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Bandsaw blade help

910 views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  jp90 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I'm buying a new bandsaw soon (my first) and will likely get the Grizzly G0513. Up til now I've been pushing my scroll saw to slowly cut curves in thick stock, I've wasted a lot of wood with the thickness planer, and I've made cuts on the table saw that scare me a bit. I'm thinking the bandsaw will put an end to all of this.

So with this new saw I want to resaw and rip roughed lumber, and I want to cut curves. Occasionally I will mill small logs and firewood from the yard. It seems like everyone likes the Timberwolf blades, but there are so many options that i'm not sure where to start. If I were to get 2 or 3 blades to cover a lot of bases up front, what would you recommend for widths and blade styles? I'm thinking a 1" blade for resaw (but which one?), and perhaps a 1/4" for curves. What do you think?

Thanks for the advice!
 
#2 ·
You will need different tooth/gullet configurations for resawing green vs dry wood. And you will need narrower blades for curve cutting (width dependent on how tight a radius you need to cut). Your best option IMHO is to call Timberwolf, tell them what saw you have, and what you need to cut, and they will recommend the best blades for the job. They have never steered me wrong.

If this is your first bandsaw, I highly recommend you read Dujinski's Bandsaw Book.
 
#5 · (Edited by Moderator)
I have a similar saw in the Rikon brand.
It will handle up to a 1 1/4" blade but the largest I've ever used is a 1"
In my experience I only use it for the roughest resawing work. I think of it as my "sawmill blade".
For rough resawing you want a 2-3 TPI blade. I have no experience with the TW blades.

For more precise resawing, so far the only one I've used is the 3/4" Woodmizer. Not overly impressed with its durability, but it does perform quite well.

As for blade selection, I would think a 1/4" for general work and curves, a 1/2 or 3/4 blade and a 1/2 or 3/4 resaw blade and your 1" blade for sawmill operations.

On another note, I came across a very nice lightly used Jet 12" bandsaw with stand at a garage sale and was able to pick it up for $100. All it needed was one tire and a guide block but it was money well spent. I keep a 1/4" blade in it and this has been extremely handy when I'm needing to just to a few cuts and avoid having to change blades in my big machine.

Now I just use my big machine for heavy duty ripping of rough stock and resawing.

Just something you might want to consider.
 
#7 ·
Great to get some input…thanks everyone! I imagine the book and a call to Timberwolf will help a lot, but I like getting a general survey of what people use. I know that in time I might commit to having a lot of specialized blades, but for now I'm definitely looking for input on getting by with less-what would you buy if you just had 3 blades to do it all? that sort of thing….so this advice is great.

As for Carbide…wow they're a big price jump. I believe that they last longer, but the ones I'm comparing look about 5 times the cost. Not ruling it out, just curious.
 
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