Band Saw blades

[adkarcher]

I need to purchase some new saw blades. I had bought some a few years ago from a place recommended on this site, said they were really good for bow making.  Seems like the place was in Michigan or the Midwest.  Anyone recall what that might be?  I can't find my receipt from before.

Thanks.

[Deno]

PM semt
Deno

[ron w]

Your from the Adirondacks.......use an AX..  

[Hatrick]

"Your from the Adirondacks.......use an AX.." Ron, that's just brutal    

Big Jim recommended a Lennox Tri-Master carbide blade to me and he was 100% right. I have a 14" band saw and it's an expensive blade but worth every penny to me. I've probably gut out 14 fiberglass bows, some with phenolic, and it's still going strong. Thank you Big Jim.

[fujimo]

so , youre saying the carbide blades will cut through the glass on the bow- and still keep an edge, as apposed to the bi metal or the cheaper carbon blades?

[calgarychef]

Deno, good thing you kept that information private. I'm sure no one else wanted to know the answer either.

[Bigjackfish]

Stay away from carbon blades they dont hold up compared to a bi-metal blade .If Big Jim said the carbide is best then he would know he is cutting out bows every day with it.You get what you pay for when it comes to cutting tools for wood or metal.I am a machinist and also tinker in woodworking and have first hand experience .

[northener]

Best blade? It really depends what your cutting or resawing, no one blade will be best for all situations.

It's also very important the user knows how to properly set-up and use a bandsaw. Bandsaws, probably more so than any other stationary woodworking tool, require a lot of periodic adjustments to run at a high level.

[LC]

I'm sure Big Jim is dead on that the carbide blade is awesome. But lots of times in life, or atleast in my own, I have to decide truly how much I'm going to use it. I've built a couple dozen lam bows just as a hobbyist. In fact I've only been shooting my bows for 16 years. I also make knives as a hobby. I can't justify in tooling what a professional would not even sneeze at as it makes perfect sense for them. The carbide blade is over $100. With that said I used a 4th skip blade as recommended by Binghams $14. I only used it for cutting limbs and it would last about 4 or 5 bow builds.
For a hobby maker making maybe 4 bows a year the answer is obvious to me, heck I can buy supplies to build one or two more bows (I grind my own lams)  for the price of a carbide blade.

[Tim Finley]

I use a table saw to cut out bows  . It has a blade that has no offset teeth and they are carbon . I have sawed out over 2500 bows with same blade it smokes a lot but still works good maybe better than a band saw !

[Tim Finley]

I should say no off set to the teeth ..

[Robertfishes]

2500 bows with the same blade, that's awesome! I am still using a belt sander to grind limb edges. I have 2 band saws, a $50 12" craftsman with a carbide blade for glass and a 16" Grizzly with a 3tpi blade for wood only.. I live close to a bandsaw blade shop and buy Diamond Saw Works "Sterling" blades from them. They seem to be good blades at a good price.

[BigJim]

I know that guys get used to using something and it's hard to change...I'm surely the same. I have been using these tri-master carbide blades from lenox on a 14" saw (about $125 with shipping) for a long time.
One blade will normally cut about 150-200 sets of limbs and the same amount of risers (mostly glass reinforced risers) before it needs to be replaced. This is on a cheap saw. On a better saw, it may last longer.
I don't like changing blades so I have bandsaws for different opperations and have special blades for veneer and also for general wood cutting.

Sucks when someone wants to help and uses the wrong saw to cut glass...He is my big brother and I'm almost over it  
BigJim

[michaelschwister]

For all wood I like timber wold 1/2" 4 TPI hook or skip.  For glass lam a worn out same

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I also use the tri-master carbide blades from lenox on my 14" saw for cutting G-10, micarta, & glass. i use the 4TPI and have used the same blade for 150 bows now.

I use my 17" saw for wood, and my table saw with a carbide tipped blade for ripping glass and carbon with a zero clearance backer plate.

[Mike Mecredy]

I like the 1/2" 4 tpi hook blades I get from grizzly industrial.  However, when mine dull I sharpen them with a small chainsaw file.  Each tooth at a right angle to the blade.  

I don't cut fiberglass with band saw blades I use tin snips, no waste that way.

[JamesV]

I bought some 3/16 diamond burs and sharpen the carbide blades with my drammel. They don't cut as good as new blades but almost. The burs cost about $1 each on the big auction site.

[adkarcher]

Thanks for the info guys.

Ron - things are well, baseball started this past week, so what little free time I had will soon be gone!  How are things up North?

[ron w]

Pretty strange.......no snow at all. Still doing rehab on my knee. Been stumping with your Dad a few times.