Keeping Your Bandsaw Blade on the Straight and Narrow

October 31, 2019

One of the hallmarks of whether you can rely on a cut or not comes down to the simple fact that your bandsaw blade stay unwavering and straight while cutting.

Yet, this simple measure of accuracy presents an ever-pervasive issue for many woodworkers, and metalworkers.

To help combat this situation, we’ve put together some utilitarian advice that can help keep the reigns on your bandsaw blade.

Why Does My Bandsaw Blade Wander?

It can seem futile in a lot of cases for your bandsaw to remain steadfast in the direction you want. This conundrum can be traced back to host of issues, here are a number of solutions you can implement to help mitigate the situation:

Instating the use of guide blocks and bandsaw lubricant to minimize heat accumulation from friction; blade deflection is symptomatic of heating as the teeth start to heat more than the back of the blade.
Having your bandsaw blade remain sharp and set accurately cannot be understated. This doesn’t have to be an expensive option, the used bandsaw equipment we distribute conform to the highest standards of quality, keeping your blades sharper, for longer.
Remain cognizant of the way you store your bandsaw blades. That’s right, hanging your blades from a wall compared to laying them flat prevents them from incurring unwarranted damage, expediting the road blade wander.

Which Bandsaw Blades Do I Need?

While your bandsaw blade style and tooth set play crucial roles in determining which blade you use, there are general guidelines that can be followed when performing particular types of sawing:

Contour Sawing – you’ll want the blade width to conform to a size that is congruent with the cutting radii. For example, for a 4” cutting radius a 5/8” blade width is recommended – this allows for the blade to be wide enough for your new or used bandsaw machine, while also being narrow enough to cut the required shape. Various charts have been developed to help narrow down this selection.
Cut-Off Sawing – for your productivity to flourish, you’ll want as fast a feeding rate as possible. In order to make this possible, it is recommended that the blade be as wide as your machine can be outfitted with. Why? Beam strength of the blade scales with its width i.e. wider blades display straighter, more accurate cuts.

If only there was a convenient hub to select the new or used bandsaw blades and equipment you needed...enter Industrial Bandsaw Services! We’ve been in the business for over 40 years, providing Canadian’s with the new, refurbished, and used bandsaw equipment they need for all their cutting needs. Reach out to one of our technicians and see how we can keep your cutting productive!