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I have just purchased the Ridgid BS1400 bandsaw.<!—-><!—->
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I want to pick up a couple of extra blades and I was hoping to get some advice on which blades to buy. Example; width, thickness, skip, hook and TPI.<!—-> <!—->
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These will be used for general use and some light resawing.<!—-><!—->
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I live in <!—-><!—-> <!—->Canada<!—-> <!—-> so if someone knows of a retailer online or a store here that sells these blades that would be great. <!—-><!—->
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Thanks in advance,<!—-> <!—->
Doug
Replies
I'd get a thin 1/8" 14t blade for tight curves, and a wide 3/4" 3t for resawing and ripping.
I get mine at R&D bandsaws in Brampton. http://www.tufftooth.com/ Great service and lots of advice.
I just purchased one of their "Little Ripper" blades for ripping/resawing, and it's fantastic.
-Glenny
Hi Doug... I use 1 1/8 x 14 tpi for detail work. You will need 'cool blocks' to properly support it. Sort of makes my Bandsaw into a super scroll saw.
Next in line is a 3/16 x 4 TPI for doing lots of curve work.
a 1/4 x 6TPI , 3/8 x 4 TPI and a 1/2 x 3 or 4 TPI for ripping boards. The 3/8 is my blade of choice for most cutting. My supplier stocks Olsen brand blades and they work very well. I've also used Starrett blades, a bit more expensive and liked by many of my fellow hobbiests. The worst brand was Delta blades (yes, the tool company) They lasted the shortest time before I tossed them out. They came from Home Depot, the only source of blades at 9:30 PM! If you're going to slice wood, Timberwolf is, in my oppinion, the best blade (also the most expensive). SaWDUSTsTEVE
I've had good expeirence with Timberwolf blades. I usually pick them up at the wood show when it comes through town. I have a 1/8" , 1/4", and a 1/2" for resaw. I usually just keep the 1/2" in for ripping and resawing. You can order them from Lee Valley.
Dear Doug,
I have the same saw and FG convinced me that Timberwolf was worth a call. Boy, was she right! Big difference! Nice people to work with.
Best,
John
Love the wolf! ;>)forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
For general use, a good choice would be a 3/8" at 3 or 4 TPI. It will cut a circle about the size of a silver dollar (Canadian translation - a little bigger than a loonie), and do a good job on resaws, rips, and crosscuts. I run a 3/8" 4TPI or 1/2" 3 TPI silicon steel (aka "timberwolf") band most of the time on my 20" machine.
Resist the urge to buy the widest band that will fit on the machine. It will eat power and most likely deliver substantially worse results than a 3/8", even for resaws.
Pete
Yep, Timberwolf saved my mediocre underpowered bandsaw from boat-anchor duty.
Suffolk Machinery folks make the Timberwolf. For blade selection, give 'em a call and they'll ask what kind of b-saw you have and what you want to to cut. Extremely helpful and knowledgeable. T-wolfs are all I use.
Good luck,
RoyH
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