Bandsaw Blades and Tip's

[Mike.C]

While I await delivery of my Axminster Plus AP4300T/1 bandsaw I want to get a few blades, and so I am looking for recommendations as to what is the best company to go to (I used to buy Dura Edge), the best sort of blades to buy, and the best assortment of blades to have in stock which will cover any job I throw at it?

It will be used mainly for cutting veneer's and various thickness's of hardwood, but I could be using it to cut straight lines one day and circles the next.

Has anyone used Axminster's Axcaliber range?

Finally have the owners of either the above machine or it's predecessor the SBW 4300 got any tips on either setting it up or using it?

Cheers

Mike [/i]

 

[Steve Maskery]

There are plenty of us here who rate Ian John's blades, [email protected].

The blades are called Tuffcut, a search on here will uncover many happy customers.

Cheers
Steve

 

[head clansman]

hi mike

Axminster, yes and Axcaliber m42 yes, there more expensive but worth the extra money last much much longer . hc

 

[head clansman]

hi again mike

Why not place an order with Axminster see if they can't deliver the blades and machine together save on postage that way . hc

 

[Mike.C]

There are plenty of us here who rate Ian John's blades, [email protected].

The blades are called Tuffcut, a search on here will uncover many happy customers.

Cheers
Steve

Thanks Steve. Come to think of it I am sure that I dealt with a guy called Ian when getting the Dura Edge blades who certainly knew all that was worth knowing about bandsaw blades. Is there any chance that it is the same Ian that you mention above?

Your reply has jogged my memory that I must get your Bandsaw Essential DVD's to go along with my new bandsaw

Cheers

Mike

 

[ByronBlack]

Mike

I can recommend the axcalibur as 'jobber' blades, but I would very much urge you to email ian at tuffsaws, not only is he a great guy, but he offers legendary service and really super products.

 

[Mike.C]

hi mike

Axminster, yes and Axcaliber m42 yes, there more expensive but worth the extra money last much much longer . hc

Hi Martin,

Have you used the Tuffcut blades that Steve mentions? Or should I just buy a couple of each and try them?

Cheers

Mike

 

[Mike.C]

Mike

I can recommend the axcalibur as 'jobber' blades, but I would very much urge you to email ian at tuffsaws, not only is he a great guy, but he offers legendary service and really super products.

Hi Colin,

Thanks mate. After looking at a few threads on the forum, members do seem to rate Tuffcut just as much as they did Dura Edge before they disappeared

Cheers

Mike

 

[head clansman]

hi mike

no i have not tried those blade I'm more than happy to use m42 blades from axminster, reasons why it just an hr from me if i want them in a hurry, :lol: if not i know i can pick up the phone and get the best possible service :lol: and not get a load of hassle from somebody as why they wont replace a blade for example . hc :wink: :lol:

 

[ByronBlack]

hi mike

no i have not tried those blade I'm more than happy to use m42 blades from axminster, reasons why it just an hr from me if i want them in a hurry, :lol: if not i know i can pick up the phone and get the best possible service :lol: and not get a load of hassle from somebody as why they wont replace a blade for example . hc :wink: :lol:

I'm not sure if that is a reference to Ian, but I have had nothing but extraordinary service from him, and he certainly will replace a blade if faulty.

Olly had a good review of his blades on his blog: http://ollypj.wordpress.com/?s=tuffsaws

 

[Mike.C]

Colin, many thanks for Olly's link.

Cheers

Mike

 

[head clansman]

hi Colin

I'm not sure if that is a reference to Ian, but I have had nothing but extraordinary service from him, and he certainly will replace a blade if faulty

.

I was in no way referring to Ian, I clearly stated I was more than happy with ax-minster from there excellent service I have had from them and from the point of how close they are to me, if i needed a blade in a hurry , no good ordering from another company and then having to Waite a week or longer to get it to my home , my comment was about companies in general. hc :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[ByronBlack]

hi Colin

I'm not sure if that is a reference to Ian, but I have had nothing but extraordinary service from him, and he certainly will replace a blade if faulty

.

I was in no way referring to Ian, I clearly stated I was more than happy with ax-minster from there excellent service I have had from them and from the point of how close they are to me, if i needed a blade in a hurry , no good ordering from another company and then having to Waite a week or longer to get it to my home , my comment was about companies in general. hc :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Ah I see - I was just wondering if you had a bad experience with Ian is all. I'm a massive fan of axminster too - they were very helpful with my current problems with my new bandsaw, I just wish I had one local, I have to get everything via the web.

 

[woodbloke]

Has anyone used Axminster's Axcaliber range?

I use them all the time and have never had a problem. 'Phone the techies and pay a bit extra for the thinner steel stock, 18 thou as opposed to the standard - Rob

 

[OPJ]

Earlier in the week, I resawed some 210mm deep oak using one of Ian's Supertuff Fastcut blades and the performance was excellent. Blade didn't stall or struggle although, I still took it steady to get the best possible finish - speaking of which, it's good enough to glue straight on to an MDF substrate! 8)

Ian's 'standard' Supertuff range isn't bad either - send him an e-mail and I'm sure he'll provide you with all you need to know.

 

[Mike.C]

Has anyone used Axminster's Axcaliber range?

I use them all the time and have never had a problem. 'Phone the techies and pay a bit extra for the thinner steel stock, 18 thou as opposed to the standard - Rob

Thanks Rob. I think that as there are members equally confident in their choice (and Martin has my saw) I might as well get a few blades from each manufacturer and make my own mind up :wink:

What size blade would you use for re-sawing? And what selection of blades would you keep to cover most job's?

Cheers

Mike

 

[Steve Maskery]

What size blade would you use for re-sawing? And what selection of blades would you keep to cover most job's?

Well I'd recommend a 3TPI skip 1/2" for ripping, a 6TPI 1/4", for curved work and crosscutting, and then one of Ian's Tuffcuts 5/8 (or 3/4 if your machine will take it) 3TPI (Well, two plus a non-cutting raker) for resawing. You'll also need a 1/16" blade with lots of teeth if you want to have a go at cutting dovetails.

That should just about cover every thing. Just remember to buy 2 of everything, so if you have an accident, you are not left stranded.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Mike.C]

Earlier in the week, I resawed some 210mm deep oak using one of Ian's Supertuff Fastcut blades and the performance was excellent. Blade didn't stall or struggle although, I still took it steady to get the best possible finish - speaking of which, it's good enough to glue straight on to an MDF substrate! 8)

Ian's 'standard' Supertuff range isn't bad either - send him an e-mail and I'm sure he'll provide you with all you need to know.

Thanks Olly, just the sort of info I need.

Steve wrote,

Mike.C wrote:


What size blade would you use for re-sawing? And what selection of blades would you keep to cover most job's?

Well I'd recommend a 3TPI skip 1/2" for ripping, a 6TPI 1/4", for curved work and crosscutting, and then one of Ian's Tuffcuts 5/8 (or 3/4 if your machine will take it) 3TPI (Well, two plus a non-cutting raker) for resawing. You'll also need a 1/16" blade with lots of teeth if you want to have a go at cutting dovetails.

That should just about cover every thing. Just remember to buy 2 of everything, so if you have an accident, you are not left stranded.

Cheers

Steve

Steve I have not received the saw yet but according to the Axminster specs it takes between 1/8" (3mm) and 1" (25mm)

Yes if dovetails are as easy as you make them look in your clip on you tube then I will certainly have a go :wink:

When you say curved work does that include the circles made on your jig?

Many thanks for your reply

Cheers

Mike

 

[Steve Maskery]

For dovetails, I wouldn't use the word easy, I'd use the word straightforward. Not because it's difficult (it isn't) but because there are just as many steps involved using a BS as there are with a saw and chisel. The point is that the result is excellent, even if you have not yet developed Rob-Cosman-level hand skills. It's not a lot quicker for a single drawer or box, but for even a small batch, it's a no brainer. And I would challenge you to tell the difference between "my" method and trad handsawn.

The 1/8" lower limit is interesting. Basically, the blade needs to be supported so that it doesn't twist or wander. But the teeth are delicate, so we don't want to interfere with them, do we? I would say that it is difficult to do that with "normal" guide bearings for a 1/8" blade, let alone a 1/16" one. It's not so bad if you have traditional guide blocks (you can easily replace them with Cool Blocks) but for guide bearings, which are prevalent on many machines today, there is a realistic limit, I would suggest, of 1/4". At that size you can support the body of the blade without touching the teeth, but anything narrower is challenging.

However. I have such a guide bearing system on my BS, and I use my 1/16" blade perfectly well. I simply stick a circle of 2mm MDF (backing board for picture frames) onto the faces of the bearings, using DS sticky tape, and tighten them up. The teeth cut the MDF, but the body is supported and the teeth are not damaged. It's a perfect solution (and I show it all in glorious technicolor (sic)).

I do wish you well with your machine, it's fantastic tool when properly set up. It's such a pity that so many people are so disappointed when they start.

Cheers
Steve
PS Yes, a 1/4" general purpose blade is ideal for circles down to quite a small radius (jam-jar size, off the top of my head).

 

[Mike.C]

For dovetails, I wouldn't use the word easy, I'd use the word straightforward. Not because it's difficult (it isn't) but because there are just as many steps involved using a BS as there are with a saw and chisel. The point is that the result is excellent, even if you have not yet developed Rob-Cosman-level hand skills. It's not a lot quicker for a single drawer or box, but for even a small batch, it's a no brainer. And I would challenge you to tell the difference between "my" method and trad handsawn.

The 1/8" lower limit is interesting. Basically, the blade needs to be supported so that it doesn't twist or wander. But the teeth are delicate, so we don't want to interfere with them, do we? I would say that it is difficult to do that with "normal" guide bearings for a 1/8" blade, let alone a 1/16" one. It's not so bad if you have traditional guide blocks (you can easily replace them with Cool Blocks) but for guide bearings, which are prevalent on many machines today, there is a realistic limit, I would suggest, of 1/4". At that size you can support the body of the blade without touching the teeth, but anything narrower is challenging.

However. I have such a guide bearing system on my BS, and I use my 1/16" blade perfectly well. I simply stick a circle of 2mm MDF (backing board for picture frames) onto the faces of the bearings, using DS sticky tape, and tighten them up. The teeth cut the MDF, but the body is supported and the teeth are not damaged. It's a perfect solution (and I show it all in glorious technicolor (sic)).

I do wish you well with your machine, it's fantastic tool when properly set up. It's such a pity that so many people are so disappointed when they start.

Cheers
Steve
PS Yes, a 1/4" general purpose blade is ideal for circles down to quite a small radius (jam-jar size, off the top of my head).

Steve, yes unless it's a misprint it definitely says 1/8" (see here) http://www.axminster.co.uk/product.asp? ... =1&jump=48

As for the easy dovetails, what I meant was that you make them look easy

If you look at the extra images you can see the guide bearings. What do you think?

Once again thanks for taking the time.

Cheers

Mike