what bandsaw blades do you use ?

which bandsaw blades do you use ?


  • Total voters
    63
  • Poll closed .

jim capozzi

Member
Messages
280
Location
oswego county , upstate n.y.
hi all

just a quick poll to see what bandsaw blades everyone here likes:huh:. i thought it was going to be timberwolf , but then i saw a post that wasn't a glowing recomendation like i hear most of the time about them. so what do you use ? i have a 14" jet w/ a riser block so i can resaw 12" if i need to. i haven't pulled the trigger yet on blades, so maybe this post will help me make up my mind. if you have a favorite please speak up and also let me know a ball park price range so i know what i am dealing with. i dont mind spending the money if its going to last a long time, i just want the best bang for my buck:D
 
Jim, did you forget the poll part, or is it more of a survey?

I don't think I'd fit into a normal poll anyway, I make my own out of carbon steel stock, usually 1/2" by 4 tpi. Silver soldered at the moment, but I'll start welding them when I get my new old blade welder fixed up - shouldn't take long, 2, 3 years at the outside :D
 
Jim,
I've been using Timberwolf blades on my 14" w/riser. I called Suffolk and talked with them about my needs, and they recommended a few blades. So far they have held up well.

FWIW,
Wes
 
I voted "Other #1". I've got a Timberwolf, but I get a smoother cut with my 1/2" Woodslicer from Highland Hardware. (This is on a Shop Fox W1706 14" w/riser.) I get my green wood and scrolling blades from Suffolk, but for the small bit of resawing I've done, the Woodslicer has rocked. A bit slower than the Timberwolf, but worth the wait, IMHO.

So the full answer is "Several". :)
 
hi griz, i voted other 1&2 ........i use a trimaster on my big saw and carbon steel blades from ellis mfg on my small one...i consider all carbon steel blades disposable so my suggsetion is to shop for them on price and weld quality..
once a carbon steel blade starts dulling you`re money ahead to pitch it instead of taking a chance ruining your wood...the dulling will be less noticable if you`re doing scroll work than if you`re resawing and any ol` blade will last well in a scrolling enviornment...
the carbon blades from ellis run about 10 bucks for 1/2"-4tpi for a mm16 old style. a little less for 1/4"-4tpi....
 
Tod, the 1/4" 4 TPI is what you use for scroll work?

The ones I'm using now, from Lee Valley are the 1/4" 6 TPI and they are $20 each.

I think I should order a BUNCH of them for my saw and be done with it for a while.

Cheers!
 
Mostly, I use Timberwolf on both my saws, but I do still have several Laguna blades for my LT16. I've also boght, and use, blades from Louis Iturra on both my 14", and on the Laguna.
 
Tod, the 1/4" 4 TPI is what you use for scroll work?

The ones I'm using now, from Lee Valley are the 1/4" 6 TPI and they are $20 each.

I think I should order a BUNCH of them for my saw and be done with it for a while.

Cheers!

yup, a 1/4"-4tpi will let me stand a 1x on it`s edge and cut a dowell out of it..good enough for me;)......ask marty his opinion on `em or frank fusco?
 
I'm between saws as my old one sold and I just put the power in for the new saw yesterday. Timberwolf really made my 12" capable of actually sawing with some quality. I'll be thinking on blades for a bit for the 17" so I appreciate the poll.
 
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Can we vote more than one choice? The question asks what we "use" not necessarily like.
I have, and still use, some Timberwolfs. And, I have a stack of mystery brand blades given to me by a friend. Some of them get dull just looking at them cross-eyed.
As for Timberwolfs. They cut just fine IMHO. But they dull fairly quickly and I'm not happy about that at all.
Tod recommended Ellis, I may try those next.
 
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hi frank

["can we vote more than once"]

i don't know, this is my first poll question since joining this fine family :eek: maybe one of the nice mods could help out with that ...and maybe fix it , if i got it wrong :doh: thanks
 
i voted for two choices........but now it shows that i`ve allready voted so can`t go back and add or subtract. so my assumption:eek: is that you can vote for as many choices as you`d like but once you hit enter that`s it.
 
Griz:

This isn't going to be very helpful, but my default blade is a 1/2" 3 tpi blade of whatever brand is most commonly sold by Syracuse Industrial Sales (in, of all places, Syracuse, NY :rofl: ). This is on a Harbor Freight 14" (4 speed) without a riser. She will complain vociferously about, but do, 4 - 6" wet maple if you are careful and take mini-breaks when she starts to stall.
 
I voted for Timberwolf, Suffolk Machinery but maybe my vote should not count as I do not use my bandsaw a whole lot nor am I very demanding on a blade. I use the silicon steel blades (Suffolk Machinery) which I do not think are called Timberwolf. Maybe they are the Viking blades that Sam mentioned. It is hard to tell from their website. These blades do just fine for my use. I use them on an American made Delta 14" 2hp bandsaw with a riser block.
 
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hi again all

glad to see this poll has generated some interest and alot of responses already :D

well i pulled the trigger on a woodslicer a few minutes ago. i have quite abit of resawing to do , so we'll try that one first and see how long it lasts ;) maybe something else if that one doesn't cut the mustard (no pun intended to those of you who have club mustard iron in your shop) :D

thanks to todd for the tip on ellis blades , i have never heard of them but you have to love those prices :thumb:

please keep the poll going people, that was just the first of many blades i am going to get i'm sure...
 
I voted "another brand" because I buy generic carbon steel blades. 99.9% of my cutting is done with a 1/4" skip 6 blade and I consider them to be disposable. Depending on what I am cutting a blade might only last a few hours or may last a couple of weeks. Invariably they break before they dull (and not always at the weld) and the cost of getting them rewelded is more than the cost of replacement.
 
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