Resaw oak on a bandsaw.

[Adam W.]

I have an oak beam (7" or so deep) which I want to re-saw on the bandsaw at college. I've been looking at the Axminster Rip blade which is 1.1Tpi.

Are there any othe blades that I should take a peek at which would be a better / faster, more durable option.

 

[RichardG]

I've always used the 3tpi sabrecut blades from tuffsaws, slightly more waste due to the extra set but they work really well, both on seasoned and green wood.

 

[Ttrees]

A bit too vague to answer as is, but interesting none the less.
Presumably you want the blade quickly?
Dry oak, how long is the beam?
Veneers or planks, guessing the latter?
Presumably something like a 700mm saw, is it well set up, tire condition?
Keeping the blade for yourself?

Best cutting blade I've ever seen from the results is the woodmaster CT, 1.3TPI
If you can speak Chinese, carbide tipped are being made in all sizes nowadays, and very very competitively priced, mostly mentioning this for other folks.
Search for a dude called Tai Fu, and you should find him on the creek, under the heading
"Chinese carbide bandsaw blades" and you will find the link.
Hopefully Ian might get a reel of them to try out.

If the saw isn't running well, I'd go with the Axi blades, more reliable than the thin gauge blades elsewhere.
Mario said this is a fresh 1.3TPI Excalibur blade in the video below, but he uses Tuffsaws blades for most of his cutting,
and I was quite pleased to find this out, as I had issues running them with my troublesome machine, due to the set compressing due to misaligned wheels.
One can be quite parsimonious with the thin carbon blades so I must try them again.

Yes I'm aware that he isn't using a pushstick, and I've mentioned this to him twice.
Maybe some of ye will talk some sense to him.

The saw is running well, and presumably similar size to what a college might have, it's a sicar 700 machine, he told me his setup on his iroko video.

 

[Adam W.]

A bit too vague to answer as is, but interesting none the less.
Presumably you want the blade quickly? ..................Yes, in a couple of weeks.
Dry oak, how long is the beam? ............................Dry 7' long but will be cut to 3'
Veneers or planks, guessing the latter? ....................Ribs, so 1"
Presumably something like a 700mm saw, is it well set up, tire condition? ..............No Idea what the saw is, but that one in the vidio is bigger.
Keeping the blade for yourself? ......................No

 

[martin.pearson]

I bought my blades from Tuffsaws as well, couple of years ago I phoned them & got a lot of help, might be worth you trying the same thing. One of the things I was looking specifically to do was resawing hardwoods.

 

[Orraloon]

The lower the tooth count the quicker the cut so 1. 1 tpi will be great. The only thing to watch for is the blade width and will the bandsaw be able to tension that blade. Find out what width blade the saw will take (be able to tension) and go for the lowest tooth count. A 3 tpi blade will still do it fine and even a 4 at a push. Any bandsaw with 1.5 hp or more should have no problem with 7'' of oak.
Regards
John

 

[RobinBHM]

1.1tpi should be fine.

 

[johnnyb]

I've never found the power of most saws an issue its getting a straight face and edge. using a newish blade. set guides and tension. give wood for cleaning up set roller standsif it's heavy.
then have a go and if your saws set fair job done. by far the most important factor is a new blade I reckon.

 

[Adam W.]

Thank you for the advice, I'll take a look at Tuffsaws.

 

[TRITON]

Veneers or planks, guessing the latter? ....................Ribs, so 1"

Ribs ?. Would this be for a boat per chance

 

[Adam W.]

Vault ribs, the boat is next.

 

[Ttrees]

You might sooner a thicker band for that as the set will be easier to damage on thinner gauge blades if cutting anything but straight timbers.
If not the case, still considering options depending on the machine and its condition.
Thinner ones will be easier on the machine, should it be something under 200kg
and if the motor is a bit on the smaller size, might be a better choice,
but the saw must be set up fairly well to run them compared to thicker gauge blades.
If it's a flat tired machine, the saw might already be set up to run them or the other.
I can't comment if table or fence adjustment is needed on crowned tires if swapping over blades.

Machines on the larger side i.e something like a 20" tend to show up any misalignment
which is more apparent than on a smaller saw, so hope its set up well for you.

If settled on the thinner gauge, then you'd better get at least a pair of them if you have a rowing boat to build, and that's just for straight cutting, no curves.
I'd say the same thing for the thicker gauge blades too, as it's pretty risky just having one blade, they might last you a bit longer, but likely the second blade will still get used, and the machine less abused.

All the best
Tom

 

[Oakay]

Grooving both edges first with circular saw or spindle moulder helps bandsaw follow the easier route.

 

[paulrbarnard]

Vault ribs, the boat is next.

I’m guessing something like the Mary Rose given your previous projects.

 

[Adam W.]

I dream of a super slick wherry.....

but I only have a mahogany canoe to fix up.