Carbide bandsaw question

[james bell]

I am in need of a new carbide bandsaw blade for my mm16, and in looking at spectrum supply, the price for 2/3 tpi is more than 3/4 tpi which is more than 3 tpi. I would have thought that more tpi would be more expense due to more work with the carbide teeth, unless the less tpi have bigger teeth thus more carbide.

That said, any suggestions on the best price to buy them, and with the trimaster being not too much more expensive than the woodmaster is it worth it. The one I am replacing is the trimaster so I have no experience with the other. Also, for resawing, what tpi should I be looking to purchase?

[David Kumm]

Industrialblades.com 2/3 if resawing wide wood but 3 will give you virtually the same-not quite- finish. CT has fewer teeth, less expensive, doesn't last as long. Great for wide stock. Trimaster is the blade that stays on the saw. The guys at Industrial are good to talk to. Dave

[Van Huskey]

My opinion is the Trimaster is a better blade than the Woodmaster CT for resawing but others differ. Are you sure about the prices, unless they have changed Spectrums prices in the past have been as you would expect them the higher tooth count will be more expensive.

Since you have worn out a carbide blade I would suggest you look at the Laguna Resaw King which I think is the best resaw blade. The bonus is it can be resharpened 3-4 times at a cost of $45 so it is much more economical in the long run. Seems like I remember they are having a 25% off sale, you may want to check their site. Even at full price the Resaw King is just a few dollars more than a Trimaster but the sharpening really seals the deal. I have tried to find a commercial sharpener for the Trimaster but even with Lennox help I have come up empty.

[james bell]

My 1" ( or 1 1/4") trimaster broke. I took it to a place in Richmond VA to weld it, but they said it would not hold the weld. I have emailed a couple of band saw providers about soldering it, but no response. There is one place in northern va I will try,but if not, then I need to purchase another.

[David Kumm]

My 1" ( or 1 1/4") trimaster broke. I took it to a place in Richmond VA to weld it, but they said it would not hold the weld. I have emailed a couple of band saw providers about soldering it, but no response. There is one place in northern va I will try,but if not, then I need to purchase another.

When those blades break it brings tears to your eyes. I try to tension enough that the blade won't ride back against the rear bearing. If the bearing spins it heats up the blade and speeds up the fatiguing. I don't know whether that really helps but my current blade has lasted by far the longest. Dave

[Michael Roberts]

I'm a recent convert from the TriMaster to the Woodmaster CT 1.3tpi on my MM24 and am very impressed thus far. I bought mine from industrial blade.

[Van Huskey]

My 1" ( or 1 1/4") trimaster broke. I took it to a place in Richmond VA to weld it, but they said it would not hold the weld. I have emailed a couple of band saw providers about soldering it, but no response. There is one place in northern va I will try,but if not, then I need to purchase another.

Carbide blades are difficult to weld. There is a place in Ohio that does a good job BUT I forget the name. Try Spectrum Supply and see if they can do it, if not PM me and I will tell you where to ask for the other place in Ohio.

Don't get me wrong I love Lennox blades and love my Trimasters but take some time and read the reviews/opinions about the Laguna Resaw King, it is at the very least as good and I think it is better. Again the key is it is MUCH more economical when you consider the $45 sharpenings. I keep holding onto my 4 dull Trimasters in hopes that one day I can find a sharpener that can bring them back to life. It is painful to toss $1K in blades just because they are dull but have lots of carbide left.

[Andrew Hughes]

Hi Van ,Have you tryd, Daley Saw in South Gate,I used to send my Resaw king blades to them.I Thought they did a better job than laguna.They have a pretty big shop.They also retread band saw wheels if you ever goof one up like me.

[Van Huskey]

Hi Van ,Have you tryd, Daley Saw in South Gate,I used to send my Resaw king blades to them.I Thought they did a better job than laguna.They have a pretty big shop.They also retread band saw wheels if you ever goof one up like me.

I haven't heard them mentioned before, will have to check into them. Do you remember how much they charged?

[Andrew Hughes]

Nope dont remember,But ithink it was about the same as laguna prices for a 132inch.

[Jeff Nicol]

James, Did the blade break at the weld or somewhere along the blade? Most blades break at the weld as it is the weakest point after the weld and grind then annealling it. But if you want to try and solder it back together yourself it can be done with silver solder. You can get small kits online that have the flux and the solder for $20 or less, then the ends of the blade need to be ground at a 45 so they lap over each other and are square and true to each other. They have jigs to hold the blade ends flat and square to each other but one can be made pretty easily. So once you have them clamped in place a torch of some sort is needed to heat the blade and the solder melted in place. Once soldered you will have to file away the excess, there are some good tutorials on line to help as it is pretty much a lost art since most blades are flash welded with a blade welding machine and not soldered.

I want to buy a carbide blade for my big 26" saw, but I am scared at the price! Good luck with the repair and the future carbide blades.

Jeff

My 1" ( or 1 1/4") trimaster broke. I took it to a place in Richmond VA to weld it, but they said it would not hold the weld. I have emailed a couple of band saw providers about soldering it, but no response. There is one place in northern va I will try,but if not, then I need to purchase another.

[Van Huskey]

James, Did the blade break at the weld or somewhere along the blade? Most blades break at the weld as it is the weakest point after the weld and grind then annealling it. But if you want to try and solder it back together yourself it can be done with silver solder. You can get small kits online that have the flux and the solder for $20 or less, then the ends of the blade need to be ground at a 45 so they lap over each other and are square and true to each other. They have jigs to hold the blade ends flat and square to each other but one can be made pretty easily. So once you have them clamped in place a torch of some sort is needed to heat the blade and the solder melted in place. Once soldered you will have to file away the excess, there are some good tutorials on line to help as it is pretty much a lost art since most blades are flash welded with a blade welding machine and not soldered.

I want to buy a carbide blade for my big 26" saw, but I am scared at the price! Good luck with the repair and the future carbide blades.

Jeff

Just be aware that getting a good silver solder joint on a variable pitch blade can be extremely difficult.

If you use the saw a lot the carbide blade will pay for itself. If you are resawing veneer the finish a good carbide blade leaves will save you a lot of wood oevr time as well.

[Damon Stathatos]

...Have you tryd, Daley Saw in South Gate,...

They're classic. Saved me 'beaucoup' on my 36" Tannewitz tires using extruded (or molded, can't remember) over OEM's. They've been around 'for ever' and the guys there have seen it all, nothing much phases them.

As far as the carbide blades, Tim at Laguna often puts up configurations they're 'flush' in here on the Creek. I put off using carbide (or paying for carbide) until I saw one of his posts. You might want to PM him to see if they have anything that fits your requirements.

[james bell]

Yes, broke at the weld. Took it to automatic saw filing in Richmond VA, recommended by woodcraft where I was going to purchase the solder kit. They make bandsaw blades, and figured if they could not weld it which they do all day long, I had no chance with a cheap kit. Probably over tensioned over a long period - if so, dumb mistake.