Bandsaw Blade Repair - which Silver Solder to use?

Not the hardware store kind...

John in NM

You need silver brazing rod rather than the low temperature silver solder sold at the local hardware store. The flux is a borax paste. Both should be available on Amazon.

You also need a torch - air propane torches will not quite do it, they take too long to heat up the blade so you end up with a large tempered area. An air-acetylene or oxy-propane or oxy-acetylene torch is what you need. They heat quickly enough that the heat doesn't have a chance to spread far (steel has a relatively low thermal conductance for a metal).

Re: Bandsaw Blade Repair - which Silver Solder to  *LINK*

Yonak

David, I have gotten good results from the Sure-Splice band saw blade repair kit (it includes the solder, flux and holding fixture), a propane torch and a home made jig to grind the blade ends to a constant angle. I had a maddening rash of broken blades which, I believe, were poorly welded and resulted in blades breaking after only a few hours of use. After my repairs, using this kit, the blades lasted until they got dull.


Sure-Splice kit at Lee Valley

Re: Bandsaw Blade Repair - which Silver Solder to

Dick Coers

I use a MAP high output cyclone torch kit I bought at Menards. No oxygen needed. I actually prefer the softening of the steel at the seam for less stress on the silver solder joint, and don't mind loosing the hardness on a few teeth. I bevel the seam on a stationary disc sander at 45 degrees to have more surface for the silver solder. I started with a kit from Woodcraft because I was teaching there, but now buy my supplies at a welding supply shop. It's been so long, I can't remember the alloy. I place the blade in that Woodcraft kit fixture, put on plenty of flux, cut off a small piece of silver solder about as wide as the blade and place it on top of the seam. I put the heat on the back side of the blade and the flux and silver solder are drawn through the seam. When it's cool, I use a little drum sander in a Dremel and sand off the excess silver solder on both sides. I've done up to 3/4" blades like this and have never had a failure. It works so well, I buy rolls of bandsaw blade stock on eBay and haven't bought a commercially made blade since.

I've never tried mapp...

John in NM

Good to know it pushes the regular propane torch over the edge to utility though. The one time I tried propane was when my prestolite was out of acetylene (2 hour drive to the welding shop for another cylinder).

Soldering blades is a really handy skill to have, well worth the cost of materials and even a torch if needed. Happiness is a new bandsaw blade after all!

Re:which Silver Solder?

David C. Lykins

Hi guys, thanks so much for the replies, maybe I was misunderstood, but I'm really looking for JUST the solder, type/brand/vendor/product number. In short, which brand/product and where to purchase it.

Thanks!

Something like this.... *LINK*

John in NM

It doesn't matter a whole lot, just go for the lowest temp hard solder you can find. Brass brazing would probably work too, but I believe that takes more BTU.


Amazon