Steel Cutting Band Saw Blade
A steel cutting band saw blade is an excellent choice for the fabrication shop. It provides a powerful combination of durability, precision and value.
The most common cause of bandsaw blade failure in fabrication shops is tooth stripping. To prevent this, it is important to break in your blade properly.
Length
A steel cutting band saw blade can be a very useful tool to have on hand, especially for occasional maintenance tasks and short production runs. The length of the blade is often determined by the size of your bandsaw’s wheel diameter, and it’s important to consider this when choosing a blade for your saw.
The length of a blade can also be affected by its thickness and the material it’s designed to cut. Usually, thinner blades are used for lighter work steel cutting band saw blade and are advised if you’re using a bandsaw for re-sawing.
The tooth pitch and gullet depth are other important factors to consider when selecting a metal cutting bandsaw blade. The gullet is the gap between each tooth, and it’s important to choose a blade with an appropriate pitch for the material you’re cutting to ensure a smooth and consistent cut. A variable tooth set can help you achieve this, with alternating sets of teeth that vary in size for a fast, smooth cut that cuts without vibrations.
Thickness
The thickness of a metal cutting band saw blade refers to the distance between the teeth and the back of the blade. It’s important to be sure you have the right blade thickness for your needs – too thin and the blade will break, too thick and the blade can put too much strain on your bandsaw and cause premature wear.
It is also important to know the machinability of the material you’re working with. Some materials, like mild steel, can be cut at higher speeds, while others, such as stainless steel that has a lot of nickel and chrome, should be cut slower to prevent damage.
You may also want to look at the blade’s tooth pattern. For example, a wavy set blade has groups of teeth set left and right that are separated by unset raker teeth to reduce chatter when cutting thin sections, tubes, pipes or small shapes. A hook or rake tooth set has a more aggressive cutting angle and is more suitable for soft woods than straight cut blades.
Kerf Size
There are several factors to consider when choosing a band saw blade for cutting a particular material, including the kerf size. The kerf refers to the width of the slot cut by the blade, and it can vary depending on the type of material and thickness of the blade.
A wide kerf creates more clearance when cutting stacked, bundled or rolled materials and may reduce the risk of binding. However, it can also produce more chips and add to the overall cutting time. A narrow kerf may produce less chips and require less power from the motor.
A narrow kerf blade is also great for re-sawing thick stock as it can be true Tinplate steel coils Manufacturer tracking and does not wander, saving the life of the saw and the blade. Timber Wolf bandsaw blades are made of high silicon, low carbon steel for long cutting life and have milled teeth that allow them to withstand re-sawing thick wood. They operate under low tension, requiring less horsepower from the saw, and have re-tempered welds for superior strength at the weld zone.
Drive Wheel
The drive wheel is a round, metal disc that is connected to the motor with a belt and pulley. The wheels are slightly crowned to help the blade stay true while cutting.
Typically, the wheel has hard rubber tires on it that protect the saw wheels from damage when the blade is removed. If the tires are flattened out, it is time to replace them.
Adjusting the drive wheel is easy on modern metal band saws. First, make sure the power is turned off and the machine is isolated from the electrical system. It is a good idea to lock the machine and use padlocks to keep it from being accidentally switched on while changing the blade.
Then, check to see if the drive wheel is adjusted correctly by watching the blade movement and listening for scraping noises. The goal is for the blade to move in a straight line between the two wheels with very little gap between the back of the blade and the wheel flange. If it does not, the tracking adjustment should be made.
Tooth Pattern
When it comes to band saw blades, the number of teeth and the angle at which they’re set is called “tooth set.” This has a major impact on the cutting efficiency and chip carrying ability of the blade.
Choosing the wrong tooth set can put an unwanted delay in your production schedule. If you choose a tooth pitch that’s too coarse for the material, it creates excessive heat that damages and shortens the blade life. The incorrect tooth pitch also requires excessive feeding pressure and horsepower, and produces rough cuts.
In addition to tooth set, you’ll want to consider the blade type based on the specific job. For example, when cutting a bundle of structural shapes with arms nestled inside each other, it’s important to use a bi-metal blade that has optimal flexibility and wear resistance. This is because the varying stresses of interrupted cutting require flexible material, while the hardened material of a traditional mild steel blade wears too quickly. The groove geometry of a bi-metal blade also allows for increased coolant flow to the cut zone, which reduces heat and helps protect the blade from overheating.
