Bandsaw question

[tomdoughtyjr]

We just recently acquired a Craftsman 12" bandsaw for $40. It seems like a good machine. Much better than the small Ryobi table top one we had. I've attached a picture. I need to replace the tires and probably get a new blade for it. The guy threw in some blades... anything from 1/8" to 1/2". For general shop work turning bowls and pens, what size blade should I get?

 

[randyrls]

You likely know this. The blade TPI & width is dependent on the thickness of the wood you are cutting. If you cut thicker wood, you need a 3 or 4 TPI blade and cut slowly. A narrow blade with 10 to 16 TPI will cut 3/4" easily. The higher the TPI the slower you need to cut and the thicker the wood, the slower you need to cut. If you are going to replace the tires, look for polyurethane tires that work better and are more resilient.

Pay attention to the blade temperature! I once melted the tires and ruined the blade in my saw because I was too lazy to change the blade. It was a hard piece of purple-heart abut 4" thick. Lesson learned!

I have on occasion used a "radial" method to cut a very thick blank. Mark the diameter of the blank. Then cut straight in from the edge. Stop when you reach the mark. STOP the band saw! Make 8 of these radial cuts and then cut each discard loose. This is commonly used in metal working. It does take longer and you may have those saw cuts to remove when you start turning the blank.

 

[duncsuss]

Adding to Randy's information ... moisture content is also an important factor. Cutting freshly felled trees requires a blade with large gullets to allow the kerf material to be removed. I like Timber Wolf blades for this type of work.

 

[Woodchipper]

You likely know this. The blade TPI & width is dependent on the thickness of the wood you are cutting. If you cut thicker wood, you need a 3 or 4 TPI blade and cut slowly. A narrow blade with 10 to 16 TPI will cut 3/4" easily. The higher the TPI the slower you need to cut and the thicker the wood, the slower you need to cut. If you are going to replace the tires, look for polyurethane tires that work better and are more resilient.

Pay attention to the blade temperature! I once melted the tires and ruined the blade in my saw because I was too lazy to change the blade. It was a hard piece of purple-heart abut 4" thick. Lesson learned!

I have on occasion used a "radial" method to cut a very thick blank. Mark the diameter of the blank. Then cut straight in from the edge. Stop when you reach the mark. STOP the band saw! Make 8 of these radial cuts and then cut each discard loose. This is commonly used in metal working. It does take longer and you may have those saw cuts to remove when you start turning the blank.

Recently, I cut purple heart and it took along time to cut through four inches of wood.