Question about the life of a band saw blade

[hilltopper46]

I tried to search to see if this had been addressed before, but I couldn't find anything on it.

I broke a Timberwolf 1/4-inch band saw blade last weekend that I had bought new last July. It broke right at the weld. It was used on the average of twice a week to cross-cut pen blanks, plus a few other projects - mostly cross cutting and some ripping - very little curve cutting was done with it.

It was still cutting very well when it broke. (Much better than the blade that I got with the (used) saw that I reinstalled to finish the project.

I have a 1/2-inch blade that I swap out to do 'heavy-duty' cutting with.

When it broke I was cutting some 1/2-lap joints for a light-box I was building in 1x2 clear pine - it was under no strain whatsoever from the cut itself.

I confess - I don't always remove tension from the blade when it is not under use - it's a pain on the 12-inch Craftsman saw that I have.

So bottom line - what is a reasonable amount of time to expect a bandsaw blade to last? I know there are a lot of variables, but I tried to give an accurate description of use above.

Thanks in advance.

 

[beamer]

I didn't get past your first two paragraphs: Timberwolf broke at the weld - get ahold of pswood.com (the makers of timberwolf blades). They guarantee the weld for life and should replace the blade outright.

Now i'll read the rest of your post

 

[beamer]

The answer to how long a blade should last ... In proper use, it should stop cutting long before it breaks. Especially at the weld.

I noticed you mentioned a 12" saw - I can't remember for sure, but I know one or two blade makers won't guarantee blades below a certain size, but I don't think it was PS Wood.

Come to think of it, they may not replace the blade, I am not 100% sure if they will (more like 95%). But, I am confident that Barb at PS Wood will make it right. They are tops in customer service all around, for sure.

Removing the tension is a good thing to do. Not just for the blade but for your saw as well. The tires can get flat spots which can cause nasty vibration a rougher cuts. I used to be rotten at it, too.

To help me remember, now, I have a spring clamp (one of them black plastic things) that I clamp to the blade when it's detensioned. When I go to use the saw, I have to plug it in, so when I tension up the blade I stick that clip on the cord, right at the plug. Everytime I am through with the saw, it goes back to its parking spot which means it gets unplugged. I can't miss that clip sitting there and it reminds me to release the tension. Early on, i caught myself at the plug but now I reach for the clamp first, then reach for the cord.

 

[Rifleman1776]

My first thoughts were 'small wheel?' or plenty of use already so it shouldn't matter.
Suffolk machinery told me to expect 200 lineal feet (they didn't say if thickness was a factor) of cutting for a blade. Then it will be too dull for proper use.
A break at the weld is really unacceptable but your blade was pretty old. Personally, I wouldn't fret over it and just buy another blade.
Jason, great idea. I often forget to detension mine. Bad habit.

 

[RussFairfield]

Small wheel and too much tension are a deadly combination. I suspect that both contributed to the blade failure.

 

[hilltopper46]

Sorry to bump this, but I wanted to follow up with some results in the event someone might search on this topic and find this in the future.

I called Suffolk Saw of PA (ebandsawblades.com). They said since it broke on the weld they would repair it if I send the blade back, or, if they decide it is unrepairable they will replace it.

I'm very happy with that kind of a fair resolution.

(edited in spelling correction).

 

[Randy_]

Originally posted by Rifleman1776
<br />.....Suffolk machinery told me to expect 200 lineal feet (they didn't say if thickness was a factor) of cutting for a blade. Then it will be too dull for proper use......

At first glance, 200 feet didn't seem like very much; but in thinking about it, that would be cutting a sheet of plywood into twenty six 8' long pieces. That is quite a bit of cutting!!

Thickness of wood certainly has to be a factor. I would bet there is some industry standard for such a spec.....maybe 1" thick....but I don't know what it is. It would an interesting to ask them!!

 

[ToolRest]

From how you describe your use of the blade, I would have expected it to have lasted longer, and certainly not break at the weld.

You might want to check that the blade is not over-tensioned; these are designed to run at low tension. I leave mine tensioned all the time, mainly because I use it so much that it would be a major hassle, but also because I have never found it to be a problem. Also make sure the thrust bearings are correctly placed, if indeed your saw has them. I know that some 12 inch saws don't have them, and I think this could lead to undue flexing of the blade and shortened life. It would certainly need to be used with a lighter touch than a saw with thrust bearings.

Personally I think I would leave the 1/2 blade on the machine, and switch to the smaller one only when needed for small circle cutting. It will flex backwards less, and if it has less TPI it will be easier to keep sharpened.

FWIW I use 1/2" 3TPI blades (Viking brand, which used to be called Timberwolf here) and usually get several sharpenings before the blade becomes unusable. The most common failure mode is a small crack at the back of the blade, which usually causes an audible ticking, at which point I replace it. I always keep a new blade on hand ready for this event. I have never thought about how many linear feet I get between sharpenings, but would guess it is somewhat in excess of 200 feet. This is mainly on 1 and 2 inch maple, but some thicker bowl stock, some exotics and the occasional piece of fire wood that is too long to fit in the stove

here's hoping they send you a brand new blade[]