Bandsaw blade thickness/width

B

Backwoodsfiero

Joined
Oct 27, 2018
Messages
13
I'm going to be ordering some Lenox Diemaster blades and can't seem to find any info on what people prefer for thickness and width. I have the option of 1/4, 3/8, or 1/2 width and either .025 or .035 thickness in any of them. Any opinions?

Edited to add: This is for cutting out 1/8" O1 blanks
 
Backwoodsfiero said:
I'm going to be ordering some Lenox Diemaster blades and can't seem to find any info on what people prefer for thickness and width. I have the option of 1/4, 3/8, or 1/2 width and either .025 or .035 thickness in any of them. Any opinions?
Click to expand...
What kind of saw are you putting them on? I assume you're planning on cutting mostly blade steels with these?

Personally, I'd probably just go with the thicker of the two as it will resist kinking/breaking a bit more. As for the width, I use a horizontal/vertical saw, and it uses 1/2" if you want full DOC in horizontal mode. If it's just a vertical saw, I'd say it depends on how thick of material you plan on cutting. A 1/4" blade will give you tighter contours more easily, but it will also break and off track more easily in thicker material. I've always been able to cut what I need with a 1/2" wide blade without too much issue. Sometimes you have to be a little creative on tight curves, but I'd at least grab a 1/2". You can try the narrower blades if you want, but unless you're cutting relatively soft and a thin materials, I don't think you'll like them as much.
 
It's an old delta meant for wood but I changed the driven sheave out for a larger one to slow it down. Yes, it will be for cutting blade steel profiles. I think I'll sacrifice some maneuverability for resistance to breaking and go with the 1/2" x .035. Thank you both for the input!
 
This is a mantra for people who cut out knife blanks from bar and sheet stock:
Grind curved lines ..... cut straight lines. You will quickly ruin expensive saw blades by trying to cut more than a gentle curve.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top