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72 inch bandsaw blades recomendations

pcm81

Cast Iron
Joined
Apr 10, 2014
Location
USA FL
I just got mysellf the WEN 3962T 3.5-Amp 10-Inch Two-Speed Band Saw. Looking to build up a collection of saw blades that would cover me for every occasion. Wood, plastic, metals etc.

This is my first bandsaw and so i do not know anything about the saw blade choices that are available for 72" blades. Good manufactures, bad manufacturers, carbide tips etc. I did notice that saw blade manufacturers separate blades for ferrous materials and non-ferrous metals. Is there a reason for it? Is there a blade that can do it all?
I realize that there are added parameters as blade width as well as TPI. After some google-fu i think i got a pretty good idea about blade width situation, but still need to be educated on material compatibility vs blade selection. Good manufacturers, bad manufacturers? etc.

Thanks
 
I don't know about others, but this thread makes me feel used. You are abusing your use of this forum. You have not done your homework first, which you should have done before you bought your saw. there is a huge amount of information available from a multiple of sources though Google and other search engines, even here on this forum in the archives. Yet you are too damn lazy to at least gain enough knowledge to ask reasonable, intelligent questions. It is disrespectful. If you had done your homework, you would not have bought that saw and expected it to meet your stated expectations. With a 75 inch blade and only two speeds, your saw is a toy and very likely will not cut anything but plastic and wood and even then, not well. This forum is a super resource for difficult questions because the audience is generally professional. Most of us really enjoy sharing our knowledge in that light. What I and I suspect other do not like is to be somebody's personal information encyclopedia.
 
PM is intended for professionals working in the trade. I suggest you ask your questions over here:
Forum list | The Hobby-Machinist

Better geared to your level of experience and much more tolerant of the types of machines and questions that are not considered appropriate for this forum.
 
Oh my, how this forum has changed over the last couple of years.
And I have done some research before posting here, however no amount of google-fu can replace the personal experience of some wonderful members of this forum.
 
I don't know about others, but this thread makes me feel used. You are abusing your use of this forum. You have not done your homework first, which you should have done before you bought your saw. there is a huge amount of information available from a multiple of sources though Google and other search engines, even here on this forum in the archives. Yet you are too damn lazy to at least gain enough knowledge to ask reasonable, intelligent questions. It is disrespectful. If you had done your homework, you would not have bought that saw and expected it to meet your stated expectations. With a 75 inch blade and only two speeds, your saw is a toy and very likely will not cut anything but plastic and wood and even then, not well. This forum is a super resource for difficult questions because the audience is generally professional. Most of us really enjoy sharing our knowledge in that light. What I and I suspect other do not like is to be somebody's personal information encyclopedia.

The choice for this "toy" is driven by space available in my 1-car garage.
 
No it hasn't changed, people just get tired of answering the same run of basic questions year after year that can easily be answered just by running a few searches using different terms. To me and even at the hobby level I'm at you have to learn to think logically like I automatically assume all these pros learned and constantly do. As an example,if there really was a single band saw blade that could do it all then why would there be so many other types available? And had you done those searches, you'd already know why there's differences between ferrous and non ferrous blades. I don't know of any industrial level band saw blade manufacturer's that don't already have more than enough free online specifications about there products as well as how and why to select the best one's for your particular application and material.
 
That's a $316 vertical bandsaw on amazon, how does that come under professional equipment?

Your not asking for help on choosing a good blade, your asking for help because the place you purchased it from has no information on it.

Just purchase WEN blades for your WEN saw, then should be the best right?


Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 
No it hasn't changed, people just get tired of answering the same run of basic questions year after year that can easily be answered just by running a few searches using different terms. To me and even at the hobby level I'm at you have to learn to think logically like I automatically assume all these pros learned and constantly do. As an example,if there really was a single band saw blade that could do it all then why would there be so many other types available? And had you done those searches, you'd already know why there's differences between ferrous and non ferrous blades. I don't know of any industrial level band saw blade manufacturer's that don't already have more than enough free online specifications about there products as well as how and why to select the best one's for your particular application and material.

You seem to fail to grasp my dilemma and i really am starting to feel sorry for you wasting your time on these meaningless arguments rather than just moving on with your life. On the other hand, if you want to keep entertaining me with your useless but funny replies; go for it. I am done with today's work, sitting at my computer, drinking a beer and enjoying life.

Yes there are many blade choices and yes i am aware of the difference between hook tooth, straight tooth, few TPI and many TPI narrow blade, wide blade. I am also perfectly aware that a 5HP 230V band saw is much better than the chinese saw i chose, but it does not mean such a beast is the best choice for my small garage and 2-3 times use per year.

Hardback, soft back, bimetal, carbide tooth are all different options that are available and yes, i am aware that something like carbide tooth will cost many times more. For production environment it makes sense to buy the cheapest option that meets the requirement for their specific application. Meanwhile the manufactures most certainly post information that tool steel blade is all you need to cut wood, but carbide tooth blade is what you need to cut hard materials like hasteloy. What manufactures do not tell you is if the carbide tooth blade can still be used to cut wood and plastic, because frankly people do not want to pay for carbide tooth if they can get away with tool steel. In the case of DIYer like me, a single blade that costs 10x as much but can do nearly everything (material compatibility wise) is a better choice, simply due to storage space constraints and 2-5 times use per year...

I am trying to figure out what "will work" rather what is "the perfect choice".
 
Ellis bandsaws have a very good set of *general* guidelines listed on their website.



There’s not a general consensus, but I am a convert to conditioning a bandsaw blade before putting it into service.

Do a search on the site and you’ll find the post I made on the topic… and likely more.


I can’t recall ever using such a short blade, but I imagine that the major blade makers make something that will fit. Morse and Starrett are my preferred makes.

I have a horizontal and vertical saw. I try and stock the most common Variable Rake (VR) blades for the horizontal and try and keep a couple of different blade widths for the vertical.


The blade speed on my Ellis horizontal is more or less fixed… there’s technically three speed options, the saw ships on the middle setting. Last time I looked (years ago) I believe my saw was running on the slowest sheave configuration.

My Doall vertical has adjustable speed via Reeves-style pulleys and the Doall job selector wheel. I do my best to follow their guidelines.

I do have a “wood” blade that will fit the Ellis. I’ve never mounted it. That isn’t to say I’ve never cut wood with that saw, but I’ve surely never bothered swapping a blade to do so. Cutting edges have no idea what the material is they’re being presented… that’s the operators job.

Any blade capable of cutting the softest metal will make a cut in any wood. The issue arises when the architecture isn’t correct for the material. Even the most aggressive metal blade isn’t gonna clear wood chips.


But a 12” DeWalt chop saw if you need to cut wood.





Be safe




Jeremy
 
You only have a dilemma because you won't do the basics to even try and educate yourself. And I wasn't arguing at all since there's nothing to argue about. I was making logical statements about what should be obvious to most that have basic reading comprehension. And if you'd read and even halfway understood what was said you sure as hell wouldn't take it as entertainment at all. Your own personality disorders in no way obligates anyone here to spend time to try and fix the stupid part, that was your parents job.
 
Ellis bandsaws have a very good set of *general* guidelines listed on their website.



There’s not a general consensus, but I am a convert to conditioning a bandsaw blade before putting it into service.

Do a search on the site and you’ll find the post I made on the topic… and likely more.


I can’t recall ever using such a short blade, but I imagine that the major blade makers make something that will fit. Morse and Starrett are my preferred makes.

I have a horizontal and vertical saw. I try and stock the most common Variable Rake (VR) blades for the horizontal and try and keep a couple of different blade widths for the vertical.


The blade speed on my Ellis horizontal is more or less fixed… there’s technically three speed options, the saw ships on the middle setting. Last time I looked (years ago) I believe my saw was running on the slowest sheave configuration.

My Doall vertical has adjustable speed via Reeves-style pulleys and the Doall job selector wheel. I do my best to follow their guidelines.

I do have a “wood” blade that will fit the Ellis. I’ve never mounted it. That isn’t to say I’ve never cut wood with that saw, but I’ve surely never bothered swapping a blade to do so. Cutting edges have no idea what the material is they’re being presented… that’s the operators job.

Any blade capable of cutting the softest metal will make a cut in any wood. The issue arises when the architecture isn’t correct for the material. Even the most aggressive metal blade isn’t gonna clear wood chips.


But a 12” DeWalt chop saw if you need to cut wood.





Be safe




Jeremy

Thank you for the first and so far only thoughtful reply.
Naturally TPI for wood and metals would be different, but strangely enough i see blades advertised for metal with same 6tpi as i see blades for wood. I'd imagine for metal application i'd have to either go very slow feed rate or set my saw to higher speed. What confused me was the blade listings for ferrous metal blades that specifically stated not to use that blade on nonferrous metals. I'd think if it can cut steel it should be able to cut brass and aluminum. Equivalently I'd think that if i spend the money for 6tpi and say 14 tpi carbide blades i should be covered for everything?
 
i have a bandsaw that i paid $317 for . does that mean i am
ok to ask for advice here.? i suppose not all of us are just LIFERS.. to be old fucks who have seen enough
just to be here to thin the herd, share the know.
 
My advise is to count your fingers before each use, then check after you're done that the number's the same.

Even cheap-ass bandsaws can bite, and I'd posit that cheap saws are more dangerous due to low power and stiffness, leading to blades dislodging from the wheels more readily if the user pushes the work too hard.

Eye protection too. Two functional eyes are preferable to one, or none for that matter.
 
Any decent seller of blades will cut and weld up a blade to your length. You chose the blade, from their stock, and they weld it before shipping.
Bill D
 
i have a bandsaw that i paid $317 for . does that mean i am
ok to ask for advice here.? i suppose not all of us are just LIFERS.. to be old fucks who have seen enough
just to be here to thin the herd, share the know.

Your reply is not appropriate to the original post. Perhaps your $300 saw is appropriate. You did not state your expected requirements. The OP did.
 
As has been pointed out a 72" blade makes that a pretty small saw. It will likely only work with 1/4"
or 3/8" blades--maybe 1/2".My experience is that a lot of manufacturers don't make bi-metal or
special tooth configurations in those sizes anyway. You need to get into the 3/4" blades before your
choices really open up.

We have an old Beaver 14" saw that we use exclusively for cutting aluminum (OK, we do run the
occasional chunk of wood through it as well). It uses a 3/8" x 100" blade and all I buy are the
cheapest carbon blades I can find. It runs at a pretty fast clip and one blade will cut a lot of
aluminum before it starts to get dull. The 3/8" blade is a nice compromise between blade rigidity
and control. A 1/4" blade will cut tighter radii but it's more delicate in heavier cuts.

Unless your two-speed saw runs really slow I would forget about cutting any kind of steel, Your
saw is just not designed for that kind of work and you will also be limited in what you can find
for blades...
 
As has been pointed out a 72" blade makes that a pretty small saw. It will likely only work with 1/4"
or 3/8" blades--maybe 1/2".My experience is that a lot of manufacturers don't make bi-metal or
special tooth configurations in those sizes anyway. You need to get into the 3/4" blades before your
choices really open up.

We have an old Beaver 14" saw that we use exclusively for cutting aluminum (OK, we do run the
occasional chunk of wood through it as well). It uses a 3/8" x 100" blade and all I buy are the
cheapest carbon blades I can find. It runs at a pretty fast clip and one blade will cut a lot of
aluminum before it starts to get dull. The 3/8" blade is a nice compromise between blade rigidity
and control. A 1/4" blade will cut tighter radii but it's more delicate in heavier cuts.

Unless your two-speed saw runs really slow I would forget about cutting any kind of steel, Your
saw is just not designed for that kind of work and you will also be limited in what you can find
for blades...

Bi-metal blades are readily available in 1/2" and smaller. My supplier makes them up custom for me in M42 with any tooth variation I want for under $50 each. You are correct about speed though. Metal saws require blade guides both above and below the table and must run as low as 80 ft/min for steel along with flood coolant.
 
Bi-metal blades are readily available in 1/2" and smaller. My supplier makes them up custom for me in M42 with any tooth variation I want for under $50 each. You are correct about speed though. Metal saws require blade guides both above and below the table and must run as low as 80 ft/min for steel along with flood coolant.

Not as easy to get around here. I'm sure they're available but I've never used them. Certainly
don't need them for aluminum. Our saw uses 3/8" x 100" blades which run about $12-$13 each
in carbon.

Coolant on a vertical bandsaw would be a real pain in the ass--messy messy. Even the 3000
dollar Taiwanese import saws that I've seen don't have it...
 








 
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