Bandsaw Blade Question

Ed Nelson

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Charlotte, NC
Is there a bandsaw blade that works well at cutting veneers at 1/8" and thinner that will work on my HF BS/w riser (105" blade)? I have a 1/2" 3tpi Timberwolf blade, but it seems to leave some pretty deep saw marks. Not sure if this is the blade or the saw! I want to be able to use this for inlays and marquetry.
 
The Wood Slicer from Highland Hardware is my choice for that. I've gotten much better resawing results (14" Shop Fox w/riser) with it than the 3tpi Timberwolf. It's not fast, but it's smooth on a properly set up saw.
 
ed, the brand of saw doesn`t matter nearly as much as how it`s set up and how sharp (and well made) the blade is. i`m of the opinion that just about all of the 3-4 tooth hook blades out of hss are pretty much on par with one another any more given the cnc grinders used in their manufacture?
try a new blade, one as wide as your saw will tension well and plan on only about 50 ft or so of decient resawing with it.......the blade will still do fine for curvy stuff and thin wood but resawing with hss does have its limits......the thinner the boards you`re resawing the longer the blade life,...not as in 1/8" veneers but as in resawing 1x4`s instead of 1x10`s.....tod
 
Didn't he just say "cutting" veneers 1/8" thick, not resawing? Yep, I like 4tpi for my resawing up to 6".

I think I read Ed's question as resawing veneer also. But I went back and re-read after Frank's note, and, well, maybe Ed needs to clarify. Resawing the wood to 1/8" or thinner, or cutting wood already 1/8" or thinner. Since it is for inlays and marquetry, Frank may have been the only one of us not to read something else into Ed's question!! Jim.
 
Thanks guys, I was indeed thinking resawing lumber to 1/8" veneer. As for cutting the pieces for marquetry I'll probably use my scroll saw, but since I'm new to this type of work I'm open to suggestions!
 
Lenox just came out with a new blade for resawing... mine is on the way. I will post a review when I get it. It has a thinner kerf (less waste, less sawdust to remove), and a new body metal (may work on smaller saws), and if I remember right, is down to 1 or 2 carbide teeth per inch. I was a big fan of the TriMaster, but Lenox doesn't recommend it for wood any more... the new blade was specifically designed for wood instead of metal, and will cost 50-60% as much as the TriMaster (now that is a new feature I really like).

I have heard really good things about the woodslicer from Highland Hardware. It is a very thin blade, which helps it do well on resawing, and makes it require less tension (same psi, but with fewer square inches in the blade cross section, fewer pounds tension, thus easier on smaller saws.) I hear that, with the thinner teeth, it doesn't last as long as some of the other blades.
 
... I was a big fan of the TriMaster, but Lenox doesn't recommend it for wood any more...

What's up with that and is this something recent? Doesn't MM still sell the TriMaster for use with their bandsaws? This is the first I've heard of this. I've also used the Woodslicer on my previous Jet 14" w/ riser with decent results but it hasn't come close to the TriMaster.
 
I think I read Ed's question as resawing veneer also. But I went back and re-read after Frank's note, and, well, maybe Ed needs to clarify. Resawing the wood to 1/8" or thinner, or cutting wood already 1/8" or thinner. Since it is for inlays and marquetry, Frank may have been the only one of us not to read something else into Ed's question!! Jim.

Yeppers, that's the problem with the English language. Taken either way would be correct. Mebbe we shoulda shot all them Redcoats. :rofl:
 
I started with the Timberwolf 3/4" 3tpi for resawing a few years ago, but was a little disappointed in the results. After seeking the advice of other woodworkers who slice their own veneers, I tried the 1/2" Woodslicer and have been very pleased with the results. I have a G0513 17" bandsaw and have cut veneers from 12" wide mahogany with no problem.
 
What's up with that and is this something recent? Doesn't MM still sell the TriMaster for use with their bandsaws? This is the first I've heard of this. I've also used the Woodslicer on my previous Jet 14" w/ riser with decent results but it hasn't come close to the TriMaster.

At AWFS I saw a sign on the MiniMax bandsaws that said "Lenox WoodMaster blade" so I asked Sam. He didn't know, so I went to Lenox and asked. (The next time I saw Sam, he had also talked to Lenox). See www.lenoxsaw.com/woodct.htm

The Lenox guy I talked to explained (as I noted) how the TriMaster had really been designed for metal cutting, but with new steel technology from another product, they had designed a blade especially for resawing wood. Since I broke my TriMaster (long story, lots of tears and anguish - especially in the wallet), I have been running a non-carbide blade, to be sure it wasn't the saw or operator. The new blade sounded so good that I have one on the way. I am anxious to try it, and will report.

The TriMaster is still listed on the Lenox web site, but they were clearly pushing the far less expensive WoodMaster CT for resawing. The lower cost is because of fewer teeth per inch, and narrower carbide (you have to look really close to see the carbide on each tooth)
 
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