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I rarely use a bandsaw and need a couple new blades. The project I am doing I will have to rough cut about a 6" radius in 1 3/8" alder. Then I will use a patterning helical cutter head on a shaper for the final shape.
I would like a couple good quality 93 1/2" blades. One for above and a all round blade. The 3 blades I have now have been abused 1/4", 1/2" and 3/4" blades. I will keep them for cutting antlers and other non woodworking stuff.
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(01-05-2022, 04:39 PM)lift mechanic Wrote: I rarely use a bandsaw and need a couple new blades. The project I am doing I will have to rough cut about a 6" radius in 1 3/8" alder. Then I will use a patterning helical cutter head on a shaper for the final shape.
I would like a couple good quality 93 1/2" blades. One for above and a all round blade. The 3 blades I have now have been abused 1/4", 1/2" and 3/4" blades. I will keep them for cutting antlers and other non woodworking stuff.
A really good all-around blade for a 14" Delta or knockoff, which all have 93-1/2" blades, is a 3/8" x 4 tpi. You can rip, cut fairly tight radii, cut tenon cheeks, even resaw 6" or so.
John
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Thanks John. Is one brand better than another?
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(01-06-2022, 02:42 AM)lift mechanic Wrote: Thanks John. Is one brand better than another?
I've always liked Lennox blades. The Flex Back at 93.5" x 3/8" x 0.025 x 4 tpi is $13.03 each at
Spectrum Supply. Pretty hard to beat. That said, I'm using Strarrett blades right now, and have been since a friend gave me several coils. I don't know which type they are but the 3/8" x 4 tpi blade I have on my 14" Delta 90% of the time cuts great. You can buy Starrett blades at Amazon and the prices look to be about the same as the one I referenced above for a similar blade.
John
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I will second the Lennox blades as I have had very good luck with them. For something just a little less expensive you could also look at the Timber Wolf blades.
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I think it is very worthwhile to get a spare of any size you are using.
A lot of bandsaw cutting problems come from blade problems -- running the teeth into a guide, kinking, or just dulling over time. They wear out much faster than what you might be expecting if you're used to carbide-tooth table saw blades.
For general-purpose blades, I've used: starrett flex back (from Iturra), Timberwolf, Supercut, Viking (ordered through Lee Valley), and Lennox diemaster 2. A lot of these have been recommendations from the forums and have been fine.
For your planned cuts, 3/8 x 4tpi is probably the best fit.
A 1/4 x 6tpi skip or hook is another general-purpose geometry that could work for this (not quite as well suited for the thickness, but good to have on hand if you need any tighter patterns)
This isn't a bad blade to get in bimetal, but you may want to just get a fresh (sharp) carbon blade and get on with life.
have fun!
Matt
