Here are a few of the most common signs that your bandsaw blade is due to be replaced, if you notice one or more of them, don’t put it off, replace your blade. A dull blade will heat up much more than a blade in good condition, and typically with older and well used blades one problem can quickly lead to several more in a very short space of time. If you notice hairline cracks in your bandsaw blade when visually inspecting it, bear in mind there are those who would not even consider using it, and with good reason! Time to seriously consider changing it ASAP. Published 11th October 2018.
I don’t own a bandsaw blade with more than 6 TPI. Buy your blades from a saw shop in your area, they will make whatever blade you want, for less money than retail blades, and with better quality. His blade was a little dull so he had to push a little harder. No pain very clean cut, since even dull blades cut bone a flesh easy.
Is not that difficult to see if a bandsaw blade is blunt or not, you just need a very close up look at the teeth, you can take some macro pics and show them here or, you use some magnifying glass tool to allow you to see clearly the very tip of the teeth. Some blades when need sharpening also need re-setting the teeth, this is called “Racking”, the angle and sequence of the left, right and centre can vary but, if the teeth were set too far out, in the wrong sequence and sharpen at the wrong angles, you will have all sorts of troubles and “Grabbing” will be the one that can hurt you, pretty bad…! I reckon, the easiest way for you would be looking at each blanks to see if the teeth look all in the same condition and then, take a good close up photo of one section, that will show half a dozen teeth, show that here, I and some other members, will be able to tell you if they are OK or not…!
Given this, please assume that any links leading you to products or services are affiliate links that we will receive compensation from. There are millions of products and services on the web, and I only promote those products or services that I would use personally. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.
Peter, a really “Sharp” blade will “Catch” your skin when you drag a finger across the teeth…Another way is to look at the points of the teeth with a low power magnifying glass…if you can “See” a shiny spot where the point should be, it’s pretty dull….But the good part is, if you have a Dremel and a diamond burr you can most likely make it sharper than new by yourself and do it right on the saw. You can save enough money to pay for the Dremel, Peter, and you can sharpen your blade several times. You can sharpen your blade more than once,I have done mine as much as 4 times.
how to tell when a bandsaw blade is dull Related Question:
How long should a 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.
How many times can you sharpen a bandsaw blade?
You should be able to sharpen your blade two or three times before needing to replace it, but sometimes breakage happens. Blade breakage can result from a range of situations. Common causes of blade breakage include: Dull teeth.
How do I know if my bandsaw blade is sharp?
Get a 6 tooth per inch blade. When it gets dull,it will begin to not cut easily,and will sort of jerk along through the wood as you apply pressure. A sharp blade cuts without urging.