Bandsaw blades

hjlssfor1 · Post by **hjlssfor1** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 10:13 pm

Shopsmith has bandsaw blades on sale now (see http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/spec ... 5796&epn=), and I would welcome comments on the price to value of the standard quality blades versus the premium quality blades.

Thanks, Hank

mgbbob · Post by **mgbbob** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 10:26 pm

I was logging on with the same question. Help.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Tue Apr 17, 2012 8:26 am

hjlssfor1 wrote:Shopsmith has bandsaw blades on sale now (see http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/specials/7DU237.htm?jn=34245&kt=MKT&kr=0007795796&cnum=0007795796&epn=), and I would welcome comments on the price to value of the standard quality blades versus the premium quality blades.

Thanks, Hank

All I can say is that Shopsmith is really, really proud of the Premium Quality Blades. What can you do to a bandsaw blade to make the difference between $16 and $29? I wonder who manufactures them for Shopsmith.

http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/spec ... 96&epn=%29

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Tue Apr 17, 2012 8:55 pm

I wanted a few 3/16 bandsaw blade so ordered them from SS. Set the tension less than 1/4" but these hardened blades break at that tension. I think they are made brittle because of the hardening.

On a positive note - I can say they are real sharp and teeth are well set. They saw very well and can saw curves less than 1/2" radius. I just wish they would hold together. I have welded broken blades up to three times. Because of this I get a thump/thump as the welds pass the cool blocks. (wish I could do a better job of filing/smoothing my welds) They still break - none of the welds break - just the hardened metal. Factory welds are solid, but so are mine. Any bends in a blade are a lot harder to straighten than the standard ones. Probably because of the hardening.

Still have sever more of these blades and will try them again, when making more toy cars and trucks. This time I will try to use only minimal tension.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 7:16 am

charlese wrote:I wanted a few 3/16 bandsaw blade so ordered them from SS. Set the tension less than 1/4" but these hardened blades break at that tension. I think they are made brittle because of the hardening.

On a positive note - I can say they are real sharp and teeth are well set. They saw very well and can saw curves less than 1/2" radius. I just wish they would hold together. I have welded broken blades up to three times. Because of this I get a thump/thump as the welds pass the cool blocks. (wish I could do a better job of filing/smoothing my welds) They still break - none of the welds break - just the hardened metal. Factory welds are solid, but so are mine. Any bends in a blade are a lot harder to straighten than the standard ones. Probably because of the hardening.

Still have sever more of these blades and will try them again, when making more toy cars and trucks. This time I will try to use only minimal tension.

Charlese: Please clarify. Are these comments with regard to the "Premium Quality" Shopsmith bandsaw blades? Also, how many "cutting hours" are you experiencing before the blades break? Are your comments limited to the narrow (3/16") blades or are they general in nature?

Unless you are getting a couple hours of cut time from these blades, I would consider these quality defects and would return them to Shopsmith.

I have used and discarded a significant number of bandsaw blades but have NEVER had a broken blade. I have kinked a couple and I have used a couple inappropriately (cutting materials for which the blade was not intended) but never a broken blade.

I would expect at least equal life expectancy with greatly improved cut quality from the Premium Quality Blades.

PS: For clarification - I use the standard Shopsmith bandsaw blades]