Problems with bandsaw blades breaking??

Status
Not open for further replies.
wilhurley

wilhurley

Joined
May 9, 2004
Messages
252
I've got a tractor supply ( harbor freight ect) metal cutting bandsaw that takes the 64.5" blades. I know the blades that come with them are junk. So after it broke I ordered a diemaster II from Carbide com. I used it for about 20min and it broke also. It broke right at the weld, so did the last one. Could it just be bad luck. Or a tracking, tightning problem. I get it just where it is snug and won't come loose not overtight. Carbide is gonna send me a new blade. Any suggestions.
 
I've gotta believe that's just bad karma. :) As long as the blade is tracking okay and not running against the backstop of the wheels too much I can't think why your machine would be breaking them. That would be worth checking.

I tighten mine as hard as I can by hand and then try one more time to get it tighter...until it pings a nice high note when I pluck it. I've never broken one but had em pop off until I'm swearing like a seaman. Good luck, if for some reason your saw is breaking the blades I hope there's someone who can figure this one out.
 
One thing that I do to help out with breakage is to keep the drive belt a little loose. If the blade binds too hard the belt slips.
 
Mark Williams said:
One thing that I do to help out with breakage is to keep the drive belt a little loose. If the blade binds too hard the belt slips.
Click to expand...

That's a good idea, Mark. I do something similar, in that I leave the belt-pulley tensioner completely loose. I've never had a problem, and I've had one starrett blade on my saw for over two years now, cutting Ti and everything in between.
 
Worst luck in the World!! I recieved my new bandsaw blades and Guess what 10" too short. There mistake not Mine. Some how the order got screwed up. They are gonna send me out my original one plue 2 new blades. So they are good to work with, But Now another week waiting for a replacement. The guy at carbide told me that the problem with the blade breaking at the weld was lennox only uses .025 thick blade materal and that was too thick for a 64.5" bandsaw that it needs to be 0.020 or 0.014. Let me know if I'm wrong but arn't 99% of the bimetal bladed 0.025 thick. :grumpy:
 
Just checked my bimetal blades and they are .025 and are 64 1/2".

Just out of curiosity are you trying to cut a contoured area? I've broken a couple of blades when I first had my saw and both times it was at the weld and while cutting a finger groove. I was trying to cut too tightly into the groove and the saw blade was flexed too much which is what I think broke it, the weld wouldn't be able to flex as well. Now if I feel the groove is too tight or the saw starts to bind I back off and cut the section out in pieces.

As for tightening the blades I also tighten it as much as I can. Talk about infuriating when those blades pop off!!! :mad: It can take a seemingly normal person and turn them into a raving lunatic in no time!!! Okay maybe I'm exagerating a little.

Good luck,
Sean
 
wilhurley said:
The guy at carbide told me that the problem with the blade breaking at the weld was lennox only uses .025 thick blade materal and that was too thick for a 64.5" bandsaw that it needs to be 0.020 or 0.014. Let me know if I'm wrong but arn't 99% of the bimetal bladed 0.025 thick.
Click to expand...
I disagree with him.

W have been testing 64.5" Lenox blades to determine which tooth configurations to sell. Not one of the blades has broken at the weld. I asked the shop that makes the blades about your problem and they said if the blade breaks at the weld, the weld is bad.

How would having thicker blade material improve their weld quality?
 
I kinda figured it was a weld problem. Hopefully the new blades won't have that problem. Also when it broke there I was cutting a straight area. So I think the weld was bad. Also the guy at carbide said the thickness puts too much pressure on the weld.

My main problem with carbide is the told me to send back my old blade and they would send a replacement. But I had to pay for the replacement until they recieved my old one. So with the replacement I ordered another one just to have a spare. So now since they are sending back All 3, I got charged for all 3. Plus the one I ordered from a different supplier. So Needed 1 blade got 4.
 
wilhurley said:
I kinda figured it was a weld problem. Hopefully the new blades won't have that problem. Also when it broke there I was cutting a straight area. So I think the weld was bad. Also the guy at carbide said the thickness puts too much pressure on the weld.

My main problem with carbide is the told me to send back my old blade and they would send a replacement. But I had to pay for the replacement until they recieved my old one. So with the replacement I ordered another one just to have a spare. So now since they are sending back All 3, I got charged for all 3. Plus the one I ordered from a different supplier. So Needed 1 blade got 4.
Click to expand...
Personally, I would find a better supplier. K&G sells Lennox bi metal blades in the size you need. They may cost a few $ more than you paid at that place, but they WILL last a lot longer.
There are other places that sell Lennox, or =, MSC for one,and I'm sure someone else can supply more info.

http://www.knifeandgun.com/catalog/bandsaw_blades_186630_products.htm

http://www1.mscdirect.com/cgi/nnsrhm

http://www.mcmaster.com/
 
I had the same problem with my bandsaw on one batch of 2 blades I bought from a local supplyer. It was just a bad day on the welder by the attendant. They replayced the blades and they have not been a problem. I thought it must have been me or something i was doing wrong but it was just the bad day at the plant kind of thing.

However if you manage to knock a tooth out of the blade and that causes a horrible knocking and bouncing of the runners problem, you can fix that to a certain degree by hohling the area of broken teeth onto a grind wheel or belt sander to smooth a transition section so that the missing tooth gap does not catch and spit the blade off or take out more teeth.
 
Hi everyone, have not been around for a while. Been building a new house :mad:

Will your bandsaw problem is one I face almost daily. I work for a major tool sharpening, manufacturing and supply company. Every week I get a bunch of bandsaws back that have snapped at the weld. I hate to tell you all but 99% of the time it is the operators fault, either pushing too hard or twisting the blade too far trying to cut too tight a radius. The fact that most of you (including me) regularly pop blades off your machine shows you are applying too much presure. The weld is the weakest point of your blade, just like a knot in fishing line. and will let go first every time. If it breaks some where else you are doing some thing realy wrong. We also give the customer the benefit of the dought if the blade breaks at the weld.

(Bitch slap number 2) Your machine manual will tell you to "not over tighten your blades" Also to "release tension at end of day" enough said.

I have tried all sorts of blade configurations ( didn't pay for them He He ) and would recomend you use a 64 1/2" X 1/2" x 18 tpi (teeth per inch) bi metal blade on your machine, I have the same one. Also check your machine is running true or has no worn guide bearings. The bearing that acts as a back stop to your blade should only rotate when presure is applied to your blade from your work piece. My final piece of advise is to "run your blade" in before cutting steel. Do this by making several 1" cuts into a 1/4' piece of brass, trust me it works.

If after all this you still snap blades, its probably the dickhead welding them's fault. :D
 
I have an Enco horizontal bandsaw that uses 64 1/2" x 1/2" wide blades. I've been buying my blades from Enco. They are the least expensive that they sell. It seems mine are always breaking and not always at the weld. I was recently looking the broken blades over and noticed that there are cracks running about halfway across the width of the blade. Does anyone have any idea why this is happening? Perhaps it's a matter of getting what I paid for. Don't know.
 
Sawyer, to answer your question, I found that I couldn't keep bandsaw blades alive until I started using more expensive ones... Its my guess that, just like you're figuring, the cheap ones are cheap!!!


Btw, it's considered bad for to post to a thread that's run it's course, even if it feels kind of pertinent to your observation. Start a fresh thread - best course of action. Welcome to BF!
 
Higgy hasn't posted in half a year. I suggest people send email and Pm to get specific answers from old threads.

I am going to close this one.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top