Bandsaw Blades

ToolInfoBox Bandsaw Blades
Synonyms:	band saw blades, saw bands, band blades; DE: Bandsägeblätter, Sägebänder
Material:	various (see list)
Used with:	bandsaws
Location:	wood workshop (above bandsaw)
Access Requirements:	bandsaw introduction
Tutors:	same as for bandsaws
Similar (More or Less):	circular saw blades

A bandsaw's capabilities heavily depend on which blade you choose. This page should let you see what we have in the Space and help you select the proper blade for each project.

Parameters to consider for each use:

• tooth pitch (Zahnteilung): spacing of teeth
  • usually expressed as teeth per inch (TPI) or Zähne pro Zoll (ZpZ)
  • for wood, 3-5 teeth should be in the cut (thicker workpiece: fewer teeth per inch!) ^[1]
  • for metal, the "3-6-12-24 rule" is applied: 6-12 teeth should be in the cut if possible, but no less than three and no more than 24 ^[2]
  • alternative notation: Zahnweite, expressed as mm between teeth (e.g. "Z5" = 5 mm from tip to tip)
• width
  • determines the minimum radius you can cut (the narrower the blade, the smaller the achievable curves)
  • rough orientation: 6 mm blade = 25 mm radius, 10 mm blade = 50 mm radius & 15 mm blade = 100 mm radius (more info)
• kerf (Schnittbreite): a bit higher than the blade's back thickness because of the teeth's set (Schränkung)
• tooth shape
  • greatly influences which materials can be cut
  • carbide tipped blades with a longer lifespan are becoming more widespread, but are still very expensive ^{[citation needed]}

...and to consider when buying blades:

• length: found in the manual
• thickness: should usually not be more than 1 ‰ of the guide wheel diameter or the blade might break ^[3]
  • different for three-wheel saws?

2225 mm Blades

These blades are compatible with our Metabo BS 1638 W. Here's what we have:

ID	Status	Width	Tooth Pitch (Zahnteilung)	Zahnweite	Kerf	Min. Radius [4]	Tooth Shape	Materials	Comments
	OK	13 mm	6 TPI	Z4		approx. 100 mm	hook	wood, acrylic glass	Metabo original
		8 mm	6 TPI	Z4			hook	wood, acrylic glass
	OK	10 mm	4 TPI	Z6		40 mm	hook	wood	steel type "GBLADEunicut41C", from Maschinenhandel Meyer: "Bandsägeblatt 10 x 0,5 mm - für kleine Bandsägen"
	OK	10 mm	6 TPI	Z4		40 mm(?)	hook	wood
	OK	15 mm	3.2 TPI	Z8		100 mm	hook	wood	donated by Volker
	Broken [5]	16 mm	3 TPI	Z9 ("Z9+")		95 mm	hook	wood	suitable for up to 350 mm high pieces (resawing!), steel type "GBLADEwoodcutUHB15+", from Maschinenhandel Meyer: "Bandsägeblatt 15 x 0,5 mm"
	Not able to tighten 2024-7-31 - L 2230 mm (@ 30 °C); fine in colder months...	16 mm	3 TPI	Z9			hook (HM)	Wood	donated by Loewenstein
	uncertain	13 mm	6 TPI	Z4			hook	wood, acrylic glass	duplicate entry?
	coming soon	20 mm	3 TPI	"A8"			hook	wood
More need to be documented! Any help would be most welcome :-)

1870 mm Blades

This blade size should be compatible with our WoodSter 2 BS 412.

We have not yet decided whether we will add that saw to the wood or metal workshop so it is a bit too early to go blade shopping.

1640 mm Blades

These metal cutting blades are compatible with our Herkules HMB 4000.

Instead of a wide selection, we are probably best off with a variable tooth blade with 10/14 TPI as an allrounder. It should be bimetal for a greatly increased lifetime ^[6].

Possible sources:

• Maschinenhandel Meyer - 13 x 0,9 mm Bimetall-Bandsägeblatt vario 10/14 ZpZ
  • with this, we should be well-equipped for different workpieces types/shapes ^[7]
  • let's apply the 3-6-12-24 rule ^[8]:
    • 14 TPI (approx. 0.55 teeth per mm) works for pieces as thin as 6 mm (3 teeth in the cut) and as thick as 43 mm (24 teeth in the cut)
    • 10 TPI (approx. 0.4 teeth per mm) also covers thicker pieces up to 60 mm (24 teeth in the cut)

Breaking In a New Blade

New horizontal bandsaw blades should be "broken in" with lower pressure to give them a much longer life.

This is achieved by making the first couple of cuts with the usual blade speed, but only 1/3 (soft materials) to 3/4 (hard materials) of the downward force you would normally apply. ^[9]/[10]

How many cuts are "a couple"? It depends on the cross-section of your material, reportedly about 320 cm² (50 sq inch) are necessary. ^[11]

1400 mm Blades

These blades are compatible with our CMI C-S-BS 250. Here's what we have so far:

Tooth Pitch (Zahnteilung)	Width	Kerf	Min. Radius	Tooth Shape	Materials	Comments
14 TPI	6 mm				soft non-ferrous metals (e.g. aluminum, copper, bronze)
6 TPI	6 mm			hook	wood	may not cut too well - the set (Schränkung) of the teeth seems to have suffered

Further Reading

• short explanation of the three tooth angles
• "Grundlagen: Bandsägeblätter die richtige Verwendung" (DE) by Maschinenhandel Meyer (shop)
• "Bandsägeblatt - Wissen" (DE) by Reinhard Eck (for a shop)
• "Selecting and Using Band Saw Blades" by LittleMachineShop.com (for metal cutting)