bandsaw evolution

[bigbob1]

Hi Terry,

There are other Alex Snodgrass video's on utube mainly to sell or demonstrate the Carter Stabilizer either accesable on utube or through the Carter site http://www.carterproducts.com/band-saw- ... saw-guides. However the main discussion here is the set up video where he just shows how he sets up a bandsaw and on the video he said himself that this is through his own experiance over 22 years in my opinion the video is not commercialized and is a good source of information.

 

[Eric The Viking]

1. Most likely sudden failure point of ALL bandsaw blades: the weld.

2. A thin-kerf blade is _probably_ going to have a thinner band materia than other blades (OK, it might just have less set, but this is going down an angels+pinheads route).

3. THEREFORE a thin-kerf blade is more likely to fail (at the weld) than an ornery one, ALL OTHER THINGS BEING EQUAL.

4. Some bandsaw blade manufacturers don't attempt thin-kerf blades.

5. Many bandsaw blade manufacturers make huge, lumpy welds, to make jolly sure they don't break. Lumpy welds bring many other problems...

I've broken two bandsaw blades. One was Tuffsaws, one wasn't. Both broke at the weld. I'm not surprised.

I've got a range of blades (about twenty or thirty), most of which are NOT from Tuffsaws. They hardly get used, because I find the Tuffsaws ones are consistently better, apparently putting less stress on the motor, definitely giving cleaner cuts and being easier to set up properly.

If a blade is going to break, I expect it to happen at the weld, and I expect Tuffsaws's thin kerf ones to be slightly more prone than others, but that's because of the STYLE of blade, not the quality of manufacture. But, as they run well with less tension than equivalents, that isn't an issue in use.

I have loads of issues with my old SIP, but I can make it run well, and that's easier to do with a Tuffsaws blade than others I have. I haven't yet bought from Axminster's new range, and I may try those to see.

E.

 

[MusicMan]

I've just set up an old but splendid Inca bandsaw purchased from marcros of this forum. Lovely machine, and with a new Tuffsaw blade (1/2" 3-4 tpi) and Steve Maskery's videos my bandsaw experience (plus comments on here about the peculiarities of the Inca non-crowned wheel) has been transformed. It's just the right size for my small workshop. Oh, and what drift???

The one exception to the Inca design is the fence; it's not too bad but not up to modern designs. I wouldn't call it a flaw, as it is now an old design, but designs have moved on. I am looking at designing a new fence and if I succeed I'll post a thread on here.

I'd like to comment on Steve's DVD format, as this has been raised. I recently launched out on the whole set as I knew I would want them eventually, and yes, I would much prefer to download them individually. I am working through them and find them good value, very well done, accurate and informative and mercifully free from the rubbish and self-promotion that most youtube alleged instructional videos contain.

Steve, I understand that you feel the need to re-film much of your work for modern expectations, but I really don't think you do. I viewed the DVDs on a newish, large-screen, good-resolution digital TV and they looked just fine. But like others, I would like them on my iPad to take to the workshop. I succeeded in transferring a couple to my Mac, but it doesn't have a DVD reader and my external optical drive is a bit old and clunky and wouldn't read all of the discs. Which also meant that I can't access all of the very useful plans and Sketchup models that are a great part of the set. I wonder if you would consider making these (and if possible the movies themselves) available for download on your web site to customers who have bought the set (or the relevant discs)? You might then also consider a revised pricing policy for purchasing downloads alone. As others have commented this would probably give you more revenue. And you could move on to completely new stuff.

Note that I am not complaining about the DVDs themselves. I can view them on a standard player, so I am sure it is my computer hardware that is at issue, not your product.

Cheers

Keith

 

[NazNomad]

Mm.....your understanding of altruism and mine clearly differ about as widely as this forums versus your perspective on Tuffsaw blades!

If you could see my face now, you'd see how much it's not bothered.

Anyhow, I won't get into an argument on a forum where one party has their name in green. ;-)

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Mm.....your understanding of altruism and mine clearly differ about as widely as this forums versus your perspective on Tuffsaw blades!

If you could see my face now, you'd see how much it's not bothered.

Anyhow, I won't get into an argument on a forum where one party has their name in green. ;-)

Or indeed into an argument where overwhelming opinion is contrary to your "altruistic" and "bother-free" perspective

Face it Naz.....you're in a club with one member.....you. Literally everyone else has not just OK experiences with Tuffsaws but in fact off the chart superb. On a product level, on a service level and on a personal level with the proprietor. Of course you're entitled to your view and I have no doubt we'll be treated to some more of it in due course. But in the case of Tuffsaw's, were a new member to be reading this, I want them to have no doubt that the quality of the output is nothing short of excellent, the sheer weight of numbers of positive reports can only lead to one rational conclusion. It's for that reason I asked if you had another agenda in being disingenuous about Tuffsaw's, given the rational conclusion is as specified above? You've said not so I confess I'm still at a loss as to how you can reach any other conclusion. Sample size of one versus sample size of about a 100. I guess I'm just confused?

 

[NazNomad]

Face it Naz.....you're in a club with one member.....you.

I'm very selective. 8)

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Is that what it is (hammer)

 

[woodpig]

One of my Tuffsaw blades snapped about 6 months ago. Perhaps strangely it didn't break at the weld. My next blades will still be Tuffsaw ones though unless I find someone a lot cheaper to try.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

To be truthful, I've bought in the region of 20 blades from Ian over the years and I've had just one snap at the weld. I called him and he sent me a replacement which arrived the following morning free of charge. Didn't even ask to see the broken one.

 

[ColeyS1]

I'm really looking forward to having one snap, I feel left out. I buckled one from my own ignorance, does that count
Flicking through Scott and Sargent catalogue tuther night and I notice they sell a fully automatic bandsaw blade sharpener. It's got me wondering whether my own saw doctor may offer such a service- price dependant obviously.

Coley

 

[Alexam]

Just to clarify about breaks on blades that I have had. I have had two or three breaks over three years, at the weld, but never bothered to send them back or complain as I have had so much good value and service from Tuffsaw blades that I put it down to me. The first couple were probably me and tensioning too much, but I haven't had a break for a very long time now, but can understand someone new to bandsaw work and perhaps overtensioning, getting a couple of breaks and assuming that all the blades would be the same, which it is not.

As for slackening off the blade after standing for a while, I never have, but I do turn the wheels by hand a couple of times before starting up and then start with a very short burst of power before full throttle, which may or may not help.

The Alex Snodgrass video on centering the gullet of the teeth in the centre of the wheel is not appropriate for larger blades, as that would involve the back of the blade hanging off the edge of the wheel, so an element of common sense is obvioulsy needed, as with taking off the table, which I find is not necessary.

Malcolm

 

[Wizard9999]

Flicking through Scott and Sargent catalogue tuther night and I notice they sell a fully automatic bandsaw blade sharpener.

And there is the forgotten business case for printed catalogues. Websites let you search for what you know you want, flicking through catalogues allows you to find things you didn't know you needed until you saw one :lol:

Terry.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Flicking through Scott and Sargent catalogue tuther night and I notice they sell a fully automatic bandsaw blade sharpener.

And there is the forgotten business case for printed catalogues. Websites let you search for what you know you want, flicking through catalogues allows you to find things you didn't know you needed until you saw one :lol:

Terry.

Except that blade sharpener retails at £2650 Terry!!

 

[Wizard9999]

Flicking through Scott and Sargent catalogue tuther night and I notice they sell a fully automatic bandsaw blade sharpener.

And there is the forgotten business case for printed catalogues. Websites let you search for what you know you want, flicking through catalogues allows you to find things you didn't know you needed until you saw one :lol:

Terry.

Except that blade sharpener retails at £2650 Terry!!

Maybe not the best example, but you know very well what I mean. Clearly you're just spoiling for a fight today Mr Orbital :lol:

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

That's fightin' talk where I come from

 

[timber]

I have a chainsaw sharpener I am sure I could rig something up to use that, after-all they only need a slight touch up.
Timber

 

[ColeyS1]

I was just thinking if a 40 quid bandsaw blade could be resharpened by a professional sharpening company for say 15 quid, it might be worth looking into. I'll give them a bell later.

Coley

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Flicking through Scott and Sargent catalogue tuther night and I notice they sell a fully automatic bandsaw blade sharpener.

And there is the forgotten business case for printed catalogues. Websites let you search for what you know you want, flicking through catalogues allows you to find things you didn't know you needed until you saw one :lol:

Terry.

Not only that but what the hell does one read in the smallest room now the Axy catalogue is no more.....I mean, its a scandal :shock:

 

[Wizard9999]

I have a recollection of Random Orbital Bob and another forum member sharing approaches to sharpening where they used a Dremel in a jig that sits on the bandsaw table and keeps the Dremel at a consistent angle. It meant that it was the top of the teeth that was beind addressed by the Dremel, but the reports were pretty positive if I recall correctly.

Terry.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Spot on Terry although I never used a jig with mine, preferring to do it by hand. That Ash of yours we cut for the chisel handles.....the blade installed had been tickled with that very method. My experiments have found that using a cut off wheel gives the best results, used like sandpaper on the last 3-4 mm of the slope down to the point of the tooth.
I tried doing the inside hook of the gullet out to the tooth with a radiused sand paper bit in the dremel and a grinding attachment but the cut off wheel gave the best and fastest results. Its a very light touch that's needed mind or you grind away too much metal. Takes about 15-20 minutes per 3tpi BS400 blade.