I'm sure the question has been asked here many times before, but I've got a Rikon, 14" 10-325 Bandsaw. I've used it with the factory blade for some basic cutting, but I'd like to do a little bit of resawing. What blades are you all using. I've watched the videos, and read some reviews, but I just want to know what you guys recommend.
I will agree with jumbojack that the Woodslicer is a very good blade. If you want to go one step up and go for better performance and longevity check out the Lenox Tri-Master from Highland. I have your same bandsaw and put the Lenox 3/4 blade on as I primarily use it for re-sawing. By far the best blade I have ever used for woodworking.
It does a nice job resawing, but is also good for general sawing.
So there is less changing of the blade.
I have recently purchased a 3/4" blade for dedicated resawing, but haven't tried it yet.
I'll switch out to the 3/4" blade when I have a lot of resawing to do.
I have used Woodslicer blades and they cut very well. I now use 1/2"carbide supercut blades for re-sawing. They last a lot longer and cost a little less.
Every thing I ever read about 14'' band saw and band saw blades says that a 3/4'' wide blade is too wide for a 14'' band saw. 3/4 blades put a lot of stress on a 14'' band saw and are hard to tension correctly.
Woodslicer seems overpriced. Spectrum Supply sells basically the same blade they call the Kerfmaster and Iturra sells the Blade runner that is identical. Both are eignificsntly cheaper. A 14" band saw should be able to tension any of these blades at 3/4" as they are very thin meat blade stock.
Every thing I ever read about 14 band saw and band saw blades says that a 3/4 wide blade is too wide for a 14 band saw. 3/4 blades put a lot of stress on a 14 band saw and are hard to tension correctly.
What you have read is correct. 3/4" blades at least on my new Rikon BS won't tension very well at all, you need a new tension spring. That and tracking a 3/4" blade on a 14" BS means the back of the blade rides outside the upper wheel and adds a little wobble to the blade near the cutting area.
1/2" Woodslicer from Highland Woodworking. Not so pricey if you dedicate it to resawing only, no curves to screw up the set of the teeth. It will stay sharp and cut straight and plumb for a long time if you take care of it; cleaning the gum, pitch etc.; and I also use a bit of Dri Slide after cleaning. You still, however, need to make certain that your saw is set up properly for resawing.
For resawing go with a 1/2" or 3/$" carbide blade. They cost more but last much longer can be resharpened several time and the finish cut is phenomenal. They are well worth the extra money.
For resawing go with a 1/2" or 3/$" carbide blade. They cost more but last much longer can be resharpened several time and the finish cut is phenomenal. They are well worth the extra money.
I had a Re-saw king for my 24'' band saw I got from Laguna tools. A 300 dollar blade (183'' long). The weld broke long before it started to get dull. Kinked the blade and totally ruined it. Cut nice before that.
Side Note: I also have a 16inch Waker-Turner band saw. It re-saws much better with a 1/2 blade as opposed to a 3/4' blade.
Ok guys, thanks for all the input!! After spending some time on the web looking at the various blades recomended here, I decided to try the Kerfmast from Spectrum Supply. It'll be here in a couple of days. I took into consideration the comments here, reviews on the websites, shipping costs and of course my wallet. We'll see how it goes. I don't need to do a ton of re-sawing, but I'm sure I'll use it more than I think I will. my plan is to dedicate this just to resawing. If anyone cares, I'll post an update after trying it out.
Well, I bought this blade a few days ago and put it on my saw. I only had about a 1/2 a dozen pieces to cut and it did a very good job for me. I was only cutting some pine, nothing fancy, but the blade did what I needed it to do and that is all I asked for. Thanks for the help!!
This question comes up frequently and I really don't think there is one single answer. Timberwolf is a great resource for resawing information. I had no idea that resawing soft, green, hard, dry woods required different blades for best results. THEY WERE RIGHT! It doesn't cost anything to call them with your resaw questions. They have always been very willing to answer my queries.
I have never used a "Woodslicer", but I use Starrett 3 TPI blades with good results. The blades are perfectly welded and ground, so you can't see where it was joined.
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