Band Saw blades

nash ranch

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Have converted my bandsaw to 105" blades. Plan of resawing black walnut for projects. What is the best brand of blade out there. Plan on running a 3/4 inch blade
Any opinion would be greatly appreciated

Nash Ranch
 
I have absolutely no complaints with my 105", 3/4" Wood Slicer blades from Highland (1-800-241-6748), Spring/Summer catalog page 54.

They even make a good clean cut through a hardened steel wood screw. They also make a good clean cut in my billfold replacing the blade.

The kerf is very thin. Glenn made a cut on my BS through 4" thick hardwood, 5 or 6 ft. long. He used the BS fence. The perfect slice was 3/16 thick, as I remember. The reason for the slightly vague measurements was that was the first cut after Glenn adjusted the saw after I assembled and set it up. That was months ago.

Just stay away from nails and screws and you will think you have the best blade ever made.

Enjoy,

JimB
 
you need to look at your saw specs, you might not be best to use a 3/4" blade a 1/2" might be best for your saw.. i use ellis blades but have seen the results of the wood slicer from highland and am impressed with them..
 
With a 105" blade it sounds like you are talking about a cast iron 14" saw with a riser block in place(?). I would use a 1/2" blade and the discussions about which one is best are myriad. I have a 17" saw which will run 3/4" blades at tension. I have re-sawn with 1/2", 5/8" and 3/4" blades and notice no particular difference in performance based on width. I do notice better, smoother performance with variable tooth count blades; 2-3 TPI or 3-4 TPI. There are good arguments for carbide blades but, mizxed opinion on running them on the smaller 14" wheels.

I run Timberwolf and Woodslicer steel blades. These do not last as long as carbide but, I have been running the current Woodslicer 1/2" by 3-4 TPI and a Timberwolf 5/8" by 2-3 TPI off and on since last Thanksgiving and they show minimal signs of wear. I do swap bands for the task at hand so I suppose if you slapped almost any blade on a saw and expected it to do "everything" it would wear out sooner than if used as designed. I keep a thrasher around for rough work and primarily use the Woodslicer for slower, smoother thin kerf work where material loss is critical. The Timberwolfs serve other resawing tasks. I also have 1/4", 3/8", etc for curves and specific tasks.

Ellis, Suffolk, Highland Hardware, and others all offer decent blades. Don't try to tension something your saw isn't suited for and of course, make sure your saw is tuned like a violin and all will be well ;-)
 
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Thanks for the info.. i did buy a Timberwolf 3/4" X 105 today from Woodcraft and it ran real well on my old band saw. Hope it lasts a while cuz it was 38.99 @ Woodcraft
 
Thanks for the info.. i did buy a Timberwolf 3/4" X 105 today from Woodcraft and it ran real well on my old band saw. Hope it lasts a while cuz it was 38.99 @ Woodcraft

And that is why you do NOT want to trim any screws or nails.

I did not mention, my BS with the Wood Slicer is a 17" Grizzly.

DO REALLY TUNE your machine. Then you don't have to mess with drift or doing your cutting with the wood entering the blade off of true to cut where you want. My other BS is a Delta circa 1950. I use it for curves with a 1/4" blade. It is also tuned to the Cat's Pajamas and cuts where I want it to go. There are magazine articles and sections of BS books that can lead you through a tune-up if you don't have the experience. If you have the experience, play like I didn't write this so I won't be embarrassed.

Enjoy,

JimB
 
..... i did buy a Timberwolf 3/4" X 105 today from Woodcraft and it ran real well on my old band saw. Hope it lasts a while cuz it was 38.99 @ Woodcraft

Woodcraft buys the Timberwolf blades from PS Wood Machinery who is a distributor for Suffolk Machinery who imports the blades (bulk rolls).

Suffolk Machinery sells that blade for $25.96, and occasionally has sales like "buy 3 and get one free." I like Woodcraft, but I buy my Timberwolf blades directly from Suffolk.

To add to the original discussion, I use 1" Lenox carbide blades for resawing on my big bandsaw. The Lenox salesman at a trade show said he used a narrow Lenox TriMaster on his 14 inch home bandsaw, but that is certainly the exception. I use Timberwolf blades on my 14 inch bandsaw, since they last much longer than cheaper blades - even though they are more expensive the cost per use is less. I know people who use the Woodslicer for resawing with small bandsaws. They work really well, but don't last as long.
 
I buy the "flexback" blades from Ellis, and they are every bit as good or better than the Timberwolf blades I've used. They cost me somewhere between 1/3 to 1/2 as much as Timberwolf blades from Suffolk (or Woodcraft), and in my experience last just as long, if not longer.

I agree with Charlie about the Woodslicer for resawing. Great result, but the blade doesn't last real long. It's pretty pricey, too.
 
I to shop at Ellis. I had a WS and it was the worst waste of $$ I've seen. Even had a tech from our local saw shop come out and tune the bandsaw( New Griz 0555)...he said it was the blade. Before the Ellis showed up, went to the saw shop and had them make a 6 tpi 105"...$12...that was 5 months ago and it's 100% better than a WS.
 
Thanks for the info.. i did buy a Timberwolf 3/4" X 105 today from Woodcraft and it ran real well on my old band saw. Hope it lasts a while cuz it was 38.99 @ Woodcraft

For less than you paid for your Timberwolf, you can get an Olson MVP 1/2"-3T Bi-metal blade that will not only perform better, it will last 5-10 times as long. Unlike others on this board, I've not had the greatest experience with Timberwolf blades. 4 out of 5 blades I've bought from them have really poorly aligned welds. They cut nice for a short while, but dull very quickly. I know that "very quickly" is not the same for everyone, so those of you who like your Timberwolfs, and believe the hype about "low tension"--whatever works for you! Been bandsawing for over 40 years, and the best buy in bandsaw blades is by far bi-metal. I like Lenox as well, but they don't make a 1/2"-3T in .025 band material--only .035. They do make a 1/2"-4T diemaster 2 in .025 material and I use this blade occasionally, but find 4T to be a superfluous pitch--I mostly use 6T and 3T. Just my humble opinion!

Regards
Bob
 
I have a WoodSlicer, 1/2" 3tpi, that is one superb blade. I've never tried the Timberwolf resaw, although I've used several 1/4" blades and like them a lot as a general purpose blade.

I also have a Lenox Trimaster carbide tipped blade that is superb, but the price will take your breath away. It's a 1/2" 3 tpi cutter, but it takes a wide kerf. It cuts through anything. Mine lasted 3 years before I had it resharpened. Lenox says they can't be resharpened, but they can be. I'd have to dig through my records to find out where it was done, though.
 
I don't have enough experience on band saws to make a competent comment here, but find the discussion really interesting. I've looked at the Ellis blades, but haven't bought from them yet... most of my blades come from a reseller... Packardwoods mostly because I buy other things at the same time as I buy blades and try to save on the shipping... I usually buy the Olson blades at around $11 to $15 each.... the last two I bought I didn't get to use them long enough know how quickly they would lose their edge... I wound up kinking the blade when I let a log roll into the cut... my fault and stupidity for not having the log on a jig.... I use a 14" Delta with a Grizzly riser block to make it a 105 blade...
 
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