# If you could only have 1 hacksaw blade



## Brendan2010 (12 Feb 2020)

If you had to choose one hacksaw blade and had to stick with it what would it be?


----------



## Trevanion (12 Feb 2020)

Bahco Sandflex 18TPI.


----------



## ColeyS1 (13 Feb 2020)

A sharp well tensioned one. I think that's more important than a specific brand.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk


----------



## AES (14 Feb 2020)

Yup agree with the above, but if you can REALLY only have 1 blade, and assuming you're supposed to do EVERYTHING with it, then I guess it really ought to be a 24 TPI blade - it's the middle of the road between today's other 2 "standards, 18 and 32 TPI. That may make sense if you were for example, a tradesman (mainly non-metal), forced to take just 1 hacksaw to site with you "just in case".

But I also have to ask why you would (presumably voluntarily) limit yourself to just 1 blade, except in examples such as above. Having a range of blades available in the shop is really a no-brainer (I have 14, 18, 24, and 32 TPI blades - 14 TPI rather a rare find these days, but I do have a mix of both bi-metal and all-hard blades). Brand doesn't really matter IMO, except must be "good quality", which for me means either Eclipse, Starrett, or Sandvik/Bahco - or whatever the latter are called these days).


----------



## Bm101 (14 Feb 2020)

An 8" one.
I have an old (edit: trojan 9" not eclipse 8") saw and it's a far better size to my mind. They just don't make 8" blades anymore. 
:|


----------



## sunnybob (14 Feb 2020)

8" blade? Not much use cutting 4" mild steel gas pipe. :roll: (hammer)


----------



## Bm101 (14 Feb 2020)

Horses for courses Bob.
When I next need to cut a 4" mild steel gas pipe I'll be sure to use the 12 inch saw. :-s 
For cutting straight lines in 4_mm_ 01 plate I'll stick to the 8" saw as I find it far more accurate with my limited skills. 
It's a shame there are not more saw sizes available as there used to be many more options as I understand it from a previous thread about my saw.
post1085742.html?hilit=8%20inch%20trojan#p1085742

My mistake. 9 " saw. What's an inch between friends? Technically the blades are 8 7/8ths so.... 
:?


----------



## ED65 (14 Feb 2020)

Trevanion":2utzs7p3 said:


> Bahco Sandflex 18TPI.


That's a handy recommendation as there's someone selling a job lot of 1,000 of them in my neck of the woods. What do you suggest I offer for them? (homer)


----------



## Bm101 (14 Feb 2020)

Do you live anywhere near a prison Ed? And a bakery?


----------



## Trevanion (14 Feb 2020)

AES":1c9irvhj said:


> I guess it really ought to be a 24 TPI blade - it's the middle of the road between today's other 2 "standards"



That's my fine cutting blade! :lol: 

Out of interest as an extension to the original question, has anyone here got a particular saw frame they swear by?

I've got an old Eclipse 60B "War Pattern" adjustable hacksaw frame which I keep a 24tpi blade in, it tensions a blade very nicely and the feedback you can feel when you're sawing is good. I know some people absolutely hate the in-line handle but I've never really had much issue with it. Similar to below:







My other frame is a Lenox HT50 which I keep an 18tpi blade in. It's a great and comfortable saw to use for long periods and tensioning a blade is dead easy, so easy in fact that I exploded a blade by accidentally over-tensioning . It's not a cheap frame but I think it's worth it, once tensioned it's like a dead object, no flex or ringing or any other annoyances you might get with cheap frames.








ED65":1c9irvhj said:


> Trevanion":1c9irvhj said:
> 
> 
> > Bahco Sandflex 18TPI.
> ...



50P a blade would be a bargain.


----------



## ColeyS1 (14 Feb 2020)

I've had several hacksaws some new and others gifted. Best one to date is an old "ding dong" with a wooden handle. It came from the tip and the only reason for buying it was the humorous name.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk


----------



## AES (14 Feb 2020)

24 TPI as a "fine" blade Trevanian? Hope you don't have to cut much THIN metal, especially no sheet!

8 inch (or 9) Bm101? Nah, too short for me! (Used to be quite common back in "the good old days" but these days, seldom seen I think, 10 inch blades used to quite common. In fact a lot of hacksaw frames used to be adjustable for both 10 and 12 inch blades.

Personally I don't much like the "wooden file handle" hacksaw frames - I prefer the "pistol grip" type. But I guess that's a purely personal/whatever you got used to thing. BTW, the wooden handled hacksaw frame in Trevanion's pic looks like an adjustable 10/12 inch frame to me.


----------



## Trevanion (14 Feb 2020)

AES":clk41hy3 said:


> 24 TPI as a "fine" blade Trevanian? Hope you don't have to cut much THIN metal, especially no sheet!



3mm is probably the thinnest I would cut with a hack saw, anything less I'd probably get a grinder on it with a cutting disc.

Sounds kind of counter-intuitive actually when I think about it, hand tools for the bigger stuff and power tools for the thinner stuff :lol: 

I think the 60B I've got is adjustable from 8" to 10" to 12".


----------



## ColeyS1 (15 Feb 2020)

My ding dong-





Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk


----------



## AES (15 Feb 2020)

@Trevanion: Never seen 8 inch "full size" hacksaw blades. You live n learn.

@ColeyS1: Ooooh, I do like the look of your ding dong! (Never seen one of those before either).


----------



## TFrench (15 Feb 2020)

sunnybob":1zkieh5k said:


> 8" blade? Not much use cutting 4" mild steel gas pipe. :roll: (hammer)



Don't think anyones cut a 4" pipe with a hacksaw anytime in the last 20 years Bob  
I only use a hacksaw in my workshop to keep from making sparks. Anything else gets hit with a 4" grinder and a zip disc... (hammer) 
I have a piece of Ding-Dong high speed steel as well Coley, the name entertained me as well :lol:


----------



## Trevanion (15 Feb 2020)

AES":2njh4qw7 said:


> @Trevanion: Never seen 8 inch "full size" hacksaw blades. You live n learn.



I'm not 100% certain it's 8"! I'll have to go and check it later and see what the adjustment range is.


----------



## ED65 (16 Feb 2020)

Bm101":1ifjpfyu said:


> Do you live anywhere near a prison Ed? And a bakery?


 :lol: :lol: :lol: You're such a card!



Trevanion":1ifjpfyu said:


> Out of interest as an extension to the original question, has anyone here got a particular saw frame they swear by?


I keep two for different jobs (mainly for sawing at certain height/angles).

I have a similar in-line-handle jobbie and I do like it for some jobs. I had two at one point, an Eclipse 60B and this Tyzack Railway Arch (here it is unrestored) which I kept due to being older and so much rarer. I'm fond of the way it can tension a blade. Not just by how much but how easily with its big forged wingnut, and three full turns takes it from slack enough for putting away to working tension.

My other one is the more usual form, Swedish, made from cast ali and steel. It's a family piece, Opa's on my father's side, and is probably about my age. BTH it doesn't tension as well as I'd like but I'll never part with it. 



Trevanion":1ifjpfyu said:


> 50P a blade would be a bargain.


I'd say given what they go for individually here :shock: No spare €500 unfortunately. Plus it would take me several lifetimes to go through them all!


----------



## AES (16 Feb 2020)

Blimey ED65, I'd no idea that any sort of hacksaw frame was so valuable!

Personally I have 4 or 5 I think (without checking) but they're all pistol grip type. Each is set up ready with a different blade already fitted (but not fully tensioned).


----------



## ED65 (16 Feb 2020)

Forgot this! Honourable mention:


----------



## Trevanion (16 Feb 2020)

Had a look at my Eclipse 60B this morning, it has indexable stops at 8”, 9”, 10”, 11”, and 12” with an inch of travel in the thread and nut which means it’ll fit any blade between 8” and 12”.


----------



## AES (16 Feb 2020)

As said before Trevanion "well blimey"! You live n learn dontcher! Thanks ;-)


----------



## ED65 (18 Feb 2020)

Trevanion":9bpqxz7u said:


> Had a look at my Eclipse 60B this morning, it has indexable stops at 8”, 9”, 10”, 11”, and 12” with an inch of travel in the thread and nut which means it’ll fit any blade between 8” and 12”.


Pretty much the same on my Tyzack. 

I think unlike any era of 60B (I only have pics of a handful) this has indents over the 4" at 1/2" intervals. Not sure why, maybe to make using broken blades easier?


----------

