Meat and Fish Bandsaw Blades

[Harbo]

I have managed to locate a UK supplier of Meat & Fish Bandsaw Blades similar to those recommended by DavidC in a recent Popular Woodworking article.
They are Hakansson 1/2" or 5/8" in 4TPI or 6TPI and 0.020" or 0.025" thick.
£9.90 each from Sharpquips .co.uk (02082112400)
I have a couple on order and will let you know how I get on with them.
David uses a 5/8" 3TPI for cutting dovetails!

Rod

PS Hamilton Edge's (recommended by others) web server has been down for several days now?

 

[houtslager]

good tip

thanks

look forward to a review on them .

kw

 

[OPJ]

Thanks for the information.

I tried out a .020" blade myself recently (from Dragon) which seems to run and cut beautifully on my £200 12" saw. Before this, I found my saw was incapable of running a 5/8" blade properly; the standard ones create too much vibration and wobble all over the place.

I also tried out a 5/8" .025" Hakansson blade which ran straight and true and did not interfere with the guides or anything. It cut pretty well, but there was just a little too much vibration for my liking.

I'm assuming these are all skip tooth blades? I prefer hook-tooth patterns personally, but they seem only to be preferred in America.

 

[Harbo]

My blades duly arrived this morning so I tried out the 1/2" 4TPI 0.020" one.

So far I am very impressed though time will tell?
Here's a pic - the thicker piece is 11/2" oak the others are beech - sliced through it like butter leaving a very good finish especially for 4TPI?

No vibration with it on my machine.

Rod

 

[Philly]

Hmm..impressive! Tried cutting any veneer yet?
Cheers
Philly

 

[Harbo]

Philly not yet - I need to make a taller resaw fence - that's for tomorrow after the shopping!!

Will keep you posted.

Rod

 

[Philly]

Magic!
Philly

 

[Harbo]

Made up a resaw fence as Lonnie Bird's design and cut a seven inch wide piece of beech I had kicking around. 4TPI, 0.020" thick 1/2" wide blade.

Here's some photos of my attempts at veneer cutting:

Bottom piece is 2mm thick, middle one 1mm, top one 0.5mm which it did not quite make! Could have tried again with tension wound up to max but thought the 1mm was a good test?

Second picture is trying to show the very good finish?

So far very impressed with the blade and only £9.90 for 112"!

Rod

 

[Philly]

Very nice,Rod!
Better place an order....
Philly

 

[OPJ]

That truly is an excellent finish! What saw do you have? I'm guessing that's a hook-tooth pattern blade, since the finish looks too smooth to have come from a skip-tooth pattern?

These thin-kerf blades do appear to cut just as well as their thicker versions, if not slightly better...!

 

[ivan]

OJP I have several Dragon blades, from 1/4 to 1 1/4 both carbon and bi metal and theyre all hook pattern.

 

[Harbo]

OPJ - they were cut on an ancient Startrite 352 with the tension set at high though I could have wound it higher.
Did not have a choice re skip or hook they only do the one type but different thickness's.
I have still to try out the 5/8" wide one yet?

Rod