# substituion for 56 7/8" bandsaw blade



## jimhester (Oct 25, 2009)

Hello all. My son has an old Craftsman 10" bandsaw that uses 56 7/8" blades. He's just learning to bandsaw and is having problems cutting a tight radius with his 1/4" blade. I recommended going to a 3/16 blade. He is having trouble finding a 3/16 in the 56 7/8 length. You can order them from Sears, but they're on back order.
A couple of places locally have 3/16 in a 56 1/8 length. Has anyone any experience with substituting a shorter blade (3/4" shorter) and taking up on the blade tension? I haven't looked yet to see if there's enough adjustment left to take up that much. Thanks. Jim

P.S. I'm also asking this on a couple of other forums, so if you see it again, disregard.


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## MedicKen (Dec 2, 2008)

Call Bobby at Woodworkers Tool Works, http://www.woodworkerstoolworks.com/, and he can custom make any size you need. (800)-475-9991


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## jimhester (Oct 25, 2009)

Thanks. I may do that if I can't substitute something I can get now. My son is trying to do a very small bandsaw box that will hold a ring, and he wants to get it done before Christmas. This worries me. Not because I don't want him to get married, but he looks too much like me for any girl to accept a proposal. Jim


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## Surfside (Jun 13, 2012)

You may want to inquire with http://sawblade.com/index.cfm . I purchase my blades with them, they custom blades . They can help you out to find a substitution . You can reach them at 201-540-9817 .


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

Timberwolf and several others will make blades to any length you need. You can also get a 1/8" blade that will cut tighter radii.


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## IrreverentJack (Aug 13, 2010)

Check out Ebay and Amazon. Good luck. -Jack


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## lab7654 (Mar 31, 2012)

Try PS Wood for their Timberwolves. They are exceptional in quality and service. I once broke a 1/8" blade at a place not on the weld, which isn't warranted, but they sent me a free replacement anyway. It was completely my fault, and they knew it too, but they sent it regardless. I had a 3/16" 4 TPI that cut like butter, and left a relatively good finish. It also comes in 10 TPI for a better finish though, which is probably what your son would want for his box. If the curves aren't too tight, I would reccomend the 3/16" over the 1/8", as it is harder to break and doesn't overheat in thicker woods, with the 4 TPI that is. The 10 TPI will still be better at that than the 1/8", which only comes in 14 TPI. You can buy the blades here. Notice the section for selecting any length of blade, as well as the fraction/decimal space. You'll find the customer service to be superb and the blades to be even better. In my opinion, it would be best to just buy the best blade available (these) and skip the frustration of a step in between. Best of luck!


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

*"This worries me. Not because I don't want him to get married, but he looks too much like me for any girl to accept a proposal."*
If he has your sense of humor , he will do just fine : )


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## jjmill1980 (Apr 5, 2010)

Jim,

It is pretty simple to figure out the sizes of blades that will work on your bandsaw (I just did this tonight). Highland Woodworking has a great tip on this Bandsaw Blade Length

Best of luck to you.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

The last ones I got, I bought at Menards. Olsen was the Brand name??? I have an old Craftsman three wheeler, and used a 1/8" sized blade ALOT. Right now, there is a 1/4" one on board.


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