HF sells Supercut. I bought a bunch of 105" blades when they clearanced them. They do carry 93.5". I like those blades, and use them all the time.Originally Posted by Jim Finn
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HF sells Supercut. I bought a bunch of 105" blades when they clearanced them. They do carry 93.5". I like those blades, and use them all the time.
Never, under any circumstances, consume a laxative and sleeping pill, on the same night
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Not so sure this is true. The way carbide band saw blades are made is: a strip of carbide is welded to a strip of steel and then the teeth are cut and set.
No PHD, but I have a DD 214
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I asked not to be a jerk, but I'm wondering where you are finding legitimate carbide tooth blades for that saw that cost $60. I can't find anything under $150 in that size, checked laguna, lenox, timber wolf. So I was thinking perhaps you ran the numbers on a site that charges by the inch? and if you do half the inches it comes in around $60. I can't find one for my saw under $300, so if there is a cheaper option out there I'm interested in learning more. FWIW, I don't see the value in carbide for most people, HSS seems to be the best value in terms of LF/inch. I had very good luck with Olson MVP on a 14" saw, I'm using lenox HSS now but in a series that is well beyond a 14" saws ability to tension. The widest thing I had good luck with on my 14" saw was 5/8", normally I ran 1/2". I might consider diemaster in 1/2" for a 14" saw.
"A good miter set up is like yoga pants: it makes everyone's butts look good." Prashun Patel
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There's write ups on the outline of how bimetal and carbide tipped blades are made in these links - the methods may or may not be standard in the industry:
http://www.toolcenter.com/123_Bandsaw_Blades.html (click the tab marked 'construction' well down the page)
http://tiny.cc/nt34qx (about 4th section down for how carbide tips are attached, above that is a description of stelliting)
Last edited by ian maybury; 12-20-2014 at 9:46 AM.
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Erik's comments mirror what I would say on this subject. I'll add one more...while the carbide blades can be the "bee's knees" for certain operations, they are also the most "painful" (financially) when you screw them up...DAMHIKT!
--
The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
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For those who who are having a tough time justifying the cost of a carbide, you can get very similar results from the Lenox Die-Master II. Feed rate will be even slower but finish quality is in the ballpark. Way back when, we had David Marks come in and do some seminars for us. He was showing how to make strips for bent-lam projects out of Purple Heart and other crazy stuff like that. I asked why he didn't choose a carbide over the Die-Master. His reply was, "Because I have to pay for it myself".
Erik Loza
Minimax USA
Contributor
There is a difference between the lower cost "carbide impregnated" blades and true carbide brazed blades. A good Bi metal or as Erik suggested, Die Master is a good starter blade that allows you to gain some knowledge of resawing and experience with wider blades before coughing up the $$ for the carbide. 1/2" would be as wide as I'd run on a small saw. Smaller blade at higher tension has always worked better for me than wider at lower. Dave
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You are correct.
Carbide blades are not as sharp as standard blades and require more power to cut with.
That said they last much longer.....Rod.
[OP]
Member
Im sorry again, it's carbide embedded, so that probably explains the lower price. http://www.grizzly.com/products/93-1...aw-Blade/G1994
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As Myk said, you cannot adequately tension a 3/4" wide blade on a 14" cast iron BS. Actually, you can't even adequately tension a 1/2" wide one but they will still work OK. By "adequately" I mean at least 18K psi. Even with a high tension (really compression) spring you can only realistically achieve about 12K psi on a 1/2" blade. At that level they will cut well as long as the blade is sharp and you don't feed too fast.
I have been using an Olson 1/2" x 0.025" x 3 tpi MVP bimetal blade on my 14" Delta with riser block (105" length) and a 1.5 HP motor. The danged thing was not sharpened equally on both sides when I got it and just would not cut straight. But it was great after I resharpened it and I resawed hundreds of feet of stock and shop sawn veneer with it before I did something stupid and put a kink in it. I'm sure glade it was only a $35 blade and not a $150+ carbide one. That's reason enough for me not to use carbide blades. As for the Supercut blades, I hope the carbide embedded ones cut better than their Woodslicer (1/2" x 3/4 tpi) type ones. Those things bogged down with any little wood movement that happened, which seems to be frequently with the stuff I cut, and they wandered for the first several inches of every cut. Very frustrating. Narrow kerf is good but only if the blade cuts well.
Anyway, you can easily cut 10+ stock with a 14" saw with a riser block if you have a sharp blade that cuts straight and enough HP to pull it through the wood. I keep thinking it would be nice to have a larger saw but then I look at the beautiful veneer I can slice with my modest set up and realize there are better places to spend my money.
Does anyone have any comparative experience between the Olson MVP 1/2" x 0.025" x 3 tpi bi-metal blade and the Lennox Dimaster 1/2" x 0.035" x 3 tpi one? Does the Dimaster cut any smoother? That's my biggest complaint about the Olson MVP blade. The Dimaster will not get as much tension so that's a negative right off the bat.
John
Member
My 14 is the Laguna 14/twelve. Might be the biggest spring I have seen on a 14 and I am still not sure carbide tip makes sense for it. Blades for it are 115". Come to think if it, 115" seems sort of longish for a 14 but that is what it takes. I have to admit I had been thinking about one of those Die Masters. Thanks for recommending it. I just about have to try one now. Anyway it will be awhile for me to get used to this particular bandsaw. Seems pretty decent for a 14 if a little pricy. Did not want any part of that light they make for it. So at least that was $100 that I did NOT spend. I will likely come up with something that puts a bit more light right at the table. But there there has to be a better way to do it than their dedicated light especially at that price.
Contributor
Hmmmm, carbide cannot be sharpened as sharp as most steels because of its molecular structure. Soooo, it does not really cut smoother or easier. I have some old HSS router bits around, when they are sharp. . WOW!
Member
I'm using a Laguna 14" SUV and my standard every day blade is their 3/4" carbide toothed Resaw King. I hardly use the table saw anymore with this combo. Rips are a cinch of any solid lumber and resawing 6" of any hardwood I have put to it have been effortless. I routine resaw 3" to 4" stock and laminate it together without additional prep with good results. Still, I have other blades for different applications and have not resawn much more than 6" to 7" tall stock. Just saying that I am very happy with a carbide blade on my 14" bandsaw.
"... for when we become in heart completely poor, we at once are the treasurers & disbursers of enormous riches."
WQJudge
Member
the set does not lay down so there good for high speed saw with over 8000 SFPM. heat is a killer over 5000 SFPM
jack
English machines
Contributor
I think you would be disappointed with a 3/4" blade (of any composition, tooth count or configuration) on your saw, even if your owner's manual says it will take one. From the blade length, I'm assuming you have a Rockwell/Delta or Powermatic 14" bandsaw, or one of their various clones. My small BS is the Rockwell/Delta with cast-iron wheels and a 1 hp G.E. motor. Great saw, but not with a 3/4" blade. You'll get a better resaw cut out of a properly-tensioned 1/2" or even 3/8" blade.
Other members have mentioned the Laguna 14/12 and the Laguna 14" SUVs. Yep, those are 14" saws, but very different animals from what you have. 3/4" blades are no problem there.
David
Last edited by David C. Roseman; 12-21-2014 at 3:35 PM.
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