A band saw blade have to be matched to the specific material that the band saw is cutting. If a person selects a band saw blade that dont match the material, then the band saw blade will wander while cutting the material, and the band saw blade will produce an uneven cut of the material. In order to ensure that the band saw blade makes a proper cut of the material, it is important to balance the width of the band saw blade, the teeth per inch of the band saw blade, and the material of the band saw blade.
Using a size chart will help a person to select the correct band saw blade for a specific cutting task, as the size chart will display the specifications for that type of saw blades. The width of the band saw blade can have a major impact upon how well the band saw blade can turn the corners of the material being cut. A wide band saw blade will provide stability to the saw when cutting, and it will be helpful for tasks like resawing thick lumber.
How to Choose the Right Band Saw Blade
The width of the band saw blade will prevent it from being able to turn tight corners, however. If a person desire to be able to cut into the material and make tight turns with the band saw, then the band saw blade should be narrow in size. A narrow band saw blade will allow the saw to navigate the tight curves in the materials that are to be cut, but a wide band saw blade will be unable to navigate such curves in the material.
The teeth per inch of the band saw blade is a specification that is used to determine how well the band saw will be able to clear the sawdust that is created while cutting the material. If a person uses a band saw blade with a high teeth per inch (TPI) rate on thick pieces of wood, the gullets of the band saw blade will become filled with sawdust and the blade will begin to overheat during the cut. The band saw blade should have space between the teeth to allow for the blade to clear the sawdust.
If a person uses a band saw blade with low TPI on thin materials, the teeth of the band saw will begin to tear the material that is being cut. For this reason, several teeth of the band saw blade should be engaged with the material that is being cut. The tooth profile of the band saw blade can impact the manner in which the band saw blade remove the material from the workpiece.
Regular teeth are used for basic woodworking tasks. Other types of teeth profiles exist for other types of materials. For instance, skip teeth and hook teeth is used for cutting green lumber and plastics.
Hook teeth are more aggressive than regular teeth; they move quickly through the workpiece. However, the teeth may appear jumpy when cutting the workpiece with the band saw. The material of the band saw blade will impact the length of time that the blade stays sharp.
Commonly, the material is carbon steel because the material is flexible and inexpensive. However, carbon steel will dull quick if its used to cut metals like stainless steel. Metals that are hard require the use of a bi-metal band saw blade or a carbide-tipped band saw blade.
The bi-metal or carbide-tipped band saw blades are more expensive than carbon steel blades. However, the bi-metal or carbide tipped band saw blades will hold their edge when exposed to extreme heat created by cutting hard metals. Finally, the physical fit of the band saw blade is important to every saw.
Every saw has specific blades of specific lengths. To determine the length of the blade that should be used, measuring the old blade that is currently installed on the saw will indicate the length of the blade that should be used. Additionally, another method of determining the length of the band saw blade is to read the manual that came with the saw.
After installing the blade, the tension must be set correctly, as too little tension will cause the blade to flutter, while too much tension will place stress upon the bearings of the saw. Finally, the guides should be set so that they will touch the band saw blade enough to support the blade, but will not be so adjusted as to touch the band saw blade so much that it create friction between the two components of the saw. Finally, if the width, teeth per inch, and the material of the band saw blade are matched to the material that is to be cut, the band saw blade will make a straight and clean cut of that material.
