I purchased a 14″ Delta Bandsaw about 4 months ago, and immediately ordered a pair of Olson steel half inch 3 TPI hook blades for it, and the machine has been working great. I have noticed the speed of the cut beginning to slow down though, so I swapped out the first 1/2″ blade, and put the second one on there (same exact one). I made a second cut on the same piece of wood in a fraction of the time, using the same amount of pressure to push the wood through (only enough to keep the wood moving, I learned quickly the wood will let you know how fast to go). I never forced any wood through it, and I took good care of it, why would it go downhill in only a couple months? The blade still feels sharp and the teeth still have good set to them. Is there anything I can do to renew it, or clean it up? Lastly, it might be helpful to add that I have been cutting primarily walnut, a little bit of plywood, and a little bit of redwood.
Discussion Forum
Get It All!
UNLIMITED Membership is like taking a master class in woodworking for less than $10 a month.
Start Your Free TrialCategories
Discussion Forum
Digital Plans Library
Member exclusive! – Plans for everyone – from beginners to experts – right at your fingertips.
Highlights
-
Shape Your Skills
when you sign up for our emails
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. -
Shop Talk Live Podcast -
Our favorite articles and videos -
E-Learning Courses from Fine Woodworking
-
-
Replies
The glue in plywood eats steel. That may be what happened to you.
Does the blade look discolored or have any visible pitch deposits? If so, you might try cleaning it. There is a review of blade cleaners in a recent issue of ShopNotes; their favorite was Extreme Simple Green (not to be confused with regular ol' Simple Green). You can find online vendors via Google.
-Steve
I've toasted a steel bandsaw blade in a day. Actually, quicker than that once, but that probably counted as abuse. :)
All depends on what you're cutting and how much. If you're resawing white oak it might not last as long as ripping 4/4 poplar.
Depending on the state of the blade you may be able to stretch out its life a little if you're willing to touch up all of the teeth. Generally though it isn't a winning proposition.
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled