Bandsaw blade advice

[digger]

I have 50 - 2x6 tongue and groove pine cut-offs, an average length of 25”, that I would like to slice in half.  Not sure what the best bet in a blade would be. I have a 17” Grizzly that I bought used a few years ago. There is a 1/2” blade that came with the saw but it seems too fine, I believe it’s 6 TPI.  It whines when I tried to make a cut and was taking way too much effort than I thought should be required. Looking for advice on what type of blade and mfg. Thanks

[jteneyck]

I have 50 - 2x6 tongue and groove pine cut-offs, an average length of 25”, that I would like to slice in half.  Not sure what the best bet in a blade would be. I have a 17” Grizzly that I bought used a few years ago. There is a 1/2” blade that came with the saw but it seems too fine, I believe it’s 6 TPI.  It whines when I tried to make a cut and was taking way too much effort than I thought should be required. Looking for advice on what type of blade and mfg. Thanks

Try a 3 tpi blade.  Your choice if you prefer a 1/2" or 3/4" wide one.  Either will do the job.    

John

[barryvabeach]

+1 with John.   Though if the current blade is the one that came with the saw,  I would toss it.  The blade that came with my Grizzly was totatlly useless.

[med-one]

Get a 3 tpi 3/4" blade and you will be in good shape.

[DieselDennis]

Get a 3 tpi 3/4" blade and you will be in good shape.

+1  

Crank that tension knob as tight as you can and watch your fingers.

[jteneyck]

+1  

Crank that tension knob as tight as you can and watch your fingers.

Better to make a tension gage and know how much tension you are applying.  No sense over stressing the blade or saw.  And if you find out the saw can't apply enough tension to a 3/4" blade you'll know to buy a 1/2" one.  What's enough tension?  20 - 25 ksi is a good number to shoot for.  But don't try that with a 14" cast iron saw except on 1/4" or narrower blades because they are not capable of doing it on 1/2" blade, much less one that's 3/4".  About all you can comfortably apply to a 1/2" blade on a 14" cast iron saw is 12 ksi.  Anything higher and the frame deflects so much that the upper blade guide goes seriously out of alignment.  

Let the data drive how you tension your saw.  

John

[digger]

Thanks for the info......

[iclark]

FWIW, I have heard of people who got really good deals on BS's because the blades were installed upside down. It is much easier to do than one might think (if you do not know that it is a possibility).

If this is the blade that came on the BS when you got it used (and you have never changed it), it could be worth taking a close look to make sure that the teeth are pointing in the right direction.

With the teeth pointing up, the saw will still cut, but it takes more effort than it should, it is slow, and there is extra noise.

[med-one]

Clark,

It's funny you should say this, but I bought a Jet long bed jointer for 150.00 and the guy said he was getting a bigger one. Upon closer examination, he had the blades in backward.

[jteneyck]

Clark,

It's funny you should say this, but I bought a Jet long bed jointer for 150.00 and the guy said he was getting a bigger one. Upon closer examination, he had the blades in backward.

I hope it was one with an insert head. 

John