Looking for bandsaw resawing blade suggestions

[tbr]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions and advice. I would like to get a carbide tipped blade but current budget considerations have place the them out of reach for the moment. As such, I purchased a 1/2” Woodslicer for now, understanding that it may not stay sharp as a long as a carbide blade. In the future I would hope to be able to upgrade to carbide.

[ez-duzit]

... I wouldn't go any wider than 3/4"...

Me neither.

[Tapper]

Depends on what you mean by serious, Doug.  If you mean can it cut something 12" thick, sure, with a low tooth count blade.  But if you mean will it cut fast enough that I won't hate doing the job, then the answer might have some qualifiers.  For efficient resawing general consensus is that you need about 1 HP for every 4" of resaw height, and that seems about right to me.  You also need high blade speed in order to clear the swarf.  My Grizzly has 5 HP for 16" of resaw height and runs at 4500 fpm.  It has the chops to do serous work and it certainly does.  I don't know what the speed of your machine is but with 2 HP I think serious work will be limited to a max. of 8".  As for the blade, whatever Rikon says is the max. blade width you can run on it, I would go one size narrower.  So if they say 1", I wouldn't go any wider than 3/4".   Tension is more important than width to cutting straight.  This is especially true with carbide tipped blades that need to run at least 25K psi, with 30K psi being better for best performance and life. 

Carbide doesn't really cut any better than non carbide blades; however, some will cut a lot smoother, and I think all of them will last many times over non carbide blades.  If you are looking at carbide I would strongly consider the Lennox Woodmaster CT or Trimaster, or Leguna Resaw King as they will all cut very smoothly with the Trimaster probably being the smoothest and the CT cutting the fastest.  

Hope that helps.

John

Thanks for your thoughts John, makes perfect sense as usual.

Doug

[kurt18947]

A 1/2" 3tpi blade should work great. I've had good luck with Supercut blades. I've also had good luck with the blades that the local hardware store welds to whatever length you need. No idea what brand they are, but they work. I've also heard good things about Lennox blades.

I've had pretty good luck with Supercut too. The premium gold blades seem to last pretty well though they're not "carbide blades" in the usual sense. They do sell dedicated resaw blades that I'll try one day. They have me curious.

http://supercutbandsaw.com/hawcpro.html

http://supercutbandsaw.com/woodsaver.html

[Steve N]

I like The Tool Center they have the "Woodmaster B" stock which is very long lasting non carbide material. They are who I have ordered from in the past.

Our good friend Dave Diaman has suggested to me to try Spectrum supply as having the same stock, but better prices, and he is very happy with them. I'm going out on a limb here, but figure Dave uses a BS more than many of us here do collectively, so he would be a good judge on a long lasting blade. I priced the "Woodmaster CT" which is the carbide blade, and it was 115 bux, which is less than other places I have seen them.

I like these guys for a Starrett blade 3/4" x 142" x .035 thick, 3 TPI for my Rikon, they are fabulous blades. Alas these guys are out of Starrett blade stock, at least in sizes I can use.

[jteneyck]

I like The Tool Center they have the "Woodmaster B" stock which is very long lasting non carbide material. They are who I have ordered from in the past.

Our good friend Dave Diaman has suggested to me to try Spectrum supply as having the same stock, but better prices, and he is very happy with them. I'm going out on a limb here, but figure Dave uses a BS more than many of us here do collectively, so he would be a good judge on a long lasting blade. I priced the "Woodmaster CT" which is the carbide blade, and it was 115 bux, which is less than other places I have seen them.

I like these guys for a Starrett blade 3/4" x 142" x .035 thick, 3 TPI for my Rikon, they are fabulous blades. Alas these guys are out of Starrett blade stock, at least in sizes I can use.

Steve, Dave recommended the Woodmaster CT to me for being a fast, smooth cutting blade, and Spectrum Supply as the place to buy it.  He was right on both counts.  Spectrum had the lowest price on that blade and the weld was perfect.  If you have a saw capable of tensioning it and enough power it will cut as fast as you can push wood through the saw. 

Thanks for the link for the Starrett blades.  I'm using Starrett on my 14" Delta (can't remember which one at the moment) and am impressed with how well they cut and also quite durable.  

John

[Steve N]

I still have blades from my first link, but when I need to replace I will try Spectrum. I love the Starretts for my 14" saw, and have had good luck with the BS blades King site, but now I see stock for my Rikon is not available, and even some of the bigger stuff I get for the 14" saw not available. Not sure if that means they are going away from Starrett, or just going away.

I had a place in Canada, BC Saw. They got bought, and the new owners do not have any BS blades, just circular stuff. Like they bought their competition, and just closed off the part they didn't do, sux. They had Starrett stock, and the most awesome welds. Usually that job falls to the new guy, generally a grunt job. About the time they get ok, they take off to flip burgers at McD's. BC Saw had a guy 27 years on that job, he know welds.

If BS Bkade King doesn't work out, Starrett has a listing of places selling blades made with their stock, would be hunt and peck finding the best ones, but my gut tells me if they are using Starrett stock, they likely are proud of their craft, and I imagine good welds would come with that, now who does it for less