Choosing a Steel Cutting Band Saw Blade
If you are cutting steel or other metals with a band saw, there are a number of things to consider. For example, the type of tooth shape can impact how the blade performs.
Also, the tooth set can affect the raking effect for clearing chips and reducing blade binding. Lastly, the blade size can influence how quickly the material is cut.
Length
Metal cutting bandsaw blades vary in length, tooth configuration, material and size and have different features that can impact on the quality of your cut. Having a basic understanding of these can help you to select the right blade for your project and stop you wasting time and money on bandsaw blades that do not perform well.
The most important factor is the teeth per inch (TPI) of your blade. This determines the width of your kerf and the quality of your cut. A higher TPI means more teeth are in contact with your workpiece at any given point, but it also increases the likelihood of overheating. A lower TPI is faster but will create a rougher cut surface.
Tooth shape is also an important consideration. A straight edge blade will produce a smooth, clean cut with little or no chips but is less effective for cutting curves. A hook or rake tooth provides greater cutting power but will generate more chipping and will blunt more quickly.
Your blade material can be important depending on the steel cutting band saw blade materials you are cutting and the speed of your cuts. Harder materials need a high-strength blade made from heat-resistant mild or alloy steel, while softer materials benefit from a bi-metal blade that is more gentle and tolerant to overheating.
Thickness
The thickness of a steel cutting band saw blade is important because it can affect the quality of the cut. Too thin of a blade may not be stable and can cause the bandsaw to overheat, while too thick of a blade can create excessive wear.
Another factor to consider when choosing a thickness is the amount of kerf (cut clearance). A wide kerf allows for more cut clearance and reduces binding when cutting stacked or bundled materials, while a narrow kerf increases stability and offers increased efficiency.
The tooth pitch (teeth per inch) is also important, because it determines how quickly a metal cutting bandsaw blade can cut and how smooth the cuts will be. Too many teeth on the blade will increase vibration and damage the material being cut, while too few can cause overheating and a slow cutting speed.
To achieve the best results when using a metal cutting bandsaw, the correct blade and proper machine settings must be used. The bandsaw’s surface feet per minute (SFM) should be set based on the machinability of the material being cut. Softer materials such as carbon steel can be cut at higher speeds than tougher materials like stainless steel, which require lower speeds to avoid premature wear on the blade. The blade shape can also impact the quality of a cut, with options including a regular (which has a straight or zero-degree rake), hook (which features a 10-degree positive rake to easily cut nonferrous materials), and skip (which has widely spaced teeth with shallow gullets to reduce buildup and allow metal shavings to escape).
Pitch
Tooth pitch (also known as TPI) is the space between adjacent teeth and directly influences the kind of cut that your blade produces. A high TPI results in a finer cut, while a lower TPI produces a coarser one.
The tooth shape and shape of the material you’re cutting also have an impact on TPI, as well as rake and gullet depth. The three most common types of band saw blade tooth shapes are regular (which has a straight (zero) rake and is suited for general metal cutting), hook (which has a 10-degree positive rake and cuts a range of non-ferrous materials quickly) and skip, which has a rake and shallow gullets that make it ideal for structural and bundle cuts.
When selecting the right blade for a given project, it’s important to consider these factors and other specifics such as the wheel diameter on your machine. For example, if you choose a too-large blade for your wheel diameter, it may crack under pressure from the stress of cutting. To help ensure that you’re using the correct size blade, wrap masking tape or a string around your workpiece to measure the desired length of cut. This technique also helps prevent overfeeding, which can cause the blade to generate excessive heat and shorten its life expectancy. The correct blade, used properly, provides quality cuts for a long time and requires minimal pressure to operate.
Rake
A metal cutting band saw blade’s rake determines how the tooth pattern interacts with the workpiece. A raker tooth pattern provides a smooth cut that reduces chatter and noise. It also extends blade life. The tooth pattern also has an effect on the kerf size, which can affect how quickly and easily your machine cuts.
Depending on the material you’re cutting, there are different types of metal bandsaw blades to Tinplate steel coils Manufacturer choose from. Bi-metal blades are typically recommended for the majority of metal cutting applications, including carbon steel, tool steel, stainless steel, and pipes/tubing.
You’ll also need to select a pitch for your bandsaw blade. The general rule is that you want to use a pitch that keeps at least two of the blade’s teeth in contact with the workpiece at all times for maximum cutting speed with minimal vibration. The ideal tpi for solid materials is inversely proportional to the material thickness, while it’s based on diameter for tubes and profiles.
For instance, a wider kerf will provide more clearance for cutting bundled or stacked materials. This is especially important when cutting i-section beams or other shapes with multiple teeth in a row. For other materials, a narrower kerf will improve accuracy and enable plunge cutting. You should also consider whether you need a wave or raker tooth pattern, which creates a more even kerf width across the entire blade to reduce clogging and improve overall performance.
