Thread: A question on blade life

the biggest question is where did it snap? At the weld location? If so, it's possible it was a weld defect, and you should possibly talk to the supplier and see what they think.

1". I was initially wondering if your saw could take a 25mm width, but according to the hafco specs they think it can run a 37mm, so you should be ok there.

Blades are consumables, so order a replacement pair if possible so you've always got a spare.....

Much longer than what you've had it for, but depends on how hard you've been running it whether you've hit some nails along the way etc.

Normally i'd say a 14" bandsaw will struggle to get the required tension on a 1" blade, but given its a newer bandsaw it could very well have been tensioned too far.

Other things i'd look at is whether your guides are too close to the blade, this could cause it to overheat and weaken the blade.

Thanks guys

It didn't snap at the weld, I should have mentioned that originally and no nail strikes. The top guides (bearings) sit just off the blade when its running and with nothing being fed through. I do see one of them spin at times when cutting, always the same one, but not constantly. Seems to have more to do with my work holding and feed rate than anything else. Does seem to run on the lower thrust bearing but that is a little harder to check. The lower side bearings have been replaced with HDPE blocks, again running just off the blade. I have checked the blade temp immediately when finishing a cut, blade stopped of course, and it is only slightly warmer than the table. That's after a 1350mm long 220mm wide re-saw.

I bought the blade online from an Australian supplier. I wont say which one cause it could be my fault it has snapped and I don't want to bad mouth them with out cause. In every other respect the service there has been excellent. I found a local business to weld the blade and he is going to make up another couple of carbon steel blades as well.

I think I will use the saws down time to try and improve the dust collection some more.

there are different grades of bimetal blades [2] I had them break after no time at all because the supplier was giving me there wrong grade of metal. Since I have changed supplier I haven't had any break at all and they last for along time with normal use.

Originally Posted by poundy

1". I was initially wondering if your saw could take a 25mm width, but according to the hafco specs they think it can run a 37mm, so you should be ok there.

I wouldn't trust the hafco specs - they just regurgitate what their manufacturers state which can be incorrect..

Before you waste your time re-welding it, here is a typical recommend blade size and thickness recommendations
From Choosing and Using Bandsaw Blades - The Tool Corner
If you are not meeting these specs I'd say you are asking for problems.

Screen Shot 2020-04-21 at 3.57.35 pm.png

Here is maximum blade thickness versus wheel radius.
Screen Shot 2020-04-21 at 3.57.51 pm.png