Maintenance Guide for Wood Bandsaw Blades
Different kinds of blades are used for the cutting of metals or wood. However, these blades are quite similar in their maintenance needs, and regular checkups have to be performed on wood bandsaw blades to ensure they stay in optimal shape.
If damaged, your wood bandsaw blades can become a liability.
As a more malleable material compared to metals such as steel, the structural soundness of wood materials are incredibly dependent on the integrity of the blade cutting it. Clean, precise cuts are essential for wood bandsaw blades.
First, it is important to establish the kind of problems most commonly found in wood bandsaw blades. These include:
- Damaged or irregularly-worn out blade teeth
- Excessive vibration
- Cracks on the blade and even breakage
- Irregular and imprecise cuts
At Industrial Bandsaw Services, we provide repair services for both machinery and blades and frequently encounter clients whose blades display a variety of issues. Before settling on any kind of repair plan, it is important to first correctly diagnose the problem. You can check out our guide on how to diagnose these issues for yourself as this can give you a better understanding of how to better care for your wood bandsaw blades.
Now that you know which problems plague your blades, you can go about setting up a maintenance plan that works best for your applications.
With that said, there are some basic steps that everyone should follow:
- “Break in” a new blade first before putting it to extensive use. You can do this by running the blade at a lower speed for a period of time.
- Make sure to always lubricate your blade, both on a regular and on an as-needed basis. One of the most important things about lubrication is to ensure you use the right type of lubricant. Not all lubricants are made equal to one another.
- Sharpen your blade every now and then. Make sure you refer to your blade’s manual when undergoing the sharpening process. Failure to sharpen your blade can lead to dull cuts, and dull cutting is one of the fastest ways to damage a blade and cause cracking.
For more information on how to operate and care for blades, make sure to follow the Industrial Bandsaw blog.
