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]
  • 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)
• kerf (Schnittbreite): a bit higher than the blade's back thickness because of the teeth's set (Schränkung)
• tooth shape
  • greatly influences which materials that can be cut
  • carbide tipped blades with a longer lifespan are become 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 ^[2]
  • different for three-wheel saws?

2225 mm Blades

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

Tooth Pitch (Zahnteilung)	Zahnweite	Width	Kerf	Min. Radius [3]	Tooth Shape	Materials	Comments
6 TPI	Z4	13 mm		approx. 100 mm	hook	wood, acrylic glass
6 TPI	Z4	8 mm			hook	wood, acrylic glass
4 TPI	Z6	10 mm		40 mm	hook	wood	steel type "GBLADEunicut41C", from Maschinenhandel Meyer: "Bandsägeblatt 10 x 0,5 mm - für kleine Bandsägen"
[gone] 3 TPI	[gone] Z9	[gone] 15 mm		[gone] 95 mm	[gone] hook	[gone] wood	[gone] suitable for up to 350 mm high pieces (resawing!), steel type "GBLADEwoodcutUHB15+", from Maschinenhandel Meyer: "Bandsägeblatt 15 x 0,5 mm" was nice and fast, but now replaced with a different kind (16 mm/3 TPI) --> let's buy it again when that one broke!
3 TPI	"3Z"	16 mm		95 mm(?)	hook	wood	Starting to become dull? Watch closely!
More	needs	to	be	documented!	Any	help	would be most welcome :-)

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)