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I need a blade recommendation for the bandsaw I recently picked up. The saw will be dedicated to resawing mostly green lumber (i.e., the wood will have a high moisture content), primarily osage orange, walnut, oak, and cherry. I did a search and came up with suggestions for carbide tipped blades like the Woodmaster CT, Resaw King, etc., but it looked like most folks were dealing with dry woods. I think I've read somewhere that blades along these line don't fare well with green wood. Is this true? I don't want to spend a couple hundred bucks on, say, a Resaw King to find out it's no good for my intended purpose (though I might still buy one later for other uses). While a nice smooth cut would, of course, be great, I'm not too worried about it.

Some other specs:
20" bandsaw
154 1/2" blade
Max blade width = 1 1/4

I previously used a Timberwolf 3/4" blade on my 14" Craftsman /w riser to resaw some Osage, and, despite a strong desire for a stronger motor, the blade cut fairly well through an 8" billet. Anyone have experience with with the Timberwolf resaw blades on larger saws?

Thanks in advance.

Aaron

Edit: One other question. Most sellers seem to like whole numbers for blade length when ordering. Will a 154" blade work when the manual recommends 154 1/2"? Is it better to long or short (still talking about bandsaw blades here fellas )?

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Aaron Craig

What size billets and what are you resawing them into? Timberwolf makes a blade for sawing green wood (wider set) but iirc, it only comes 3/8".

If you can't get a manufacturer to make a 154-1/2" blade (I don't see why they wouldn't), you need to measure your saw. 2x the distance between wheel centers, plus pi x wheel diameter (measure it, including the tire). Ideally your blade length will equal the number you get with the upper wheel a third to a halfway up its adjustment range. A 20" saw really should have enough adjustment range so that you can use either 154 or 155".

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

Hi I have 4 bandsaws and have used many types of blades except the laguna , and lenox. I also like to resaw green wood , but in our constantly fluctuating humidity in KC. I find it works best when the wood is bone dry for resawing. Otherwise if I resaw when the wood is wet , even with parrafin based end sealer . I get checking and cupping on the resawn flitches as they dry. My guess is that a 2/3 tooth bi- metal blade with a wide kerf cut will be good for resawing,you have a lot of wood/water /resistance to cut through , so a bigger bandsaw 20 in. 5 hp is going to be much faster for reaswing wet green wood

Howard, thanks for the reply. I imagine I can, and will, give a call to just about any supplier and request a 154 1/2" length, but most online purchase methods seem to dislike fractions. There does appear to be a great deal of room for tension adjustment on the saw, and I imagine I could easily use a 154 or 155" blade with no problem. I will calculate the length though just to know for sure.

The split billets range in size depending on species, tree size, intended purpose, etc, but generally fall between 7 to 12 inches tall in wedged billet form. Most of the Osage of suitable quality will hopefully be milled into backs and sides, with some smaller stuff being cut into bridge plates, head-plates, maybe some neck stock, etc. Some black walnut, oak, and cherry might end up being cut into backs and sides, but a large majority will likely be dimensioned much larger and used for small boxes, furniture, and such.

Aaron

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Aaron Craig

Aaron,

Don't know about the green wood issue but Spectrum supply will make blades to your exact specs. It takes them a day or 2 to weld it up but then they ship as soon as it's done.

I have bought a Lenox Woodmaster CT from them (1" x 1.3 tpi) that works great on dry wood.

Kevin Looker

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I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

Ernie, I know what you are talking about. I normally cut to a length longer than I think I will need because I know there will be some checking even using Anchorseal on the ends. That's especially true of Osage. But, Osage cuts SO much better green. The dry stuff I've cut, cuts about as well as marble (alright that's an exaggeration, but it is very tough, very dense stuff). It's kind of a lose-lose situation. Wait a few years for the large billets to dry out and then chew up saw blades. Or, cut it more easily when it's green, which will cut drying time significantly, knowing you will lose some wood due to checking. The Walnut, oak, and cherry cut fine when dry, and I'm in no hurry to resaw a bunch of those, so I have no problem letting such wood dry and season in billet form for a few years. Thanks for the suggestions.

Aaron

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Aaron Craig

Aaron, call Suffolk Machinery (Timberwolf) and ask them to recommend blades (don't expect to be connected to a man in tech support. The women who answer the phone there know their blades). For your neck blanks, etc. the 3/8" green wood blade with around 4 tpi will work well. They may have a wider blade for green wood. For resawing an 8-9" guitar set, a wider blade is a good idea, go around 2 or 3 tpi, and tension it tight (tighter than the Suffolk folks say).

In general, cutting green wood requires a wide set, big gullets (or skip tooth, which Timberwolf does not make) and fewer tpi. The swarf from green wood expands a lot, and the sap and resin tends to glue the swarf to the blade. Some people say use a skip tooth blade for green wood; Starrett blades are very good for skip tooth, and seem to last longer than Timberwolf, while not cutting as aggressively. And lubricate a lot. Like after every cut. Pam works well; I spray it on a rag and open the top wheel and turn it backwards by hand while holding the rag around the blade. Or there are various wax stick lubes made for bandsawing. Whatever you use, use a lot and often.

None of this is going to keep your blades from gunking up. You can only make it better, not eliminate it. I use a cheap junk chisel as a scraper, turning the upper wheel by hand (in the cutting direction now) with the chisel blade on the table just behind the gullets to scrape off gunk. You will notice that the side of the blade toward the wheel gunks up more. That's because it gets hotter due to compression as it goes around the wheel. Nothing you can do about it, and it will change its lead direction on you as it gets coated. One other thing about green wood is that you are better off with block guides than with roller guides. The blocks tend to scrape the blade off while the rollers compress the gunk on to the blade, and the saw has to work harder to pull the gunked up blade through the guides.

And steel blades are not going to stay sharp for long. If you have more time than money, you can learn to sharpen with a stone in a dremel or flex shaft. Otherwise, treat steel blades as a disposable supply and buy lots of them.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

Thank you very much, Howard. This is all fairly new to me, so I really appreciate your tips and advice. I'll give Suffolk Machinery a call.

Aaron

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Aaron Craig

Consider the Starret Woodpecker blade, they make them in both carbon steel (the Premium) and in M42 bi-metal, in a wide range of widths and tooth count. They have an aggressive set and cut most woods I have come across like butter.

The carbon steel blade is tooth hardened to RC62 and the Bi-metal to RC 67-69. They advertise them as being suitable for any wood, including nail embedded!

I wouldn't use them to resaw as they take too wide a kerf but for your use they may just be the right choice.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Yo aaron I get starrett blades from BC bandsaw blades in toronto ontario, buying in bulk (10) is a saving I was buying 143in or 1244mm for my minimax s-45 . 3 TPI skip tooth for resawing. Thanks for the heads up on the osage . I did resaw some of it green for fingerboards , bridge plates etc, green and yes it checks , cups , etc . I still have some blocks 6in wide and 6 in thick , which I was saving for a bigger machine . I tried a SCMI 5hp 20 in resaw machine and even with a mediocore blade , it cut through the osage very quickly and cleanly. Yup , you got to the grizz first. cheers ernie

Thanks for the recommendations guys. I may end up trying a few different blades out.

Aaron

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Aaron Craig