Bandsaw blades come in a variety of tooth geometries, combination metals and sizes but I’ve always been happy using the basic standard bandsaw blades. If you are like me, a low-volume, pretty average bandsaw user, then a General-Purpose Bandsaw Blade works well for most of my applications. The General-Purpose Bandsaw Blades from Highland Woodworking provide an excellent, everyday blade for your bandsaw.
If you often shift from cutting one type of material to another type using the bandsaw, it will be best to equip your bandsaw with a general-purpose bandsaw blade. If you’re searching for a general-purpose saw blade, you need to find the saw blade with the right TPI. You can go for saw blades with 14 TPI. This saw blade is best for all-around cutting. The regular tooth saw blades are those considered general-purpose saw blades.
“For me the best blades are the 1/2″ 3 tpi made locally from Lennox stock. For someone mostly cutting 2″ or smaller stock for furniture or resawing 12” boards into thin veneer the “Best” blade would undoubtedly be different than the best for me. JKJ. I usually keep a 1/4″ 6 TPI blade on my Delta 14″ bandsaw because I thought it seemed to work fine for most general purpose tasks I do with the saw.
A bandsaw will make many cuts with precision and speed-when equipped with the right blade for the application. Bandsaw blades differ in thickness, width, length, and tooth configuration. Every time you change from one bandsaw blade width to another, you have to reset the saw’s tracking, tension, and blade guides.
Next you need to figure out the width of the blade that will work for the type of cut you plan to make. Once you determine length, width and teeth per inch, you need to figure out what type of tooth configuration is right for the cut type and material you are cutting. There are three main types of bandsaw blade teeth: regular, hook and skip.
If you’re looking for one of the best quality blades on the market, then maybe a Laguna Band Saw Blade might just be the one for you. Timber Wolf Bandsaw Blade 3/4 “x 105” 3 TPI. When it comes to the high-quality band saw blades, you’ll be sure to find Timber Wolf blades common among your searches. We hope that this list of the best band saw blades helped you narrow down your choices when picking your next blades for use and stock.
best bandsaw blade for general purpose Related Question:
What kind of band saw blade should I use?
Use coarse tooth blades (2 or 3 TPI) for re-sawing and cutting thicker materials. For general wood cutting duties in typical 3/4″ material, use a 4 TPI blade for coarse, fast cutting and a 14 TPI blade for slower, smoother cutting. A blade in the 6 to 8 TPI range provides good general-purpose performance.
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.
What is the general rule for selecting a band saw blade for cutting?
There is a wide range of what is considered correct for tooth patterns on a woodcutting bandsaw. The general rule is that fewer teeth per inch provide a faster, but rougher cut; and more teeth per inch provide a smoother, but slower cut.
How tight should my bandsaw blade be?
The blade should deflect no more than 1/4 in. A good place to begin is to tension the blade until the meter reads proper tension for the next wider blade. For example, if you’re tensioning a 3/8-in. blade, I would set the scale to 1/2 in.
Is a wider bandsaw blade better?
The wider blades are stiffer overall (more metal) and tend to track better on the band wheels than narrow blades. When cutting thicker material, the wider blade has less ability to deviate because the back end, when in the cut, helps steer the front of the blade, especially if the side clearance is not excessive.
Is more TPI better?
Woodworkers quickly learn that the number of teeth-per-inch (TPI) on the blade has a big impact on the quality of a cut. The general rule of thumb is “the more TPI, the smoother the cut.” The true answer, however, is just a little more complicated than that, as you’ll learn once you understand how saw teeth work.
How long should a metal bandsaw 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.
Can a band saw cut curves?
Whether it’s a tight curve or a closed opening, you can cut it on your band saw with a couple of easy tricks. Cutting on the band saw can be the same thing. The narrower the blade, the tighter the spots you can cut; in fact, some band saw blades rival a scroll saw for cutting tight curves.
What is 18 TPI for cutting?
Blades 12-18 TPI are typically used for metal and denser materials as well as finish cuts in wood. The 18-24 TPI range is almost always used for metal cutting. Pro Tip: Always keep 3 teeth in contact with the material being cut.
What’s the difference between bandsaw blades?
Bandsaw blades differ in thickness, width, length, and tooth configuration. Length varies by machine, but the size of your saw’s wheels typically determines thickness and width: Smaller machines (9–12″ wheels) need thinner blades to prevent breaking the welds. They also accept only narrow blades, often 1⁄ 2 ” or less.
What is 14 TPI for cutting?
8-14 TPI blades are capable of cutting wood and the occasional nail. Demo blades fall into this category. 14-24 TPI is the range of metal cutting, PVC cutting and finish cut blades. The blades cut slowly, but leave being a very smooth edge.
What TPI is best for cutting wood?
TPI is the number of teeth the blade has per inch. If you’re looking to cut wood or other soft materials, you’ll need a blade with a TPI of 6 up to 20. For harder materials like metal, a TPI between 14 up to 36 is more suitable. The number of teeth can be found on the blade.
What is skip tooth bandsaw blade?
Skip-tooth blades have a less-aggressive rake angle and so make cuts more slowly, but the cuts are much smoother and cleaner. They are a better choice for general use. I outfit all six of the bandsaws in my shop with skip-tooth blades.
What causes bandsaw blade 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.
What is a 3h bandsaw blade?
Description. These are excellent-quality steel bandsaw blades that excel at ripping thick stock and resawing, and are also suitable for roughing blanks for carving or turning. The coarse 3 tpi hooked teeth power through hard woods and difficult grain, and have deep gullets for clearing sawdust.