Timberwolf Blade Life

[cpowell]

My 1" x 3 TPI PC Timberwolf blade is toast. I'd guess I've run 100 - 150 linear ft through the blade on avg 8 inches resaw cuts. Another 100 linear feet ripping rough stock (less than two inches thick). Probably half of that was oak/cherry/poplar/walnut, half purpleheart, padauk, bubinga combined. I haven't cut ANY softwood.

Interesting that the cut never wavered, I just needed to apply more push force as it dulled. Yesterday I began noticing a scorched smell the last two cuts on some poplar drawer stock. The resawn surface still looks okay (no burns) but the blade is very dull. I am going to try the FREE blades that came with the saw but am not optimistic about performance.

Is the exotic hardwood causing the early dulling?

Just curious what kind of life you all get from your BS blades. Also, is it economical to get the blades sharpened or are they disposable?

Chuck

 

[sapwood]

Chuck,

My experience using a 14" bandsaw with riser has been that none of the resaw blades last very long. Mine usually start to wander or "curve" surprisingly fast.

I've tried Lennox, Timberwolf, and the WWS brand and all have short life spans. I have not tried carbide blades (around $100 for 1/2" 105"). However, I've read they aren't any sharper, just last longer. I like the Timberwolf quality (sharpness) best and second choice is the Lennox with a 5/8 blade rather than 1/2". I've not tried a 3/4 or 1" you mentioned. IIRC you have an 18" bandsaw.

So my suggestion is to consider a carbide or buy multiple Timberwolf blades to reduce per unit cost :roll:

Sapwood

 

[kota62]

Chuck:
My experience seems to mirror Sapwoods as well, with the additional comment that if you're going to cut Hickory, expect to replace a new blade after one afternoon of resawing :-( I resawed several 4" wide boards that were only 2 - 3 ft long and now I have to run in at an almost 30° angle to cut close to straight....:-x
Good luck with your quest for the Holy Grail
Gary

 

[Joe Scharle]

Chuck, you might try placing clear packing tape over your cut lines. It seems to help me.
Joe

 

[woodguy1975]

Chuck, I do't use Timberwolf or any carbon blade for that reason. I only use Bimetal Lenox blades or caribide bands. Bimetal bands cost 2x as much, but last 4x as long in my book. Order you some from www.woodcraftbands and you won't be dissappointed. Tell them you wan 1/2 Bimetal with the 3 or 4 hook. I forget which one. That is what I use for 99% of my resaw. I just put a new on on the Meber SR600 and all I have to say is wow.

John

My 1" x 3 TPI PC Timberwolf blade is toast. I'd guess I've run 100 - 150 linear ft through the blade on avg 8 inches resaw cuts. Another 100 linear feet ripping rough stock (less than two inches thick). Probably half of that was oak/cherry/poplar/walnut, half purpleheart, padauk, bubinga combined. I haven't cut ANY softwood.

Interesting that the cut never wavered, I just needed to apply more push force as it dulled. Yesterday I began noticing a scorched smell the last two cuts on some poplar drawer stock. The resawn surface still looks okay (no burns) but the blade is very dull. I am going to try the FREE blades that came with the saw but am not optimistic about performance.

Is the exotic hardwood causing the early dulling?

Just curious what kind of life you all get from your bandsaw blades. Also, is it economical to get the blades sharpened or are they disposable?

Chuck

 

[frigator]

I prefer the Lennox trimaster carbides,they last and last, probably 10 times or more than a carbon timberwolf, which to me last maybe 20min of heavy resawing before they start drifting. The varitooth pitch carbide really saws well, IMHO its flat out the best resaw blade made. Its triple side ground, just like a tablesaw blade.

I got a notice that Laguna has got them on sale for 50cents an inch now, so a 150in blade would be 75$. To me the carbides, even though they cost more intially, are the cheapest in the long run. For curved work I use the bimetals......Only problem is you got to have a good saw to tension the carbides, stiff frame and strong spring.

 

[cpowell]

Chuck, I do't use Timberwolf or any carbon blade for that reason. I only use Bimetal Lenox blades or caribide bands. Bimetal bands cost 2x as much, but last 4x as long in my book. Order you some from www.woodcraftbands and you won't be dissappointed. Tell them you wan 1/2 Bimetal with the 3 or 4 hook. I forget which one. That is what I use for 99% of my resaw. I just put a new on on the Meber SR600 and all I have to say is wow.

John

Unless shipping is outrageous the prices from Woodcraftbands are significantly less than I've seen elsewhere. John, I'm curious why you went with a 1/2 inch 3H, versus a 3/4 inch 3H for resawing. Wouldn't the 3/4 give more beam strength (I'm an EE so don't throw any MSME jargon at me :lol: ). I see the 1/2 blade thickness is .003 less...is there noticeably less kerf on the 1/2 versus 3/4?

The 1/2 inch 3H Lenox Dimaster is 35.75 dollars plus shipping and the 3/4 3H is 42.25 dollars plus shipping. The TW blade I'd been using was 35 dollars from Suffolk...plus shipping...so it is around the same cost for a bimetal.

Also, when you track the bimetal do you leave the teeth off the front of the tire? I do so with the 1 inch 3TPI TW on the MM16 flat tires due to the set on the larger blade. If I go with the 1/2 3H Lenox can I track center tire?

Thanks for the reference.

Chuck

 

[woodguy1975]

Chuck,

Yeap gotta put the teeth of any blade over the edge of a flat tire. If you don't you'll ruin your tires pretty fast. I usually run it to where the back of the gullet is at the edge of the wheel. Adjusting the guides is such a breeze on the MM I don't worry about having to shift everthing. It only takes a minute.

I use 1/2" because of the thinner kerf. It is the max thickness for that thinner kerf. I've ever size right up to 1" in the bimetal and prefer the 1/2". I get just as good of cut and it requires less work on my part. A 1" blade on 16" wheel is pretty marginal btw. I'd keep your blade width down 3/4" or less. You get up 1" that is a pretty tight radius and you can see premature breakage. Now for exotics I use a 1" trimaster carbide band. The carbide blade really gives a great cut. I only use it when I need to and detension it so I don't stress the band.

Frigator, That closeout is an awsome deal!

Thanks,

John

 

[cpowell]

Thanks to ALL.

I'm going to order the 1/2 3H Lenox bimetal tomorrow. Man, I like the sound of the Laguna deal but the budget is tight until next month.

FWIW I put the FREE 1", 2 TPI blade Minimax supplied when I bought the saw and it made me realize how dull the TW was. It cut so fast and easy I thought I was sawing balsa wood! :lol: :lol: I believe it has a slightly larger kerf and it does leave a rougher surface than the TW blade but it will hold me until I get a replacement.

Chuck

 

[McRabbet]

FWIW I put the FREE 1", 2 TPI blade Minimax supplied when I bought the saw and it made me realize how dull the TW was.
Chuck

Oh, noooo! Actually the saw was free and the blade was the expensive component.....:lol:

Rob

 

[woodguy1975]

Another good reason to use 1/2" instead of 1" or something wide is the fact that you don't have to change blades when you want to do curved work. For me with the chairs I could never leave a 1" or 3/4" blade in the saw. The 1/2 does a good job resawing and is still small enough to cut most curves. Although I could always move on to saw number 2 or number 3 for that.....

:rolf:

 

[DavidF]

Hey John, does that Lennox bimetal need a lot more tension than the TW blade?

 

[woodguy1975]

David, I do tension the blade fairly high. I tension every blade high. I do it by flutter and sound pitch.

 

[DavidF]

Thanks john, it's just that they advertise the Silicon blade at TW to be "low tension" but I found that to really get rid of the flutter I had to tension it pretty much the same as a normal blade and that is close to the maximum easily applied tension on my BS. Anymore and I would struggle to turn the relatively small knob on the top. So if the bimetal needed a lot more then I would struggle.