Silver soldering band saw blades

MrWhoopee said:
Yes, the blade is fatigued from flexing around the wheels. Close examination might disclose cracks in the gullets. If it breaks at the weld, re-weld it. If it breaks elsewhere, it's probably done.
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Yes. It's done. And not just from flexing around the wheel. I think the twist that those adjustable arms force on the blade to line it up do more damage than the wheels. I could be wrong, but I've taken to keeping them as close to the workpiece as possible instead of leaving them at the maximum gap, and my blades are lasting much longer.

Unfortunately, when you're trying to cut off a 6" section of 6"x6"x3/4" angle, there's only so much you can do. :) I think this qualifies as abuse of a 4"x6" bandsaw.
 
Shotgun said:
Yes. It's done. And not just from flexing around the wheel. I think the twist that those adjustable arms force on the blade to line it up do more damage than the wheels. I could be wrong, but I've taken to keeping them as close to the workpiece as possible instead of leaving them at the maximum gap, and my blades are lasting much longer.

Unfortunately, when you're trying to cut off a 6" section of 6"x6"x3/4" angle, there's only so much you can do. :) I think this qualifies as abuse of a 4"x6" bandsaw.
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I don't think you're wrong at all. The more support you give the blade the long it's going to last and that twist, while necessary can't be good for the blade.

I've had fantastic service from https://www.detroitbandsaw.com. I called them up asking about blades for tool steel and they were really helpful.

I'm lucky that they're local, but it looks like they have free shipping on orders over $150.
 
MrWhoopee said:
Yes, the blade is fatigued from flexing around the wheels.
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Am i supposed to release tension after use on my vertical and horizontal blades?
The reason I change blades (not that often) is due to broken teeth. Once one goes they just continue to degrade right on up the blade.
 
Janderso said:
Am i supposed to release tension after use on my vertical and horizontal blades?
The reason I change blades (not that often) is due to broken teeth. Once one goes they just continue to degrade right on up the blade.
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That's been the topic of many arguments over the years! Some folks, who do a lot of cutting, have said they kept track of blades and released the tension when not in use on some, and not on others, and saw a longer life from those that weren't stored under tension, but it wasn't a huge difference.

I think it makes sense to back off the tension when not in use, but if you forget I wouldn't worry about it.
 
Shotgun said:
I could be wrong, but I've taken to keeping them as close to the workpiece as possible instead of leaving them at the maximum gap, and my blades are lasting much longer.

Unfortunately, when you're trying to cut off a 6" section of 6"x6"x3/4" angle, there's only so much you can do. :) I think this qualifies as abuse of a 4"x6" bandsaw.
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It's good practice to keep the guides as close to the work as possible, it helps to keep the cut square.

Cutting 1x8 O-6 flat bar is the abuse that resulted in the demise of the original motor on mine.

Janderso said:
Am i supposed to release tension after use on my vertical and horizontal blades?
Once one goes they just continue to degrade right on up the blade.
Click to expand...
I've never heard of releasing the tension and I don't think it's necessary. The fatigue is caused by repeated flexing, which causes the metal to work-harden. Holding it in tension won't hurt.
 
Janderso said:
The reason I change blades (not that often) is due to broken teeth. Once one goes they just continue to degrade right on up the blade.
Click to expand...

Take your dremel or die-grinder and grind a ramp from the teeth following the missing tooth. This will prevent those teeth from being broken out and prolong the blade life. Also, do not put the blade back in the kerf where it lost a tooth, the broken tooth may be buried in it.
 
MrWhoopee said:
It's good practice to keep the guides as close to the work as possible, it helps to keep the cut square.

Cutting 1x8 O-6 flat bar is the abuse that resulted in the demise of the original motor on mine.


I've never heard of releasing the tension and I don't think it's necessary. The fatigue is caused by repeated flexing, which causes the metal to work-harden. Holding it in tension won't hurt.
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I release tension of my blades in between large time off such as hours or days. I don't think the bearings like tension for long, and the blade probably also suffers and stress causes micro cracks, which leads to larger cracks
 
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