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Tips on using a Do-all band saw blade welder.

mark costello

Stainless
Joined
Jun 25, 2001
Location
lancaster,ohio.43130
I bought a used blade welder and need a manual and some hints and tips using it. I have used one in the past but this one seems more cranky than what I remember. Any advice appreciated.
 
I bought a used blade welder and need a manual and some hints and tips using it. I have used one in the past but this one seems more cranky than what I remember. Any advice appreciated.
First thing that comes to mind is to plug it in. :)

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Make sure everything is clean and making good contact.

I've never used a blade welder (I weld and braze mine by hand).

I'm assuming it's a resistive welder, like a spot welder. Maybe capacitive discharge? I dunno. In any case, make sure everything is making good contact.

You might want to open the welder up and check for corrosion inside. Maybe corroded contacts on something or other.

I'm assuming this is an older unit.



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Are you trying to weld a loop of blade or just a couple of pieces? I've read that you need a complete loop to make the right resistance to get the weld right.

If it's a loop here are a couple of things that may help. For one thing after you cut your blade you put both ends of the blade together but reversed, meaning that you have the cutting edge and the back edge the other end pressed together. Then grind them both flat. If you're a little bit out of square it won't matter because the ends were reversed.

Now set the welder up for the blade size that you will be welding, much like you would on a mig welder for various thicknesses of metal.

Put one end in the stationary jaws of the welder and back off the movable jaws whatever you need to give yourself some blade material to press together. Usually about a 16th or less. Put other end of blade in the moveable jaws and clamp it up.

Now set your timer or blade size which sets the power on the welder and make the weld.

Once you have a good looking weld, open the moveable jaw and move it to annealing setting which opens the gap between the jaws. Clamp it back down and put set the power to anneal. Hold the anneal just until the weld gets red hot, then let off and gradually feather the heat until it doesn't turn color anymore.

Let it cool and grind it flat on both sides and on the back.

Put the blade in the saw and try to remember how to weld a blade in 6 months when you need to weld another one.

I used to weld a lot of blades in my working day on an Ideal blade welder that was on a 30 inch Startrite bandsaw. Lots of coworkers didn't like welding blades because they got discouraged if one broke and gave up on it but with a little experimenting it isn't that difficult.

I ended up buying a saw off of Ebay that was fairly local to me and was almost an exact copy of the saw that we had a work. It also has the Ideal blade welder on it but I've never used it because it is 480 volt only and I run my shop on a 240 volt RPC and I can't see messing with a buck transformer so I bring them to a saw shop that welds them for 78 bucks each for a 3/4" HSS blade. I can't mess with it for that.

Sorry about the long winded response but I've been on the road all day and winding down now.
 
A DoAll blade welder was my first blade welder. My advice is to sell it and put the money toward a silver braze setup.

The blade welder anneals the tooth in the weld, and every single blade (20+) I welded with it died the same death. The annealed tooth strips out, and then as the blade bounces at the spot of the missing tooth, the teeth behind it progressively start stripping.

I'm a fab shop that also does machining. We saw, a lot. The braze system (now that I've made a jig to get the scarf angle deep enough) is fast, reliable, and far better.
 
Jason, you make a very sound point about the that tooth integrity. I have 2 Blade Welders in house and all components needed for silver brazing. Have only used the Welders for non bimetal Woodworking blades which do not loose teeth like the bimetal. All Metsl saws have used purchased pre sized blades. I just bought a 250' roll of bimetal blade stock. Sounds like I'd better brush up on my brazing skills soon.
 
The comment about the butt welders annealing teeth is odd. I have a DoAll saw with a welder and I have had no issues welding carbon or bi-metal blades up to 1/2" A couple of things, the jaws have to be clean and straight. Use a mill file to dress the jaws both upper at the same time repeat for the bottom. If a blade breaks you need to cut at least 1/4" back on both sides, same for a bad weld. When welding the band set the teeth towards the back of the jaws about 1/4" apart. Are you cocking the spring on the upset? Once the blade is welded, spread the jaws and anneal the blade to dark blue wait a couple seconds and reheat to dull red. Take the band out, shake the weld to confirm it is solid, grind the weld and back. Reinsert the blade and temper to a medium blue.

I have not done thousands of blades on the saw but, I have done thousands with a Stryco and few were ever a problem. The key things are clean, smooth jaws and correct heat settings. It may take a bit to dial in, using small sections is not an issue with welding the blades. Close up the gap if the welds are not sticking, the thicker the blade the more upset needed not the size of the band.

Steve
 
I've welded tons of blades with 3 or 4 different DoAll welders. Never any issue with the annealing of teeth (?).

It's a good device....like most things, you need to follow the steps more or less properly. The manual lists the steps...juts take an old blade and start practicing cutting and welding it.
 
I weld all my blades (up to 1/2") using the Ideal welder on my Powermatic 87. When I first began I expected problems, but I've gotten good welds from the beginning. I did have to adjust the jaws to get good alignment, but that was all that was required. Carbon steel, bimetallic, even carbide has worked out fine, hardly ever had a blade break on me,just followed the instructions. I am primarily a woodworker, do a lot of resawing, have a PM 81 as well, but also cut steel, alum & brass.

Also, I've done practice welds on short straight pieces with no problems. I find it hard to believe that the blade has to be a loop, all the critical business is going on between the jaws.

And then I don't get why people say you can't weld carbide blade on these things. The body of carbide blades can't be that much different than bi-metallics, the carbide teeth are just going along fro the ride.
 








 
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