How do you know which Bandsaw Blade is the right one for your job?
THREE BASIC BLADE TYPES:
REGULAR BLADES
• Most Common Type
• Straight Faced Teeth With Even Spacing And Deep Gullets
• Straight Or 0° Rake
• Use For General Purpose Cutting – Either Cutoff or Contour Sawing In Thin Metal
• Used To Cut Most General Metals And Wood
HOOK BLADES
• Deep Gullet With Larger Teeth Widely Spaced
• Often Feature An Undercut Face With Positive 10° Rake Angle
• Use To Make Faster, More Coarse Cuts In Plastic, Metal, Thicker Wood Pieces And Hardwood
• Used In Making Longer Cuts As The Deep Gullet And Rake Angle Help Move Cut Material Out Of Way
SKIP BLADES
• Shallow Gullet And Widely Spaced Teeth
• Feature A 90° Tooth And 0° Rake
• The Sharp Angle At The Tooth Gullet Allows Chips To Come Out Cleanly
• Used For A Variety Of Woodworking Applications And Used To Reduce Clogging
• Use For Softwoods, Plastics, Or Nonferrous Metals That Could Gum Up The Blade
PROPER BLADE TEETH PER INCH (TPI) OR PITCH
• To Achieve A Smoother, More Refined Cut Choose A Blade That Has More TPI
• The More TPI, The Finer The Cut Will Be; The Fewer Teeth Per Inch, The Rougher The Cut Will Be
• High TPI Configurations Should Be Used On Thinner Materials And May Require A Reduced Material Feed Rate
• Low TPI Configurations Should Be Used On Thicker Materials And May Require A Higher Feed Rate
DETERMINING WHAT BLADE LENGTH AND WIDTH TO USE:
PROPER BLADE LENGTH
• Length Of Blade Can Most Often Be Found In Your User’s Manual, Manufacturer’s Website Or Customer Service Department
PROPER BLADE WIDTH
• When Cutting Curves, The Width Of The Blade Will Determine The Smallest Radius That May Be Cut
• Wide Blades Are Most Often Used For Resawing Or Straight Line Cuts
• Smaller Width Blades Are Used For Smaller Radius Cuts
