Customer review 9.6!Choosing the right bandsaw blade: size, type and tooth pitch in four steps
Choosing the right bandsaw blade: length, width and thickness come from your machine, type and tooth pitch from the material. Here's how.
You choose the right bandsaw blade in four steps. Your machine determines which length, width and thickness fit; within those limits you choose the type and the tooth pitch by what you cut. There is no need to round to a standard size: we make any length from 500 to 12,000 mm.
1. The length
The length is often in the manual or on the rating plate of the machine. If it isn't, measure your old blade. Put a mark on the back, lay the blade on the floor with the mark at the bottom and roll it along a straight line until the mark is at the bottom again. The distance between the two points is the length. No old blade? Run a piece of string around the wheels of the machine and measure it against a tape measure.
2. The width and thickness
Measure the width from the back to the tip of a tooth. Don't go wider than your machine can take; that is in the manual. Within that range you choose by the work: a narrow blade cuts tighter curves, a wider one runs straighter through thick material.
Match the thickness to the wheels: small wheels need a thinner blade, because it has to bend sharply with every revolution. Follow your machine manufacturer's instructions. Measure the thickness with a caliper on the flat part of the blade, not on the teeth. For machines with small wheels we also make Flexback 0.36 mm thick, in some of the widths and tooth pitches.
3. The type: what do you cut?
The material determines the type of blade. For wood that is Flexback, Chrome steel for softwood or Hardpoint for hardwood; for plastic, Flexback. For steel, stainless steel and aluminium you choose Bimetal M42, for foam a band knife and for meat with bone Freshcut. Per material, with the cutting speed, it is all in which bandsaw blade for which material.
4. The tooth pitch
You choose the tooth pitch, expressed in TPI (teeth per inch), by the thickness of the material. According to our table, a 15 mm board is cut with 6 TPI. How that works and which tooth pitch is available in which width is explained in choosing the tooth pitch.
Still not sure?
The selection tool finds the type of blade in two steps. If you have ordered from us before, your previous orders with all sizes are in your customer account. You can also call us on +31 345 501 501, Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 17:00 (CET).