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Rockwell 28-365 vertical Bandsaw blade recommendation

rupertm

Plastic
Joined
Jun 12, 2013
Location
Amity, Oregon
Hello Forum,

I have an old well used 28-365 bandsaw I bought from Boeing. Im hoping to use it for cutting Aluminum blocks and other things like wood at times. I just replaced the tires and need a new blade. Can anyone recommend what kind of blade I should run on this saw please. Are there any other maintenance kind things I should be checking out on this thing? I have several high res images of the blade chart if anyone needs them.

Thank you
Matt

20191105_081230.jpg
 
You need different TPI blades for different thickness stock you are sawing. If its to fine, you burn it and it dulls prematurely. If its to coarse you loose teeth. With power feed you can run little coarse blades than hand feed.

Usually its good when 2-3 teeth is in cut at once, this isnt possible with really thick/thin stock.

There is also good info on the internet about the blades. Example Lenox and these are top quality.
 
Here's a link to a guide on bandsaw blade selection:

Band Saw Blades - Ellis Mfg, Inc.

On my Startrite H175 (7" x 11" horizontal) I use 2/4" variable tooth bi metal blades. As mentioned blade material tooth configuration and tooth count vary by the size and type of material being cut. Even though my saw is coolant capable I only use it dry. The most common tooth configurations I use are 10-14 tpi variable pitch and 6-10 tpi variable pitch. The minimum number of teeth in the cut should be 3 to minimize the possibility of stripping teeth off the blade, and the maximum should be 24 to keep the gullets from loading up.

I do use the Ellis blades, and have had extremely good service from them. The saw gets used on a daily basis and blades usually last 2-3 years. The last time I purchased blades they were $42.00 per blade (.035" 3/4" x 98") with a minimum order of 2.
 
I have an old well used 28-365 bandsaw I bought from Boeing. Im hoping to use it for cutting Aluminum blocks and other things like wood at times. I just replaced the tires and need a new blade. Can anyone recommend what kind of blade I should run on this saw please.

Matt - As you must have gathered from the comments above, things are not that simple if you want to to quality work. It sounds as though you have not used this saw and are hoping that there is a blade you can buy that is the "best" one for the saw. A more focused, better approach is to find the blade that is the right one for the job in hand. That means taking into account the material, thickness, available speeds & feeds, cut radius, blade life, and a number of other things. That in turn means that good general bandsaw work requires having a number of blades, just 2 or 3 blades at the beginning for a couple of basic jobs, with additions to the collection as work requires. One thing you might consider before buying is a phone chat with Tom, Grinding wheels, abrasive belts and discs, and other specialty tools from Blue Ribbon Abrasives
-Marty-
 
Thank you Project Nut, and Marty Feldman,

Good advice on the choosing the blades there from Ellis. Ill take that into consideration as I look at the materials Ill be cutting with this. Marty, you are correct I have not used this saw much. I had a tire explode on me the other day so I opened up the manual and started going though it as I replaced both tires on it. They were very old brittle plastic tire. I was noticing the blade took some effort to get material though it so I figured it was done and time for a new one. Its the original blade that came with it. Today I just ordered a replacement roller bearing guides from Carter products.com. I check with Blue Ribbon and see what they have recommend. I think your correct that having a few different blades on hand will be a good way to go and minimize issues when cutting.

Thank you both!!
Matt
 








 
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