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All bandsaw blades are not created equal..

Well, it took almost a week, but I managed to screw up my 1st bandsaw blade..

Made a stupid mistake and tried to cut something that wasn't quite flat-bottomed without using a fence or jig.. jammed the work and tweaked the new Ridgid 1/2" blade..

Went to 5 different places in the Fresno/Clovis area and found that almost NOBODY stocks blades for a 14" (93 1/2"), and the ones that do think that 3/8" is a massive blade..

Ended up for now with a 1/2" Vermont American from Lowes... (ordered 3 blades online last night)

I know that the Ridgid that I bought wasn't a "top of the line" blade, but it felt better, ran smoother and seemed to cut better than the V.A. blade..

Also, I had to use a sharpening stone on the weld, to keep it from tearing up the saw... didn't need to do that with the Ridgid blade..

Of course, one blade does not a test make.. I could have bought either an exceptional Ridgid blade or a very bad VA blade..

mac

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mac davis
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. They have excellent discussions on bandsaws and blades. Use their Timberwolf blade and it is excellent.Leif

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Leif Thorvaldson

mac davis wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

I have never had a VA product with which I was really pleased. To me, it is truly an 'emergency' and/or 'disposable' brand.

Patriarch, who has screwed up a bandsaw blade somewhat spectacularly. Always make sure you reapply the tension to the blade. DAMHIKT

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Patriarch

Reply to
David Wade

Try the Olsen blades, dollar for dollar they are really good. they also make great scroll saw blades. Can sometimes be found at Home Depot.

Reply to
vernon

My local Wood store stocks Proline 93 1/2 blades and they are around $14 or so. I had bought a Rigid and used rigid blades and was ready to pitch it. The proline 1/2 skip tooth (i think) cuts like butter. Well worth the money to me.

Reply to
Rick Cox

Could be worse. Couple years back I let myself run down to one blade, then, when it snapped, went to the only place within 150 miles likely to have blades. They didn't have a single 93 1/2" blade! All kinds of weird lengths, though. Incredible.

Reply to
George

you could classify this blade as emergency.. since it was the ONLY 93 1/2" 1/2" blade I could find in 2 hours of shopping.. *g*

I can celled my web order for blades... realized that I'll be getting the riser block and them have useless "short" blades.. lol

mac

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mac davis

HD only carries Ridgid blades here, and not many... just not a "bandsaw area", I guess...

mac

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mac davis

What was strange was that I called Sears, who sells Delta and "craftsman" 14" saws, and they (along with Orchid Supply) only carry up to 80" blades..

mac

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mac davis

============================ Try them online. Go to sears.com, select "tools", then search for "band saw blades". They have several 93 inch blades for wood and metal. Craftsman, Delta, and Olson brands.

Ken Moon Webberville, TX

Reply to
Ken Moon

probably would have worked, but I needed a blade THAT day.. *g*

I guess after the riser block, I'll be buying 105 1/2" blades???

mac

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mac davis

Hi Mac

Yes most of the 14" bandsaws use 105" long blades with the riser block installed, did I give you the E-mail address for the low tension Swedish silicon steel Bandsaw blades ?? They have really sharp prices, the heavier .032" thick, 1/4" 3/8" or

1/2" wide 3 or 4 tooth blades are 13 cent Canadian per inch length, that's $13.65 Canadian or approx. $11.- US for a 105" long blade and $9.70 US for a 93" blade. It pays to have a spare blade or two around, the blades of course only bend or break when we are using them, but somehow only when we can't get another one right away. Anyway here's the E-mail address.

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fun and take careLeo Van Der Loo

mac davis wrote: snip

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Leo Van Der Loo

Reply to
Owen Lowe

yeah, Leo.. I bookmarked it.... I got a lead last night for a highly recommended saw shop a few miles from home that welds up blades to order, so I'll try him first..

I know already about spare blades! I've only had the saw for about 2 weeks (how the hell did I live without it?? *g*), and have kinked one blade and "slightly" kinked another... Cutting bowl blanks yesterday and didn't realize that the bottom of the blank, that was on the table top, wasn't as flat as I thought... it rocked just enough to bind the new blade and put a kink in it.. *sigh*

I'm living with it for now.. just trying to use the saw as little as possible.. I don't want to buy any more 93 1/2" blades and my riser kit isn't scheduled to get here until Wednesday night... All the blades I buy from now on (and it looks like I'll order in bulk) will be the 105's..

mac

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mac davis

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