Bandsaw Blades

Make light work of your next cutting job with our range of bandsaw blades. Capable of making many cuts with precision and speed, these are the ideal general-purpose cutting tools for a variety of materials including wood and metal.

Our range of wood and metal cutting bandsaw blades is available in a wide range of widths, thickness and pitches, and we have options for both contour and straight cutting. For larger production operations, there are bandsaw blades which offer longer life and can be sharpened to save on additional costs.

These wood and metal cutting bandsaw blades are made from high-quality materials and, if you have a favourite brand you like to turn to, they come straight from the shelves of experts such as Bosch, Simmonds and Starrett. Browse our full range of bandsaws and hacksaws and order today.

What are bandsaw blades?

Bandsaw blades are designed for cutting materials using a bandsaw. They can be used to cut along a straight line, curves, and shapes in materials such as wood, plywood, MDF, plastics, meat, metal as well as other materials. Equipping your bandsaw with the right blade will effect the performance, most bandsaw blades are made from durable steel with bi-metal blades featuring hard steel teeth with an adaptable alloy steel support.

Types of bandsaw blades

Bandsaw blades come in various shapes and sizes and are normally classified according to tooth formation, material, number of teeth and size. Blades are often categorised by TPI (tooth per inch) as this is a factor as to what the final cut will look like in terms of finish.

• Coarse blades - A coarse blade is defined as having a low number of teeth usually between 2 to 6 TPI, these make larger and quicker cuts and slice through soft materials with ease, however they lack the finesse of cut and have a rougher less accurate finish.

• Fine blades - A fine blade usually features 14-24 TPI and are designed to make high precision cuts. Their drawback s that they take longer to cut due to their small but accurate style of cutting and that the higher number of teeth means that they can blunt a lot quicker than their coarse counterparts.

• General purpose blades - These types of blades are a happy medium between coarse and fine and typically feature a tooth per inch of 6-10 TPI. They can be used to cut hard wood or even soft metallic materials like Aluminium.

As well as the coarseness of the blade there are also different styles of tooth that are useful in different applications.

• Regular tooth - These are the standard type of teeth on bandsaw blades and feature a zero-rake angle. They are designed for general purpose applications and cutting through softer materials.

• Skip tooth - These types of blades lack the precision cutting of regular blades, but they do make up for it with their quickness of cut thanks to their shallow gullets and can cut a wider variety of materials including some metals and plastics.

• Hook tooth - These types of blades feature a curved hook shaped tooth profile with a 10-degree rake angle and deep gullets designed to bite deeply into materials for rapid removal. They work best on hard materials like metals, their drawback is a rougher finish as they are less accurate.

There are also variable teeth and variable pitch blades, in which the teeth are of various types and various TPI respectively. They are used to reduce harmonic vibrations cause by the operation of the saw and as a result prolong blade life.

Considerations when choosing a bandsaw blade

Understanding the tooth type and TPI to the material you are cutting is paramount to getting the results you are expecting. As well as this however the tooth set is something that also plays an impact in the final cut as the teeth are usually offset increasing the width of the cut (known as kerf width).

• Alternate setting - Each tooth on the blade is offset in the opposite direction and the previous tooth. I.e., if the preceding tooth bends left the next on would protrude to the right and so on and so forth.

• Raker setting - Like alternate setting, however each two offset tooth is succeeded by a straight third tooth. E.g., left offset, right offset and straight.

Another consideration to take into account is the blade width, the most common widths 1/4" and 3/8" with most machines being able to accommodate these, however 1/2 inch blades are fairly common and better for cutting long straight cuts, but be sure to check your machine in compatible first. Smaller widths of bandsaw blades are better for cutting smaller and more intricate shapes whereas wider bandsaws excel at long straight cuts.

Ensure that the blade length you select is compatible with your machine. This should be marked on the equipment.

FAQ

What steel are bandsaw blades made of?

Depending on the type of blade most bandsaw blades are made of steel. In woodworking carbon steel is a popular choice due to their low cost and ability to cut softer materials like wood, plastic and plywood. In industries like metal working bi-metal blades are common, usually comprised of a spring steel backing and a high-speed steel cutting edge for use with tougher materials like cast iron and structural steel. They are more expensive than carbon steel but can last as much as five to ten times longer when used and maintained correctly.

What width of bandsaw blade should use?

This depends entirely on the application. For cut-off sawing use the widest blade compatible with your machine as this will give you a faster feed and straighter cut. In the case of contour sawing, then a narrower blade should be used. Be advised that narrower blades are more prone to breakage so you should go for the widest possible blade that can cut the profile needed.