A series of bandsaw questions

[Escudo]

At long last yesterday morning with the help of three mates my new bandsaw was manhandled up the drive and into my workshop. (Axminister Plus SBW4300WL)

I spent all yesterday afternoon setting the beast up and I'm feeling very happy with my new purchase, despite the issues below which I know can be resolved.

The first trial cut seemed laboured and whilst cutting only a small piece of softwood the blade supplied with the machine left burn marks.

Is the blade running to fast or two slow?
Could it be the blade itself?
What tension should I apply? (currently set on 5/10)

I know a number of previous posts suggest changing the blade supplied with a new machine. On that basis which blades should I go with?

Perhaps a selection for different types of job. One for general use. A bigger one for big jobs and a smaller one for little jobs.

What sizes should I get? Should I look for width of blade or number of teeth,or both? and do these different size blades need different tensions to operate effectively?

On the subjest of the guides I have the blade set just away from these, however the rear guide is touched by the blade as a result of gentle presssure during the cutting process I assume that is what this guide is for?

I am very unsure about all of this and :? . Any help would be tip-top. Esc.

 

[Philly]

Esc
You guessed it-the supplied blade is toal pants! Mine was also rusty..... :roll:
I use two on my saw - a 25mm 3 tpi blade for resaw and general straight work and a 6mm 4 tpi for the curvy stuff.
The rear guide will always touch the blade when cutting. This is to support the blade.
Tension sounds about right. You can apply a lot of tension with this machine so start off reasonable low (3-5) and apply more if the blade is barreling in the cut.
Have fun with your new tool,
Philly

 

[RogerS]

On the subjest of the guides I have the blade set just away from these, however the rear guide is touched by the blade as a result of gentle presssure during the cutting process I assume that is what this guide is for?

.

You're spot on. The rear guide should only touch when your actually cutting. The two side guides need to be behind the gullet on the blade..and should just touch IIRC

 

[Anonymous]

You must enter a message when posting.

 

[Escudo]

Reasurring advice fellas. I will invest in some new blades and take up Phillys suggestion. I will search the forum for guidance on the best blades.

Roger you mention the word gullet perhaps you would be kind enough to explain this term further its a new one on me?

Philly with your saw what did you make of the supplied mitre gauge? - mine seems to scratch the table a bit and is quite crude. I applied some lubricating wax but this only marginally improved the situation.

It is a shame that axminister make and supply such a nice machine and spoil it with the most important part - the blade. Even if they had to charge a bit more it would be better.

Thanks for the replies, cheers Esc.

 

[Philly]

Esc
The mitre guage is pretty average. I use the one off my tablesaw (although I mainly do my crosscutting on the tablesaw).
Cheers
Philly

 

[RogerS]

Escudo...try this page. Does it far better than I can explain.

 

[Scrit]

Hi Escudo

This post I put up a while ago may help explain a bit about blades (also explains the parts of a blade). The gullet is the ground away portion of the blade in front of each tooth which carries the sawdust out of the cut.

Hope that helps

Scrit

 

[Alf]

It is a shame that axminister make and supply such a nice machine and spoil it with the most important part - the blade. Even if they had to charge a bit more it would be better.

Trouble is once it's been sitting on the machine for X months it's probably not going to be much good anyway. Really just a nice honest bit in the manual saying "Hey, the blade's just there to keep everything fom rattling around during transport - get a new one" would be best, but probably unlikely. :lol:

Cheers, Alf

 

[Escudo]

Thanks fellas. Two very useful articles which I have saved for reference.

I think I need to get two blades and picking up from phillys comment and the articles it seems

25mm 3 tpi (hook tooth?) blade would be perfect for general use.

6mm 4-6 tpi blade for curvy type work.

The forum seems to rate dragon blades I will make touch and order a couple.

I can use the old blade for torturing the missus and kids in the basement.

 

[woodbloke]

Mr Grimsdale wrote:

The few times I've bought blades from axminster they were no good.

I've always bought blades from Axminster and have found them universally very good - I've never had a failure at the weld...... however, I always specify that the blades are made from 14 thou steel, which is not in the catalogue and has to be ordered over the phone, costs a little more, but not that much. If you try one of the thin 14 thou blades compared to the standard thick offering its far superior - Rob

 

[Scrit]

25mm 3 tpi (hook tooth?) blade would be perfect for general use.

Hook tooth will cut more aggressively than skip tooth, possibly at the expense of a slightly rougher cut, although some of the skip tooth ripping blades I've used in the past have been dog rough. That translates to skip tooth cuts quicker with slightly less power required which is not always a bad thing.

Going to a thinner or slightly narrower blade a size or two below your saws maximum blade width generally ensures that you can tension it sufficiently. 3/4in blades and upwards suffer much less from wander than narrower ones. Trying to work with a thick maximum size blade is never going to allow maximum blade tension in a fabricated-frame machine IMHO

Scrit

 

[Escudo]

Thanks Scrit, wise words. Had an email from Ian at Dragon Saws and after reflecting on all good helpful advice I have bought

3/4" 4 tpi blade for general use and 1/4" 6tpi blade for curvy type stuff.

Hope to test out the new blades at the weekend and will report back.

Thanks for the interest. Esc.