Band saw guidance please.

[busted thumb]

I've watched the you tubes on band saw blade installation and tension but I'm still breaking blades. The work is simple cuts of scrap pallet wood. The blade is an
Olson Saw APG73170 1/4 by 0.025 by 70-1/2-Inch All Pro PGT. I replaced the roller bearings with ceramic blocks.

I (we) do not release tension on the blade during the off hours, could this be my problem?

 

[Mike Davis]

Maybe, but I leave mine under tension for months at a time with no problem. Probably have spots on my wheels from the pressure but the blade covers half of the wheel so I don’t worry about it.

my guess is either something else in the setup or tension or you may be forcing the cut too much.

Hard to say without watching the saw run and how you use it.

 

[Raymond]

You don't say what size of band saw you are using that 1/4" blade on - is it a benchtop style band saw (70-1/2" blade length) ? If so, it could be you are putting too much pressure on the work piece by pushing more than the blade can cut. Those small blades will cut a lot of wood but you cannot push wood through like you can on a larger band saw or a wider blade.

 

[Ed Fasano]

I too am not religious about releasing blade tension when my saw is idle. I have worn out a lot of bandsaw blades, but have never broken one. Granted, I'm using an odd Kity 613 that was designed for relatively light tension on flat tires. I use Timberwolf blades (Suffolk Machinery). Still, I'd be looking at excessive blade tension and/or excessive feed pressure. Of course, failing to feed a cut while turning is a quick way to twist a blade into submission.
Lastly, who knows what destructive material might be in the pallet wood.

 

[Roy G]

Are you using too many teeth per inch? Pushing the wood through too fast? Are your guides adjusted properly?

Roy G

 

[Ed Fasano]

Good point on TPI. I was guilty for years of believing that more teeth per inch meant a better cut. My everyday blade now is 3/8" x 3 to 4 TPI.

 

[Mike Davis]

I have a 14 tooth 1/4 inch blade I've been using since the Fall, maybe late Summer.
Here I am cutting some hard maple 1 1/2 inch thick.

 

[JoeH]

For thicker woods I typically use blades with fewer teeth. A rule of thumb is 3-4 teeth (minimum) in the material at any time.

The obvious consequence of both a faster cut with a rough-cut blade and fewer teeth is that the cuts might be rougher. In fine woodworking using hardwoods, smoothness of cut is more critical, and fine-tooth blades with a high TPI count might be desirable. However as noted, fine work can be accomplished with fewer teeth (than 14).

The tradeoffs you pay for a fine-tooth blade is the cuts need to be slower and less aggressive, there is a greater likelihood that the wood will be burned due to friction as the blade feeds through the workpiece. The increased heat isn’t good for the blade either. Because the gullets between teeth are very small and don't clear out the sawdust as quickly, there is a greater likelihood of binding when cutting with a fine-tooth blade. This might be leading to your broken blades.

 

[Gofor]

Check your guides, both behind the blade and on the sides above and below the table. If the blade is getting pushed off the guides, it could be getting caught, twisted, etc which can result in a break.

 

[Pop Golden]

72-1/2 blade? Is your saw a Shopsmith? If so I'm in the middle of replacing the motor on my stand. I use my saw off the SS, and put it on a shop built stand. The SS saw is being converted to the world's fastest scroll saw. To make this happen I've converted to the "Carter Stabilizer". All guides are gone top and bottom the stabilizer is all there is.

Pop