Thread: Bandsaw For Veneer Cutting

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I have just bought a $16Ft long 1/2" 1.6T blade from Henry Bros, and at around $35 it is eating 300mm high Australian Red Cedar. Before getting this blade from Henry I had a 1" 3TPI bi-metalic blade at $90 I thought it would be a dream. but the gullet is too small to clear the dust and caused me heaps of trouble..

Honestly talk to henry he has what you need, I will be buying a 1" Blade shorty..

I have a H&F 16" bandsaw.
About 1 1/2 HP.

I bought several blades for Henry Bros.
A 1/2" Bimetal blade with 3 TPI is what they highly recommended.


It does a fine job on timber up to 2" think.

Anything thicker than that and it just bogs down.

The 1" blade wont cut anything.

After reading several articles and what has been said on this forum, I think I know what my problem might be.

The depth of the gullet is pretty small. It might be getting clogged with the sawdust.

I will see if I can get a blade with 1.6TPI or less.

And a 3HP motor if the frame could stand it.

Yep, I'm using a 1/2" 3TPI bi-metal from Henry's - no problem cutting 6" blackwood.

Originally Posted by Scally

It does a fine job on timber up to 2" think.

Anything thicker than that and it just bogs down.

The 1" blade wont cut anything.

I have a H&F 16" saw, the BP16A, and as far as I can tell, it has a 2hp motor on it.

Using the 1" blade from Henry Brothers, it has cut all sorts of timbers including redgum and jarrah as high as can be crammed in the available space. The only time it has stopped is when the log is tapered, and I have misjudged if it would fit and it jammed on the guides!

Something is wrong. What do you mean 'bogs down'? Are you saying the blade stops, or the motor stops?

woodbe.

Thanks Alexs and Woodbe, I feel really great now!!

Mine is the older style with the cast iron frame not the newer metal frames.

I bought it to cut chair legs from 42mm myrtle. It did a great job. A big step up from my little 20year old Makita jigsaw.

Once I get much thicker than this the motor stops. I can back off the timber and wait for it to get back up to speed then go again.

I would love to get it going better but didn't expect to.
THe wheels are in line. The blade runs on the centre of the rubber wheel. It runs true. The blade doesn't wander in a cut. Tension feels right. I had screwed it up tight and even bought a new spring to make sure I had enough tension. Now I have backed it off some after listening to experts like David Marks.

I was hoping a different style of blade such as the 1/2" 1.6 or less tpi would be the solution.

Hi Scally,

Ok, I understand now.

If the saw is running out of grunt, you have 2 options: Increase the grunt or reduce the load.

I'm assuming you have tried reducing the rate of feed so the saw cuts slowly without exceeding it's available horsepower. In which case, something has to change...

So... you're on the right track with the blade, trying something the same size but with a lot less teeth will reduce the load on the saw. Worth trying. Other than that, might have to look at more horsepower, but that could get expensive. (cheaper than a new saw though)

Cast Iron saws are supposed to be a lot better than metal framed jobs, so don't ditch it yet.

woodbe

Thanks Woodbe.

That was where I was heading.

Next trip to Sydney will be to Henry Bros.

Originally Posted by woodbe

Hi Scally,

If the saw is running out of grunt, you have 2 options: Increase the grunt or reduce the load.

woodbe

I have just bought a 3Hp motor off eBay for $168 it comes with a 25mm shaft and looks to be really good, the are also 2Hp motors for around $60-80 (if you are prepared to wait) and the postage is around $35, So this is quite a cheep option

Here is my setup. 3hp 18" jet, 1" 1.5-2 tpi Lenox carbide tip and power feeder. Saw in the back ground. Power feed IMHO is a must.

Dennis
Attachment 56487
Latest piece New York 42" 1,500+ pieces all natural wood no stains.
Attachment 56488

Sorry for hijacking your thread Echidna but hopefully the discussion is some help to you.

Dennis, your work is amazing. I recall the detail on a rope bridge.

I have read that 3 HP would be enough power to saw nearly anything for my type of use.
My problem is getting the bandsaw to cut before I need a powerfeed.

Maybe I should have another read of Stu's bandsaw. It would be good to be able to cut 1mm veneers in 30cm hardwood.

Salty, $168 sounds good value, if I can get results. Major sent me some information about swapping motors. He said the main issue was making sure the motor had the right base/fitting to mount on my bandsaw.
Have you set yours up yet?

Scally, your saw should work with the existing motor, sounds like you need to tune up the saw

if your looking for a cheep option (read new bandsaw) there is one listed in the buy Sell and Swap Folder that will cut 200mm height

Some more info on my bandsaw

It is a H&F SBD20

Only 3/4 HP.

That might explain why it struggles through thicker timber.

Time to check out those 3 HP motors I think.