Replies

1. 
   PeteBradley | Aug 20, 2006 01:11am | #1

   This page:

   http://www.houseoftools.com/product.htm?pid=198653&catid=9551

   Has a picture that shows the method I use.

   Pete

1. 
   popawheelie | Aug 20, 2006 01:41am | #3

   Thank you very much!

2. 
   KeithNewton | Aug 20, 2006 01:37am | #2

   I do it a little differently from what pete"s link shows.

   Hold the blade out in front of your body with the teeth facing away from you, and one hand on each side of the circle with both thumbs toward the inside. Wear gloves if your dog hasn't eaten them like mine is fond of doing.

   Rotate one hand forward and down, while you rotate the other up, or just the opposite, and as you are doing that, move your hands inward until your wrist cross. At this point, you should just be able to shift your grip to lay the 3 circles onto each other.

   If it is a big blade, start out with your hands about 2/3 of the way up on each side, and do as I describe above, which will give you two normal loops and one large loop. Then just hold the two loops in one hand and the other on the opposite side of the big loop, and repeat the above process again.

3. 
   ctsjr | Aug 20, 2006 03:20am | #4

   There's a short video by John White online that demonstrates how to fold a bandsaw blade.  Looks like a magic trick, and like most, it's very simple.  Tom

   "Notice that at no time do my fingers leave my hand"
1. 
   dgreen | Aug 20, 2006 03:39am | #5

   I fold my blades for the 14" saw but have'nt been able to bring myself to try it on the 1 inch and up blades for the bigger saw. Do you folks fold the big ones or hang em? If they were fine toothed I might be braver but an inch and an eighth 1.3 tpi scares the c**p out of me gloves or not. Like wrestling with a shark.
   Since the house is on fire let us warm ourselves. ~Italian Proverb

1. 
   cadiddlehopper | Aug 20, 2006 04:06am | #6

   I have some new blades folded to 5 layers. How???Cadiddlehopper

1. 
   trialnut | Aug 21, 2006 04:20pm | #21

   cadiddlehopper

   I described the process to Don here 7056.3   Have fun.

   RichThe Professional Termite

1. 
   cadiddlehopper | Aug 21, 2006 06:41pm | #22

   Thanxx!!, Rich. I can't see the value of extra folds either. I suppose a shipper might value a smaller shipping carton.Cadiddlehopper

2. 
   ctsjr | Aug 20, 2006 06:20am | #7

   Discretion may be the better part of wholeness!  Sounds like you are better off hanging that one up as is!  I don't have a blade that wide--not even close.  Tom"Notice that at no time do my fingers leave my hand"

1. 
   dgreen | Aug 20, 2006 06:35am | #8

   I also confess to taking them to a nearby patch of grass when new . I carefully hold it as I undo the twist tie and then throw it as far away as I can while running hell bent for leather in the opposie direction.
   Since the house is on fire let us warm ourselves. ~Italian Proverb

4. 
   philip | Aug 20, 2006 09:58am | #9

   Pop, if you fold bandsaw blades in a suitably nonchalant manner you will be seen to have arrived in the world of woodworking.
   They just have to be folded-they are no good hanging on the wall.
   Keith has described the routine well, but for the longer blades one uses a foot to hold down the loop just before the act itself.If a dog is in the way when the coils are on the move he will only do that once.

   Philip Marcou
1. 
   KeithNewton | Aug 20, 2006 04:51pm | #10

   Hey Mook, I'll bet you have a smarter dog than Burl. He has been a very bad dog. If I could have caught him when he stole my moisture meter, I would have been tempted to whup him with a BS blade. I guess the soft case was just too tempting for him.

1. 
   philip | Aug 20, 2006 11:42pm | #13

   Hi Keith, unfortunately no bench dog here-he had to be left behind in Zimbabwe where he was used to being a normal dog: here he would be required to wear a muzzle, never be seen without me, always on a leash, never allowed to stroll the woods etcetc-not a dogs life. He has taken up residence with a lady who lives in town but has horses-which he guards most jealously.
   I make do with two cats-but even these are vulnerable to raving kiwis with cars-in three years I have lost two, so the black one in the picture is number four.Philip Marcou

1. 
   MRGreer | Aug 21, 2006 02:10am | #14

   It's just like folding those sun blockers that fit in the front window of your car only they don't have teeth.  If you can fold those then you can fold a band saw blade.  I will admit however, the wider the blade the more difficult it is.  3/4" is the widest I have folded.

1. 
   forestgirl | Aug 21, 2006 03:11am | #15

   "3/4" is the widest I have folded."  Me too, had to take a deep breath first.  Went OK though. ;-)forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

2. 
   KeithNewton | Aug 21, 2006 03:43am | #16

   When they get bigger, it is not the folding that is dangerous, it is the unfolding that will get you. I got stabbed pretty good with a 1" 1 tpi for the woodmizer a few weeks ago. They are somewhat like a big mouse-trap for humans.Should I charge more for those boards with my blood on them?

3. 
   forestgirl | Aug 21, 2006 06:05am | #17

   "They are somewhat like a big mouse-trap for humans."  LOL!!  I have these big garden gloves for pruning roses and the like, leather with tall "gauntlets" go half-way up the forearm.  Good for unfolding 1" blades, eh??forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

4. 
   dgreen | Aug 21, 2006 06:12am | #18

   Maybe combined with boots, full face shield, cod piece and a full set of leather chaps! :)
   Since the house is on fire let us warm ourselves. ~Italian Proverb

2. 
   joinerswork | Aug 21, 2006 04:00pm | #20

   philip,

   Speaking of arriving in the world of woodworking, one of the tricks played on me as a novice in the shop was being shown a bandsaw blade that had "had the teeth put on upside down".  Go to put it on the saw, and the teeth pointed upwards, away from the table!  "Take it to the boss, and tell him we'll have to send that one back, they come that way, sometimes."   While I was standing there explaining the problem, the boss took the thing from my hand, and turned it inside-out, whereupon the teeth magically re-oriented themselves, to the endless amusement of the rest of the shop. 

   I saw through the attempts to get me to look for the "board stretcher" and the "left handed monkey wrench", but the mis-toothed sawblade was a GOTCHA!

   Ray

5. 
   forestgirl | Aug 20, 2006 05:36pm | #11

   I've never used 2 hands as shown in that video.  Learned from John's video, which is no longer in the "free" section of Taunton.com sadly enough.  One hand, stand with ball of foot on bottom of the blade, teeth facing away (yes, gloves).  For right-hander, start by twisting hand counterclockwise before grasping blade, such that palm is faced outward and elbow twists and points away from body.  Grasp blade carefully, then turn hand back, continue turning while lower hand toward foot.  The blade will magically form itself into three loops down on your foot.

    

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 
   

1. 
   philip | Aug 20, 2006 11:26pm | #12

   Now Jamie that is a superior way....One could be quite clever and either do two blades at once, or just do one and be patting dog at the same time(;)Philip Marcou

6. 
   THintz | Aug 21, 2006 12:05pm | #19

   See the likn below of my story (with a video) about coiling a bandsaw blade. It's really easy once you see it and do it a couple times.

    

   http://www.newwoodworker.com/coilbsblde.html

   Tom Hintz

   Because there is always more to learn!

7. 
   TomHigby | Aug 23, 2006 02:36am | #23

   Reminds me of what I have heard about the mating of porcupines--done with great care.

   Tom

8. 
   tinkerer2 | Aug 23, 2006 06:09am | #24

   A good book to have in a woodworkers library is - Bandsaws by Lonnie Bird.  It shows three methods of folding a bandsaw band.  Take your pick.