I bought a used 10 inch bandsaw and it came with several blades. When I was putting a different one on I noticed it was twisted. I just took it off and put it on a table top. It didn't lie flat. The "circle" has a cup to it, similar to how a wood circle could cup. It looks like the weld was done wrong. I took the rest of the blades and laid each one on the table. The only one that was really flat was the one that was on the saw when I bought it. I only found one reference on the internet about this--it said the blade should lie flat. So, are all these blades bad? Or, is it OK if the blade isn't super flat on the table? FYI, these other blades that don't lie flat are narrow--3/16 to 1/8 inches. And they were coiled (in case that can affect it).
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AFAIK yes, bandsaw blades should invariably lie flat when laid in a loop on either edge. So are the ones that don't lie flat 'bad'? As a general statement this issue may have to be a try-it-and-see proposition, because the degree to which a blade is out of flat could make all the difference practically (versus the theoretical that yes, all blades should lie flat). Given how narrow the affected ones are I have a strong suspicion some or all could be overmuscled by the grab of the wheels and tension, making it a non-issue but you'll have to check 'em.– GraphusCommented Jan 20 at 8:12
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1Thanks. You touched on a point I was wondering about: Since I have no experience with bandsaw blades, maybe the narrow ones are temporarily affected by the coiling. I just checked them again and they are flatter than they were yesterday (I left them hanging uncoiled). Still not perfectly flat, but better. I checked the welds and on one it was ever so slightly off, but the other was fine. I agree with you: once tensioned, they may be fine. I also think I'm going to find a way to store them without coiling.– Adirondack JimCommented Jan 20 at 14:19
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Anyone with experience with bandsaws want to weigh in on this?– GraphusCommented Jan 22 at 8:36
1 Answer
Yes, Flat is better, but not %100 required. The wider the blade the more it can be bad. But 'Flat' is also relative. The biggest issue is how do they run once you put them on the saw under tension.
If you are REALLY worried about accuracy and clean cuts, how they are stored is MUCH LESS important than the quality of the blade you are starting with. Most of the cheap blades you can buy in the store can 'do the job' of making a decent cut and tuning the saw itself can help make a good cut, but if you really want to do something like cut say Birdseye maple into veneer, then you need to put some real money into a first class blade designed to do such things.
Most bandsaw blades you can find for $10-$20 each. My carbide tipped 1" blade for resawing cost me about $140 for the single blade. The cheap ones might be able to do 2-3 resaws if you are lucky without too much wandering but my carbide one should last for years if I don't hit a nail or something, and it can be resharpened (and would be worth it).
Thinner blades are much easier to bend and twist (usually on the saw while using it) and if you got a bunch of used blades with your used bandsaw, the issues quite likely were from the previous user. How the blades are stored has little to do with it, unless they were kept where someone might step on them...
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+2 if I could. Good to hear you have a carbide-tipped blade, I've heard great things since I first learned of them on a Stumpy Nubs video. If you do ever run into a nail or staple you might find yourself pleasantly surprised how well it stands up! :-)– GraphusCommented Jan 24 at 8:55
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Thanks. My concern isn't so much about accuracy. It's about wasting time trying to setup a bent blade. Being a newbie, I wanted to avoid spending a lot of time trying to track the blade and align the side & thrust bearings on a blade where it's pointlessly bent and it's never going to happen. Commented Jan 28 at 0:35
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So, are you saying coiling the thinner blades shouldn't put any bends in them to keep them from lying flat (if done correctly)? They're the ones that are kinda "wavy". I'm asking because I have a related question in another post. Thanks for mentioning getting stepped on--maybe that's what happened. Commented Jan 28 at 0:42