Got a new band saw blade

Mark E Smith

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190
Location
Arkansas
Ok last week I got to thinking I need a new BS blade, so I ordered a 1/2 inch Wood Slicer got here today. So took off the old blade, and has I was coiling it up to store it, it snapped..lol...now I got a 72 inch hack saw blade...guess it really was time to change to a new blade, glad it didn't break while I was sawing something, have had that happen and it is really scary.

Anyways I got a 1/2 inch Wood Slicer, it was covered in an orange paper wrapper...love that...it has been awhile since I have gotten a new BS blade, used to just show up with a twist tie holding in the loop and uncoiling was an adventure until you learned how to do it...anyways love the paper wrapper cause you can uncoil any old way completely safely...guess they have come along ways. But after I uncoiled it, I looked at the paper and it said "To Remove Wrapper Turn Blade Inside Out"...What...why the hell would I do that, how stupid is that...am I missing some thing. Until now I didn't need gloves and it was safe, now you want me to turn it inside out, what difference would that make, the paper is still going to on there, even if by some miracle, lets saw the paper just magically popped off, ok now I got a BS blade with no protection that I have to turn back inside out to orient the blade correctly on the BS, how is that safer. Needless to say I completely ignored that bit of info and just started peeling off the paper from one end to the the other, only took a minute or two and the blade went right onto the BS, no flipping etc...Why would Wood Slicer even suggest something that stupid, flipping a BS blade inside out is much more dangerous then uncoiling one, don't understand why you would make some thing safe then tell you to do some thing unsafe...makes no sense, unless I am missing some thing.
 
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I just had my bandsaw blade snap while cutting yesterday. First time I've ever had that happen. I had been thinking earlier that day about replacing the blade because I thought I could hear a little thumping sound as it ran. It snapped with a "bang". Uncoiling the new blade is an adventured. I just uncoiled a little then threw it on the ground outside. It hit the ground then "twang" opened right up. Saw sure cuts nicer with a new blade too.
 
I dunno...I think it's pretty easy to turn a 1/2" blade inside out. But then again, I find it's easy to coil one back up after learning this trick.

Well I understand it may be easy for some, but my point is... if in the act of inverting the blade I am left without the paper and have to invert it back, why bother with the paper in the first place. Still not convinced that turning the blade inside out the paper would have come off in the first place, didn't try it because I thought it was stupid, but even if it did, if I have to turn the blade back inside out without the paper, then what was gained by putting the paper on it in the first place.
 
I guess I may not know any better. When I get a new one, I just undo the ties on it and toss it out on the ground. The old ones I carefully fold them up somewhat and use some duct tape to secure them and put it in the trash bin. Quick, simple and over with. I just would prefer to get it done and over with. Changing out the BS blade is one of those things that should go fast and easy. Should, anyway. Not always the case.
 
I not following on why it has to be turned inside out? are you saying they ship it turned inside out and you have to flip it so it runs right? Weird.
 
I not following on why it has to be turned inside out? are you saying they ship it turned inside out and you have to flip it so it runs right? Weird.

No that was the deal, it was wrapped in paper and coiled correctly, after you uncoil it which was easy because it is wrapped. but on the paper it says to turn it inside out to remove the paper, which is ridiculous, because if you did that, it would be backwards and you would have to do it again to make it right, only this time without the paper, why would anyone do that just to remove the paper. The only reason anyone would flip a blade like that is if the rake was pointing up instead of down when putting on the saw, not just to remove paper, no matter how easy it was...
 
I guess I may not know any better. When I get a new one, I just undo the ties on it and toss it out on the ground. The old ones I carefully fold them up somewhat and use some duct tape to secure them and put it in the trash bin. Quick, simple and over with. I just would prefer to get it done and over with. Changing out the BS blade is one of those things that should go fast and easy. Should, anyway. Not always the case.

That is what I was use too, coiled with ties, the Wood Slicer comes without ties, just wrapped in orange paper like this pic I found

WoodSlicer.jpg

After you uncoil it, on the paper it says to remove the paper to turn inside out...
 
I'll keep you'll posted, just sent an email to Highland tech support...lol...I need to get to the bottom of this deal.

edit: Went out and tore off a piece of the wrapper and snapped a pic, don't see any other interpretation other then what I have outlined

IMG_20160824_215615.jpg
 
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Mark, they must think your BS runs backwards or inside out. Who knows. You are right about that not making any sense. Maybe that's just how the manufacturer's equipment works. Backwards. Beats me.
 
Come 'on, guys. Its not all that hard to turn a bandsaw blade inside out. Bet you have done the same thing with a rubber band dozens of times. Just don't cut yourselves.
 
ROFL...ya Highland Woodworking doesn't know either, just got this email back from their tech support, pretty quick response I must say...and he had a good sense of humor about it, I liked that, and glad I got a northern hemisphere blade..lol...anyways here a cut paste of his response, wonder if he really well follow up with the manufacture...lol


From Highland Woodworking tech support:

Mark,

You ask a very interesting question that I cannot not answer without having to contact the manufacture. I have worked here for over 20 years and no one has said boo or questioned that label "message" (myself included). I too think the note is a bit "odd" and confusing.


I will assume the manufacture believes the blade will somehow be easier to unwrap (and thus be less likely to cause injury when pulling off the paper perhaps - and less frustrating?) when the brand text labeling faces outward when unwrapping. While I can understand this premise, it would then require the end user to flip the blade right side out, without having the benefit of protection offered by the paper wrapper (increasing the chance for injury from the extra handling IMHO). Playing with a wrapped blade here at the store, when I flip it, the seam of the paper wrapper is more apparent to see and touch with your fingers and overall seems more ready to be unwrapped as a result (at least that one blade). I am going to bet lawyers are somehow behind the reason that note on the blade exists (my father was a brilliant attorney and loved lawyer jokes-I give myself liberty to disparage the profession in a loving manner as a result).


That printed message may be the source of the occasional calls we get from customers saying their blade was made with the teeth facing in the wrong direction. I always thought the blade was not oriented correctly at the factory before being wrapped, but the note on the wrapper could solely be the reason the blade was in a flipped position upon unwrapping by the end user.

At those times when customers call us about the teeth being in the wrong direction, we tell customers that those blades are for use on bandsaws in the southern hemisphere, but they can flip the blade over and still use it in their northern hemisphere wood shop.


Suffice it to say, you are wise to carefully unwrap the paper from the blade, though if you tear the paper off like it was Christmas morning, we wouldn't hold it against you. I will advise that you keep a small portion of the wrapper that shows a number preceded by a # sign. That number is a manufacturing batch control number that lets us provide information to the manufacturer, should the blade break at the weld.


We appreciate your order and hope you have happy cutting results with the blade. Though my knowledge is limited on the hows and whys of the blade's paper label, I can hopefully provide assistance should you have any questions on the actual use of the blade.


Kind Regards,


Ed
 
It may be possible that the mystery instructions are correct. When you turn the blade it has a snap action when it changes from inside to outside, that causes the teeth to cut thru the entire circumference of paper and it will magically fall to floor. It's a easy quick way to remove the paper, maybe. Somebody must need to order a blade to try this out:),

Bill
 
I didn't have the patience to read all the way through, but I bet the answer is in here somewhere...


https://www.google.com/patents/US2458971

I believe you have it - they flip the band in the wrapping process to increase the tension on the paper thus holding it in place. Turning it inside out removes the tension allowing the wrapping to be unwrapped off more easily.

Clearly unneeded because you unwrapped it without doing so, but if i recall correctly the paper almost just fell off when I followed the instructions (although its been a few years since I bought a blade from them so... take that with whatever sized grain of faulty memory you want).
 
Actually I have given this a great deal of thought, granted I have had a few beers during this thought process...lol...but my conclusion is that Wood Slicer had a typo on their BS blade wrapper. I think it should have said "To remove BLADE turn WRAPPER inside out" now that makes perfect sense to me. So I think Wood Slicers needs to reward me, since I am the ONLY person on the planet to notice this, they should give me FREE band saw blades for life...I think that is fair, look at all the future law suits I am saving them from...lol...no body noticed this but ME, every body needs to email some body and ask for free BS blades for life for me, wood slicer needs to pay up...lol..they put my safety in jeopardy with their faulty instructions...


edit: don't go crazy on me, I am being sarcastic, not serious, just an attempt at humor...
 
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