LF: source of quality band saw blades

[svt-40]

Busy Bee crappy blade can do only too things: get dull quickly and break at the weld. Surprisingly or not, their HSS blanks and carbide tips are crappy quality too, they chip way too easily by my standards.

Where can I get a good quality band saw blade?

 

[delta42c]

Lee Valley has good affordable replacement blades, viking brand. They also have 'Carter' bandsaw accessories such as urethane bandsaw tires that can make your busy bee run like a more expensive machine.

Lee Valley mail order is fast and everything they sell is exeptional quality. I order from them once a month anyway and have never had a problem.

 

[gunpro]

Luke's Machine & Tool in Winnipeg is a good place for blades. At least that is where the father in law insists on going for his. Best quality and price at least in MB.

 

[trevj]

Got a KBC Tools catalog yet?

Theirs is a good reference to keep on the shelf. Starrett metal cutting bandsaw blades are as good as any. Check the local phone book for machine tool sales and call to see what they sell or suggest.

Cheers
Trev

 

[svt-40]

Now that my anger vanished, I took a closer look at the blade and the teeth are absolutely straight! What a miracle! When I installed it a few cuts ago, they were set properly. How a metal blade can gets straight teeth after only a few cuts on mild steel? Un-effin-believable! Now it's clear why it broke and got stuck in that brass bar that I was cutting.

 

[theDuck]

Try industrial supply places or tool shops that can order in. Should be in the yellow pages. I pay up to $60 for bi metal vari tooth blades for my metal cutting band saw. Pay little and get crap. Pay more and get better. I don't waste my time/money with Busy Bee.

 

[Silverback]

Try Acklands or Century Vallen, they both sell good quality blades, as theDuck said above the bi-metal vari-tooth blades work very well, that is what we use in our metal and machine shop.

 

[Noel]

ACT equipment has been filling our stock lately. We are using the Cobra blades for structural and solid stock as well as the brass we use.

Noel

 

[stretch]

TT Liquid

We get our blades in bulk roll and weld our own from TT liquid in Hamilton http://www.ttliquid.com/. The brand we use is Wood Miller. Seems as good as Staret brand.
stretch

 

[art.h]

have you roller guides or flat blade guides if your loosing the set on the teeth you have to adjust your guides? otherwise any blade will die a quick death along with your money....

 

[svt-40]

Flat blade guides, adjusted so that the teeth are out. Should not be a problem, should it?

My wood blades live a long life and don't ever break, but they are some brand name, I forgot which, not a bulk variety like Busy Bee metal blade that died.

 

[art.h]

are you running it slow enough? too much blade speed will remove set, especially if your feed rate is too slow.

 

[svt-40]

This saw has only one speed.
It's beaver 11 from Sears.

 

[art.h]

you might try a rheostate to slow it down to cut metal, but that cuts power, can you add pullys. Probably a top quality carbide blade is the best bet.

 

[svt-40]

What is the best metal speed compared to regular wood speed?

I would prefer to permanently alter this saw for metal, rather than add rheostat. Or might just get a proper metal saw altogether and sell this one.

 

[Gun5tuff]

I found a Manitoba company that makes custom bandsaw blades and ships them free within one or two days. I have had excellent service from them for blades for my meat band saw. You have a nice choice of quality and number of teeth per inch. The welds looked perfect and the length of the blade was right on the mark. Look them up at http://www.spencedistributors.com/bandsaw_blades6.cfm

 

[svt-40]

Spence is kind of pricey, $34 for a metal blade is almost triple the good quality wood blade I use. Is that always that proportion between metal and wood blades of the same quality?

 

[maynard]

Spence is kind of pricey, $34 for a metal blade is almost triple the good quality wood blade I use. Is that always that proportion between metal and wood blades of the same quality?

If $34 is pricey that is your problem. I run 3/4", 4-6 tooth, 10'6" in my Roll-Away saw. I think they are called Matrix??, but they run about $75.
It cuts everything from aluminum to D2 to wood.

 

[svt-40]

You are probably talking about production?

I have a shop in the basement where I teach two kids machinning. My wood blades come at $12 each and serve me well.

 

[River Rat]

I have been buying my bandsaw blades wood,and meat from spencer for 3 years.They have a good price and have outlasted any other blades i was using before.