Blade recommendations for a Powermatic 14 inch bandsaw?

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gi_984

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Good evening,
I just got a nice USA made Powermatic 143 bandsaw. It is a 14 inch with the two speed gearbox for cutting metal or wood. Saw is in great shape especially for being made in 1978.
I need to order some blades for this to get it into operation. I'm leaning toward the Lennox bi-metal line of blades. does anyone use them and what style are your favorites? This would be for ferrous metals mostly with occasional aluminum.
 
You will need a selection of blades depending on the material and the thickness. There are great resources on the internet that only sell blades for bandsaws with lots of charts and such so you can decide what to order.
 
There is nothing wrong with with Lennox Bimetal blades. Just remember that 3 teeth need to engage in any metal you cut. Therefore think small teeth. Don't try to cut thin metal with that saw or you will have teeth popping off like popcorn:thinking:

Randy
 
Yes, good reminder about the 3 tooth engagement guideline. I'm more used to a big DoAll that I run at the community college machine shop. I almost bought a DoAll or Grob for the home shop but couldn't justify the space. The Powermatic has a much smaller footprint and thus a better fit for my shop. I'll be buying an assortment of blades of course. Just wondering what kind of blades you guys are successfully using with this size saw in your home shops?
 
I spoke with a technical support guy at Lenox today. Based on the information I gave him he recommended blades from their Diemaster 2 line for contour sawing in a 1/2 inch blade. For straight cuts a blade in the Classic line with a 3/4 inch blade. Somewhere in the 10-14 tooth range for most ferrous metals up to 2 inches. Both the Diemaster 2 and Classic are bi-metal made with M-42 steel. I'll be price checking with the local Fastenal center to see what kind of prices I can get them for compare to MSC.
 
Well the "kid" working the counter at Fastenal was less than helpful. Good thing I called before making the trip in person and wasting my time. Claimed I needed to provide him the part numbers from Lenox since he didnt have access to them.
Talked to sales at bandsaw blades direct. They had what I want in stock and would only take a few days to weld up and ship. Anybody use this outfit before?
 
I do like variable tooth blades on the portaband, did a quick check... the one you talked about:

LENOX DIEMASTER 2 Bandsaw Blade - 95"x 1/2"x.20 - 10-14 variable tooth - $36.13 + ? for Shipping
http://www.bandsawbladesdirect.com/...17&fracFinder=0&widthFinder=40&toothFinder=38

M-42 high speed tooth edge
For durability.
Designed to run at high speed
Runs at twice the speed of carbon.
Increased blade life
Lasts 10 times longer than carbon blades.
General purpose hand-fed applications
Tool and die shops, machine shops, maintenance facilities.


and Laguna on eBay:


1/2" X 10-14 TPI X 95" Bimetal BandSaw Blade Laguna Tools Metal Cutting Blade - $42.75 + Free Shipping
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-2-X-10-14...aguna-Tools-Metal-Cutting-Blade-/400677759826

10-14 Alternating TPI
Alternating TPI: Cuts down Vibration, Creates Smoother Cut, Blade Doesn't Bind (Gullet Empties Out)
Extremely Durable
Long Life
Multiple use Wood/Metal/Plastics
Medium Cutting Speed
Custom Lengths No extra charge
.035" Backing Thickness


Looks like they are both 10-14 variable tooth, but the Laguna is .035 thick vs .020 for the Lenox. The thicker one may be tougher/last longer? Maybe someone here knows...
 
gi: I bought some NEO Carbon 24 tpi blades from Bandsawbladesdirect for my Delta 16". Ordered online and had them here in just a couple of days. Most everything I cut is under .090". Haven't run them yet as I'm in the process of bringing the saw out of storage and setting it back up. I'm going to try and get it back up and running this week if household stuff doesn't stop me again.
 
For the 14" saw, about the best overall blade I have found for cutting everything is a Bi-metal 21tpi blade. It has no problem cutting thin wall aluminum to 3" CRS plate. It also make a very clean cut on hardwoods as well. I believe my current one is an Irwin, purchased from Enco.
 
I have this same saw. I love it. Powermatic 14 inch bandsaws use a 95 inch blade instead of the more common 93 1/2

I am changing the motor mount. It is difficult to access on mine. I will also be making some Carter style roller bearing guides.

Check the oil in the gear box.
 
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