actually start to untwist them, and throw them into the grass in the yard at the same time. Really easy to leave parallel running scabs on your arm! I owned a band mill, I know.
 
If you want to cut a circle with your band saw, not 8 sides, or whatever.......one solution is to think more teeth per inch. The blade I have on my 16" band saw is 3/8", .025", 6tpi. I've cut hundreds of bowl blanks with it, and it's been installed for a couple years now......still cutting, but probably will be replaced pretty soon. Many of my bowl blanks are rough cut from somebody else's chain saw, or band saw.....and, some of them have uneven surfaces. I was having some nasty catches when I was using 3-4tpi blades.
John Spitters said:
the issue with such an aggressive band is that if your bowl blank is not seated flat on your band saw table, your blank could rock forward into the cutting band resulting in a catch on the bandsaw.
Click to expand...
I generally scribe, or draw a circle with a compass, then cut by hand about 1/8" away from the circle, on the band saw. (I don't use a jig) This usually leaves very minor flat spots, and easily brought to round. Some of the woods I use for my bowls are very hard and difficult to work with......and, I've come to really appreciate having as little as possible to complete the process of bringing to round.

-----odie-----
 
Roger Chandler said:
Emilliano...I have the same saw, and here is what I use. They are 3/8" wide, and .032 thick, where most blades are .025 thickness, they come with 3 tpi, and a wider tooth set for clearing the kerf. They are specially made for woodturners to cut green wood, and bowl blanks. They work better than Timberwolf blades, and most others. I have used them for about 4 years now on both my bandsaws and highly recommend them. With proper tension, and the guides on your saw properly setup, they cut like a dream!

Trust me on this! Here is the link, https://www.highlandwoodworking.com/woodturners-bandsawblade.aspx

Your saw will either use a 137" blade or a 133" blade depending on the particular time it was manufactured. Mine uses the 137". They will make the blades to your length, and you can see the price right on the page when you put in your length. Highland has great customer service.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info Roger!
 
Emiliano, those blades are made for cutting slabs. Mine are 1 1/4 wide, and teeth at about 7/8 inch apart, I think... I keep them on my big bandsaw, and use the smaller saw for cutting circles. Octagons do turn well, but if you can cut a circle, it is far better, or more efficient as you have less roughing to do... Pretty close to what the portable bandsaw mill people use. M42 HSS teeth.

robo hippy
 
robo hippy said:
Emiliano, those blades are made for cutting slabs. Mine are 1 1/4 wide, and teeth at about 7/8 inch apart, I think... I keep them on my big bandsaw, and use the smaller saw for cutting circles. Octagons do turn well, but if you can cut a circle, it is far better, or more efficient as you have less roughing to do... Pretty close to what the portable bandsaw mill people use. M42 HSS teeth.

robo hippy
Click to expand...
Thank you Robo, great info. Aloha
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top