Which Lenox Bandsaw Blade for Resawing?

[Joe Adams]

I'm looking for a new resaw blade for my LT-18" Italian-made (ACM) Laguna bandsaw (circa 2003) equipped with a Driftmaster fence. It takes a 148-151" blade up to 1-1/4".

I've done some research on past threads here and seriously considered the Laguna Resaw King, Lenox WoodMaster CT, and Highland Wood Slicer (aka Spectrum KerfMaster).

I work almost exclusively with hardwoods from Walnut to Maple to European Beech to Texas Pecan to Mesquite.

Veneer slices may range from a few inches wide up to the saw's 12" capacity.

My shop sawn veneers tend to be 3/16" off the saw before going through the drum sander.

I have pretty much settled on the Lenox WoodMaster CT and am trying to decide between the 1.3 TPI and the 2 TPI variants.

Any recommendations from those who have tried one or both? Am I missing something (other than lower cost) that should make me take a second look at the other brands?

I'll probably purchase from Spectrum Supply unless someone can recommend a better source.

Thanks for the advice!

Joe

[Dennis Yamamoto]

Hi Joe,

The Krenov School uses a Lenox Woodmaster CT 1.3 TPI 1" blade for resawing on their Agazzani bandsaw. Bigger gullets in the 1.3 TPI blade allow for more sawdust for a tall resaw. I have only used the 1.3 TPI and have been very happy with its performance to cut veneers on my Minimax/Centauro saw.

I buy my blades from industrialblade.net. I like their prices and service.

Dennis

[roger wiegand]

I need a new blade and this thread had me looking. Spectrum Supply is _way_ cheaper than my usual source bandsawbladesdirect, $143 vs $221 for what is billed as the same blade. That seems like too good (or bad) to be true. Am I missing something?

I've been using the Woodmaster CT 2 tpi 1" blade that came on my used saw for a very long time now, it has worked very well, but it is now time to replace it. Any thoughts on the Woodmaster vs Trimaster?

[John TenEyck]

I have a 1" x 1.3 tpi CT on my 17 Grizzly. It cuts super well, and super fast. I use it for everything thicker than 2". My friend has a 3/4" x 2 tpi CT on his older MM16. It cuts fine but no smoother, just slower. I can't compare blade life because I cut 100X more through mine than he does, mostly slicing 8 - 12" wide veneer. With a tall resaw fence and feather board to hold the stock against it, it's pretty easy to stay within 0.010" top to bottom and end to end. That's more than good enough for my needs.

I buy mine at Spectrum Supply. As noted, they are cheaper than anyone else I've found. And, yes, it's a genuine Lennox blade and the welds are good (with one exception I had). I had trouble ordering from them the last time using a Chase Visa card. For whatever reason, Chase denied the transaction. Another card worked fine.

To the OP, you don't want a Woodslicer if you are going to cut dense woods like mesquite. Actually, if you compare them side by side you will only consider the Resaw King and CT in the future. The cut quality is great, they come in widths that will allow you to take advantage of the size/power of your saw, and they last a LOT longer. I sharpen my CT myself, so the cost is pretty low by the end of life. If that's something that sounds appealing, I should probably only consider the 1.3 tpi blade to make sharpening easier. FWIW, I see no reason to go wider than 1".

You might consider spending some time to get your saw to cut straight and parallel with the miter slot. Your comment about having a Driftmaster fence suggested that's been an issue. Resawing and veneer slicing are much easier when the blade cuts straight, with no drift.

Put 20 - 25 ksi on it and enjoy how well it cuts.

John

I wouldn't consider the Lennox Tri-Master for resawing. Besides the price, it has too many teeth for wide resaws and the gullets aren't very deep. It wasn't even designed to cut wood.

[Jared Sankovich]

I need a new blade and this thread had me looking. Spectrum Supply is _way_ cheaper than my usual source bandsawbladesdirect, $143 vs $221 for what is billed as the same blade. That seems like too good (or bad) to be true. Am I missing something?

No it's really that cheap from them.

[Phillip Mitchell]

Can confirm that Spectrum Supply is a good option for Woodmaster CT. I’ve bought a couple 1” 1.3 TPI from them over the last handful of years. The last time (this past summer) took longer than before (a few weeks) but it worked out fine and thankfully it was a backup and not something I needed quickly.

Never used the 2 TPI, only the 1.3 and I’ve been *very* happy with the cut quality and speed. I wouldn’t bother with Laguna Resaw King, personally, just knowing how good the Lennox is.

What I’m not sure of, but would like to find out a bit more definitely, is who is willing to re-sharpen a Lennox CT. I’ve had mine on for almost 2 and a half years and cut many thousands of LF of wood with it. I can notice a slight degradation in sharpness but not much compared to how a traditional bi-metal blade really drops off when it looses its edge. I have a feeling it will snap before it really gets dulls, but would still be good to know if there’s a realistic option to get it sharpened properly.

[John TenEyck]

Can confirm that Spectrum Supply is a good option for Woodmaster CT. I’ve bought a couple 1” 1.3 TPI from them over the last handful of years. The last time (this past summer) took longer than before (a few weeks) but it worked out fine and thankfully it was a backup and not something I needed quickly.

Never used the 2 TPI, only the 1.3 and I’ve been *very* happy with the cut quality and speed. I wouldn’t bother with Laguna Resaw King, personally, just knowing how good the Lennox is.

What I’m not sure of, but would like to find out a bit more definitely, is who is willing to re-sharpen a Lennox CT. I’ve had mine on for almost 2 and a half years and cut many thousands of LF of wood with it. I can notice a slight degradation in sharpness but not much compared to how a traditional bi-metal blade really drops off when it looses its edge. I have a feeling it will snap before it really gets dulls, but would still be good to know if there’s a realistic option to get it sharpened properly.

The last I knew Connecticut Tool and Saw sharpens Lennox carbide blades. When I looked into several years ago, I think it was about half the price of a new one from Spectrum, plus shipping both ways. That's when I decided to sharpen it myself.

John

[Andrew Hughes]

I have both the 1.3 and the 2 tpi woodmaster. The 2 tpi was almost as good as the Resaw king I used to have. It didn’t cut as fast but the surface i was getting darn near perfect. I resaw for bent lamination and set the guides meticulously. No tension gauge
Heres pics of the cut Lennox woodmaster 2 tpi . This blade has been sharpened once by my saw service.
You can see some of the fiber broken but still a darn good cut. My saw is a Aggizani B202/20.
Good Luck

[John TenEyck]

Here's the 1" x 1.3 tpi on my Grizzly cutting walnut:

[Andrew Hughes]

That’s a very good cut John.
I thought I should mention something about the resaw king blade that’s important. The kerf is very small compared to the Woodmaster blade 2 tpi I compared it too. For my saw the cost is about the same. Some wood is so expensive I think it’s worth paying for a blade with a small kerf.
The 1.3 tpi blade that John recommends is less money and cuts faster.
I have one coiled up ready for tall resawing.
Good Luck

[John TenEyck]

That's a good point, Andrew, for those cutting expensive wood.

I was looking at your prior post again. You might consider building or buying a tension gauge. Guides are pretty much unnecessary if you put 25 ksi on a sharp 1" blade and it cuts straight. The guides on my saw never touch the blade. You'll get optimum performance and cut quality between sharpenings, too.

John

[lou Brava]

I have both the 1.3 and the 2 tpi woodmaster. The 2 tpi was almost as good as the Resaw king I used to have. It didn’t cut as fast but the surface i was getting darn near perfect. I resaw for bent lamination and set the guides meticulously. No tension gauge
Heres pics of the cut Lennox woodmaster 2 tpi . This blade has been sharpened once by my saw service.
You can see some of the fiber broken but still a darn good cut. My saw is a Aggizani B202/20.
Good Luck

I use a Resaw King it's sharp & my cuts are no where near as smooth as what your showing & you mentioned the Resaw king cut a bit better . I'm pretty sure the saw is set up correct at least the fence, my cuts are near perfect dimension wise it's very accurate even when cutting 1/8" or less on 8-9" stock. I get very faint saw marks. I'm thinking maybe not enough tension or a tooth or 2 aren't set correctly ? Blade is 125" 3/4 resaw king
I didn't know cuts like you & John show were possible !

[Andrew Hughes]

The Resaw King should give you a near perfect surface. What does your cut look like?
I guess it’s possible you have a blade with a tooth or two out I’ve seen on regular carbon blades usually around the weld.
Good Luck

[Tom Trees]

I didn't know cuts like you & John show were possible !

Ain't it great to see an example of what is achievable!, I often link John's Woodmaster CT posts on other UK forums, when the usual bandsaw shopping thread pops up,
and suggest getting a larger used Italian saw for less money, what's capable of tensioning one of these carbide blades,
but most of the time this falls on deaf ears.

Guess carbide tipped blades are just a bit too expensive yet for folks across the pond.
Best results I've seen other than that, might likely be on Mario's channel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiphC3qWFvw

[Larry Edgerton]

While you guys are throwing recommendations out I need a blade to make cedar shingles on my 20". $750 a square for shingles, decided as its for my own garage I'll cut them myself. Have a 1" carbide but it hit a embedded bolt in some oak I was sawing. Prefer carbide, what do you suggest for cedar up to 8"?