Bandsaw blades don’t last forever, but they are durable and can take on quite the workload. I wanted to learn more about how long these blades should last and how to extend the life of your blade. Keep reading below to discover more about how long your bandsaw blade should last. How long a bandsaw lasts depends mainly on the materials the band saw is used to cut, the condition of the blade and the bandsaw machine itself, how the materials are fed to the saw, frequency of usage, and maintenance.
Some can last under six months, and some can last years! Some of the most important variables to consider are what you are cutting, the condition of the machine and blade, how long you are using the blade, and even how you are feeding the wood through your saw as well. Others think that if you want your new blade to last as long as it can, investing in a higher-quality blade will be worth it in the long run. How you use your blade does make a difference in how long the blade should last.
A common question new sawyers ask is how much life they can expect from a band saw blade. First, the band saw blade is an amazing combination of steel alloys, precision sharpening, heat treating, and welding. The harder the wood, the shorter the time between blade changes-not only because hard woods tend to dull the blade more quickly, but also because it takes a sharper blade to slice through it.
The blade is the standard 1″ silicon steel blade that shipped with my Laguna and I am trying to gage whether this is an appropriate life for a blade. 12-02-2008, 2:10 PM #2 Stock blades won’t last long. 12-03-2008, 7:39 AM #8 Timberwolf My Timberwolf blades last for years – if propertly tensioned before use and de-tensioned after use, if the feed rate is slow, if the blades are cleaned frequently, and cut only wood that has been inspected for metal objects such as nails or screws.
How long a blade last depends on how dirty the logs are. Don’t get tunnel vision just by reading what the info says about how long a blade will last. For the most part most blades will get the job done, some faster and some slower, the blades you have described should get you close to 1000 bdft, there might be some waving with knots, but this will happen regardless of blades.
Some can last under six months, and some can last years! Some of the most important variables to consider are what you are cutting, the condition of the machine and blade, how long you are using the blade, and even how you are feeding the wood through your saw as well. Return your sawmill blades to one of our Wood-Mizer ReSharp locations and we won’t just sharpen your blades – we will return them to original manufacturing standards for as little as $8.25 per sawmill blade. How to tell when your bandsaw blade is nearing the end of its life.
By one of those coincidences which happen more often than they ought, I logged on to the site tonight to ask almost exactly the same question as the OP. In my case the 3/8 x 3pi blade, on a Record 350S went bang when slicing up some 5mm plywood for kindling. OK, I know about the 3 tooth engagement thing and I was taking a chance, but it had worked so many times before without fuss… The blade broke at about the ten o’clock position on the top wheel. I suspect I’d overtensioned the blade though, as Jacob suggested, and it was just waiting to happen.
Jenn life of in minutes used, 15 mins a great blade, and I have blades that I count the life of in weeks, current blade is about 6 wks old and going strong. If you only have one BS blade and one set of knives they will only last half way through any project. I have been reading up on this subject lately and from what I could find out a narrow kerf bandaw blade should get you from 300′ to 500′ per blade.
how long should a wood bandsaw blade last Related Question:
When should I change my sawmill blade?
When operating a band sawmill, a general rule is to replace the bandsaw blade with a sharpened one on average every 1,5 hours of cutting. In the case of cutting dirty wood, this time will be shorter.
How many times can a bandsaw blade be sharpened?
It often makes sense to replace a dull blade with a new one, but you can sometimes get the best value out of merely sharpening an old blade instead of replacing it altogether. You should typically be able to get two to three sharpenings before you need to change your blade completely.
How do you know if a bandsaw blade is bad?
Aside from visual signs like chipped blade teeth or rough cuts in material, you can hear when it’s time to replace a dull blade. As it goes bad, the saw blade forces the motor to work harder to cut through material, which causes a loud whining sound.
How long should a bandsaw mill blade last?
On average your bandsaw blade should last 6 months to as long as a few years depending on what your cutting with it. Make sure to match your blade strength and quality to the project and material your cutting.
How long does Saw Mill blades last?
Some can last under six months, and some can last years! Some of the most important variables to consider are what you are cutting, the condition of the machine and blade, how long you are using the blade, and even how you are feeding the wood through your saw as well.
Is it worth it to sharpen bandsaw blades?
Since a carbide-tipped bandsaw blade will cost well over $100, spending a third of the cost of the blade (or more) to get it sharp and working like new again can make financial sense. However the majority of bandsaw blades, the Wood Slicer included, are not worth spending money to have sharpened.
How do you know when a blade is dull?
gently tap the edge of the blade against your fingernail. Your knife is sharp if the blade bites in, and dull if it deflects or slides.
What causes bandsaw drift?
Drift is cause because the blade buckles under the load. You can see that by stretching a ribbon between 2 points and applying a pressure to one of the edges, it will turn sideway easily. A sharp blade and high blade speed will help a lot with that.
How long should a saw blade last?
They can last between 12 and 120 hours of continuous use, depending on the quality of the blade and material they’re used to cut.
Why do bandsaw blades break?
Machine Defects Even the best blades can fail if there is something else wrong with your bandsaw, and even a small misalignment of bearings or guides can put a twist in the blade as it goes around. Resulting in tension being applied in all the wrong ways which will lead to early breakage.
What allows a saw blade to last longer?
Hang Circular Saw Blades Through the Center Hole Don’t let the blade’s kerf rest on the ground but hang a blade through its center hole for temporary storage. This can be as simple as a nail or screw in the wall, but at least the blade won’t be dulled by the floor or a shelf.
How long does a wood Mizer saw blade last?
Most blades give me at least 10-12 hours running time. That would be 5-6 sharpenings. In 2-3 hours I average 400-500 board feet depending on log size and lumber size (4/4, 5/4 etc.).
How tight should a blade be on a bandsaw mill?
For carbon steel toothed blades (cutting blades) this is typically 15,000 to 25,000 PSI. Slitting type blades typically are tensioned in the range of 12,000 to 20,000 PSI. In general bandsaw blades are never tensioned past 35,000 psi.
How long does a metal cutting blade last?
No matter how much care you give to your blade, a time eventually comes when it needs to be changed. On average, a typical cold saw blade should last at least six months. Damaged teeth.
How many teeth per inch should a bandsaw blade have?
The general rule of thumb is: For wood and soft materials aim for 3 – 6 teeth in the workpiece. For metals and harder materials aim for 6 – 24 teeth in the workpiece.