Bandsaw Blade - cutting lams?

[mwosborn]

I have made a few bows with lams I cut out myself, but never really thought about the blade I should be using.  I just used the blade I had on it - a 1/2"  6tpi hook blade.

What do you guys use for cutting out your lams?

Also, how close do you cut out your lams before grinding them to final thickness?  For example, if I want a .07" final lam what would you rough cut your lam to?

Thanks.

[Roy from Pa]

.0799

Hope these lams haint for my bow..  

[kennym]

Mitch,

I use a 3 or 4 tpi hook blade. Last ones I ordered from bandsawbladesdirect. They were lennox but don't remember the model.

I tune the heck out of my saw and go .035 over unless on flatgrain veneers like red elm that try to lead the blade in the grain.
So for your .070 I would set blade with the preacher stick at .105

[mwosborn]

Thanks Kenny!

Roy - actually they are!  

I've never made a 25# bow before so these lams are going to have to be really thin.  Want to make sure I get it right.     :D

Hope it doesn't come in too heavy at 27# - hate to see you hurt yourself pulling it back.    

[monterey]

I just put a Bosch on mine and it doesn't cut as well as the worn out one it replaced!   :(

Kenny has his crap together...  I would go .040" to .045" over until you got things wired...  Better to be on the safe side...  Depends on how tuned your saw is and your blade...  If you have a smooth cutting carbide you could probably go down to .030" over...  It's not worth missing your mark for a lousy .010"...  better safe than sorry...  trust me I just went through this..  And made the same post a few weeks ago on another forum...  My back bearing was not touching the blade and I got rough cuts and wished that I would have cut the lams thicker...

[kennym]

[It's not worth missing your mark for a lousy .010" ]

This is absolutely true!! This is why on cantankerous woods like you wood make a bow for Roy with I'd go a bit extra thick!   :D

[mwosborn]

Very true Shredd.

[Roy from Pa]

I always cut my lams a tad thicker to be safe.

I use a 1/2" blade with 6 tpi.

Go slow and be careful, Mitch..    

[C. Johnson]

I like tpi bandsaw blades for resawing.  Either Timberwolf or wood slicer.  I have a 70's vintage Delta 14" band saw that I purchased second hand.  It's previous life was in a middle school wood shop!     As such, even with a lot of new parts and TLC, It doesn't cut as well as I'd like.

To get around this problem, I cut my lams typically .060"-.080" thicker than I need them to be when ground to finished dimension.  Yes, it's a little wasteful, but it works.  For now.

At least until the band saw fairy visits my shop...  

[C. Johnson]

*that's 3 TPI bandsaw blades*

[mwosborn]

Will do Roy.      

You would have to be about half crazy to be a middle school shop teacher!

My saw is an older 14" Jet.  Doesn't have roller guides on the blades, has the blocks, but seems to cut ok.  I will play it safe and cut a bit thicker.  Takes forever to grind them down using my Rigid Sander.

Sure wish I had a drum sander!

[DeepRiverSticks]

For lams try out a woodslicer from highland wood working. Little expensive but worth it.

[fujimo]

those wood slicers are great blades- but vari pitch blades just cant be sharpened( unless you are using a cnc sharpener).
our experience with ANY blade, is they all come factory  sharp. but no blade is as sharp as they can be.
after their first sharpening and set they are a lot better.

i have used vari-pitch carbides- and they were phenomenal- but are a single use product.