What happens when a bandsaw blade snaps?

[Randall Frey]

So, the other day when I was working on the bandsaw. I got to thinking, what would happen if the blade for some reason should snap? Where would it go? Could I get hurt? So, what does happen? I usually use a 1/2" blade on a 14" saw, if that makes a difference.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I could be wrong but I would think not a whole lot would happen...the blade doesnt' have a lot of mass....it immediately loses it source of drive....

There might be a lot of possibilities but most are not very probable.

[Cody Colston]

What happens when a bandsaw blade snaps?

Some racket and no cutting. It's really anticlimactic.

[glenn bradley]

+1 on pretty boring. I suppose one could have visions of the blade snaking out of the housing like some demonic beast on a rampage . . . nah.

[Dave Cav]

We break one every couple of weeks at school. Usually it's kind of noisy, sometimes the saw just quits working. Totally not a big deal. I can change a blade on a PM 141 in about 3 minutes now.

[Van Huskey]

The "ting" is the worst part and then just downhill from there. Now, I suppose there is that one in a million shot where it comes flying out like a spider monkey jacked up on Mt. Dew but I wouldn't loose sleep about it. After the first time it happened to me the wheels were barely finished spinning down when I was already looking for the weld and hoping it broke there (free replacement).

[Joshua Layne]

...comes flying out like a spider monkey jacked up on Mt. Dew...

ROFLMAO

nice imagery.

[Tom Veatch]

Never broken a blade on my wood cutter. Snapped one on the metal cutter a few days ago. Just a moderately loud "pop", and it was all over.

[scott spencer]

I usually just change my shorts, replace the blade, and go right back at it.

[Jeff Willard]

I don't think any trade is harder on a bandsaw than the meat industry, and after 30+ years in the business, the number of bands that have snapped in my presence must be in the hundreds. I've heard all the stories about some guy's cousin, who knew a guy that had one snap and jump out the upper door and amputate his face , but I've never witnessed it. They just lay there, and I've not seen one do otherwise. I'm not going to claim that it couldn't happen, but so far, it hasn't. Once the band snaps, there is no longer any tension with which to drive it.

[John Coloccia]

The only time I've seen it do something exciting is when I'm setup for resawing large piece. With 12" of exposed blade, if it snaps right there, the blade can be somewhat unpredictable, and I had it come out a bit. You may think a bandsaw blade doesn't have much inertia, but believe be a 1" resaw blade can be quite energetic. I definitely wouldn't have wanted to have my hands near there at the time. Now I'm just a bit more aware of where my hands are when I'm resawing. Also, there's at least one creeker that posted about have a blade go on him, and meandering through his work and inch or two before stopping, i.e. you may want to have a reasonable bit of clearance between the blade and your fingers.

[Joe Scharle]

In my experience, the smaller blades just go 'pop' and stay in place. But the 1/2" and up tend to come out like a snake and lie on the floor.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Also, there's at least one creeker that posted about have a blade go on him, and meandering through his work and inch or two before stopping, i.e. you may want to have a reasonable bit of clearance between the blade and your fingers.

I have a hard time buying that since there is so little mass in a bandsaw blade and the minute it snaps, it's drive source is removed.

Possible ??????????? Highly improbable IMHO.

[John Coloccia]

Yeah, Joe and I are foot soldiers in the global bandsaw breakage misinformation conspiracy. Why would anyone make this up? Large blades are moving fast and have plenty of energy behind them. Anyone who's ever changed a larger band saw blade knows how quicky these thing cut, even after only falling an inch or two under their own weight.

[Bruce Page]

I have broken many blades of different sizes over the years working in machine shops, I have never had one snake out. I would just hear a loud pop & clunk and shut the machine down.
Is it possible? Anything is possible.