Introduction to Blade Basics Part 2

Last time, we talked about the parts of the blade which is important to know when using one. Today, we’re going to talk about the different types of blade construction. So how important is blade construction? Blades are made from a single piece of steel or built of two pieces. The choice of blade will largely depend on the life expectancy and performance requirements. Below are the key information you need to know.

Carbon Band saw Blade

Carbon Band saw Blade is generally used in small maintenance shops and for light production cuts. They are made with alloys with high silicon content. The blade is précised milled, heat treated teeth and have a flexible back. It is usually used on wood, non-ferrous metals and mild-steel. There are two types of carbon band saw blade.

Hard Back- A one piece blade made of carbon steel with a hardened back and tooth edge. It is recommended for hard wood, mild steel like aluminum, brass and plastics.

Flex Back-A one piece blade made of carbon steel with a hardened tooth edge and soft back. This blade is recommended for cutting plastics, softwood and non-ferrous applications.

Bi-metal Band Saw Blade

This band saw blade is composed of a high steel edge material. An electron beam is wielded to fatigue resistant spring steel backing. This specification is ideal for high performance cutting requirements and longer fatigue life. This blade will handle simple metal cutting to production cutting of super alloys.

Each blade in production has its own unique abilities and is designed for a specific material or to process materials in small or heavy work load. Knowing these blades will definitely help you in cost cutting and time saving for your machine shop. For any questions or if you are interested in buying a band saw blade, visit us at www.specialtysaws.com.au. 

Introduction on Blade Basics

Blades are basically important for woodworkers and knowing the basics about blades will determine the outcome of your project. If you are aspiring to become one, we recommend that you read about this article. Fortunately, sawing technology has improved throughout the years and ushered new products of saw blades that are able to cut down manufacturing cost.

Choosing the Ideal Blade

Choosing the ideal blade for a specific material is critical in terms of cutting. It ensures cost-effectiveness of blade sawing and manufacturing time. Here are some basic information you should remember in your decision making process.

·         Blade Back-This refers to the body of the blade but excluding the tooth portion

·         Width-Refers to the nominal dimension of a saw blade as measured from the tip of the tooth

·         TPI-Refers to the teeth per inch as measured from gullet to gullet

·         Thickness-is the dimension from side to side on the blade

·         Kerf is the amount of material removed by the cut of the blade

·         Gullet is the curved area at the base of the tooth. The tooth tip to the bottom of the gullet is the depth.

·         Set is the bending of teeth to left or right to allow clearance of the back of the blade through the cut

·         Tooth Rake Angle is basically the angle of the tooth face measured with respect to a line perpendicular to the cutting direction of the saw.

·         Tooth Face is the surface of the tooth on which the chip formed

·         Tooth Pitch is the distance from the tip of one tooth to the tip of the next tooth

These are the basic features you should remember when choosing the right blade. Every feature is design to each blade to cut a specific material. These features will also determine the outcome of your cutting process. For any questions or you are in need to circular saw blades or bandsaw blade, visit us at www.specialtysaws.com.au. We’ll be writing another article about Blade construction, so stay tuned!