Bandsaw Blades Quick Start Guide

REGULAR BLADES

• Most Common Type

• Straight Faced Teeth With Even Spacing And Deep Gullets

• Straight Or 0° Rake

• Use For General Purpose Cutting – Either Cutoff or Contour Sawing In Thin Metal

• Used To Cut Most General Metals And Wood

HOOK BLADES

• Deep Gullet With Larger Teeth Widely Spaced

• Often Feature An Undercut Face With Positive 10° Rake Angle

• Use To Make Faster, More Coarse Cuts In Plastic, Metal, Thicker Wood Pieces And Hardwood

• Used In Making Longer Cuts As The Deep Gullet And Rake Angle Help Move Cut Material Out Of Way

SKIP BLADES

• Shallow Gullet And Widely Spaced Teeth

• Feature A 90° Tooth And 0° Rake

• The Sharp Angle At The Tooth Gullet Allows Chips To Come Out Cleanly

• Used For A Variety Of Woodworking Applications And Used To Reduce Clogging

• Use For Softwoods, Plastics, Or Nonferrous Metals That Could Gum Up The Blade

PROPER BLADE TEETH PER INCH (TPI) OR PITCH

• To Achieve A Smoother, More Refined Cut Choose A Blade That Has More TPI

• The More TPI, The Finer The Cut Will Be; The Fewer Teeth Per Inch, The Rougher The Cut Will Be

• High TPI Configurations Should Be Used On Thinner Materials And May Require A Reduced Material Feed Rate

• Low TPI Configurations Should Be Used On Thicker Materials And May Require A Higher Feed Rate

DETERMINING WHAT BLADE LENGTH AND WIDTH TO USE:

PROPER BLADE LENGTH 

• Length Of Blade Can Most Often Be Found In Your User’s Manual, Manufacturer’s Website Or Customer Service Department

PROPER BLADE WIDTH

• When Cutting Curves, The Width Of The Blade Will Determine The Smallest Radius That May Be Cut

• Wide Blades Are Most Often Used For Resawing Or Straight Line Cuts

• Smaller Width Blades Are Used For Smaller Radius Cuts