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Bandsaw Blades - what do you use?

2.7K views 14 replies 13 participants last post by  HokieKen  
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I recently purchased a Harvey C-14 bandsaw and was looking thru all of the reviews and commentary on the various bandsaw manufacturers as well as which blades/manufacturers are better for different applications.

I didn't find a forum posting that brings all of that information into one place. What do you recommend for resawing, bandsaw box cutting, detail cutting, or whatever you use your bandsaw for?
 
#6 ·
Sawblades.com. Bought several sizes. Their WEB will give you good advice on which blade for which cut. I run a 3/8 most of the time. Some seem to love fancy high price brands. If I was doing a lot of re-saw, I might get an expensive carbide re-saw blade. The supplied blade did just fine until I let it tough a guide.
 
#10 · (Edited by Moderator)
My everyday blade is a 3/4" Starrett Advanz TS carbide tipped blade. It's been getting heavy use for over a year with no signs of dulling. It does a respectable re-saw job, but I do put on my Laguna for finer work like cutting veneers.

It's pricey. For your saw you're probably looking at around $250 or so, but it will outlast several bi-metal blades making it an economical choice. You'll also get more consistent results with it since it dulls at a slow pace. When you go through multiple regular blades you are spending a lot of time making cuts when they are getting dull and ready for replacement.

Finally, they can be sharpened for a fraction of the price of a new one, making them an even greater value in the long run.
 
#14 ·
3/8" x 3tpi Timberwolf for my all-around blade. Fantastic blade for nearly everything I need.

I used to use Woodslicer blades but I found that the cost vs. longevity of the sharpness wasn't worth it to me. Others may disagree and that's fine. I would think about using them again if I had to do some high-yield resawing of some rare wood on my 14" bandsaw and only if I had my saw dialed in perfectly. The cut is quite a bit smoother than other blades I've used.

I did have a 1/4" 6tpi (I think) Lenox blade on there for a while and it came in very handy when cutting some curved guitar bodies and necks. More of a specialty thing though.
 
#15 ·
1/2" Woodslicer for resawing, 3/8" Woodturner's blade from Highland for breaking down green wood and Olsen All-Pro PGT blades for everything else. Usually keep a 3/16" for tight scrolling and a 1/4" or 3/8" for everything else.