While every woodworker knows how powerful a band saw is at cutting through various wood types, not all of them, however, know how to maximize the use of their woodworking band saw blades. So to speak, we are sharing some ideas on how to fully maximize the life and use of your band saw blades.
What to do before and after use of the bandsaw blade
Before using the band saw machine, you have to do some preparation to make sure that you correctly cut and get the most out of your woodworking band saw blades. Always begin by cleaning the saw’s table surface, miter slots, and even the fence. Then utilize a good way to eliminate the amount of friction during the cutting operation. Moreover, don’t forget to round the back of the blades using a honing stone to get rid of any imperfections as well as prevent the thrust bearing and binding from getting damaged. Also, never forget to lubricate well the blade to reduce the generation of heat. Finally, clear all the debris and sawdust from the parts of the saw and release blade tension every time you are finished working.
Testing and de-tensioning
Doing the flutter setting or testing is important to set the right tension while your bandsaw is working. Though you can refer to the recommended adjustments from the manufacturers, you have to work on tweaking the settings to effectively avoid vibration and achieve the best performance of your machine. Moreover, keep in mind that all sorts of woodworking band saw blades get hot due to the friction by cutting. As such, because of expanding and contracting, they can get over-tensioned. Leaving a blade in that condition for too long can result in premature failure due to metal fatigue. This can also negatively affect not just the saw blade and some parts of the machine but even the whole machine itself. Hence, it’s crucial to always release blade tension each time you are finish cutting for the day.
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