Bandsaw Blades for Handsaws

Re: Bandsaw Blades for Handsaws

Wanderer

>I should add to my post above that the sharpest turn I anticipate having to make with the scrolling saw would have a radius of curvature of about an inch. Thanks again.

Re: Bandsaw Blades for Handsaws

Alan Hamilton

>Wanderer,

Is there a reason you don't want to buy a new bow-saw blade? I wouldn't use band-saw blades for my frame saw if I had to buy them new. Come to think about it, I wouldn't use band-saw blades even if I did have a band saw that regularly wore out blades; new blades made for bow saws are so readily available and inexpensive the extra time and effort doesn't seem worthwhile to me.

Alan

Re: Bandsaw Blades for Handsaws

Monte Milanuk

>OK, I'll bite. I've only seen one bow saw in some of the catalogs, I'd presume they're all made the same place, as they all look identical. Outside of that, for people that make their own bow saws and frame saws, I too thought bandsaw blades were the only source of stock for the unavoidable variance in dimensions from one person's saw to the next.

If there are more options out there, I for one would love to hear of them.

Monte

Re: Bandsaw Blades for Handsaws

Bob Hackett

>Seems to me that a bandsaw blade is exactly the answer to this problem.Think of all the different blades out there designed to do different tasks.Now it stands to reason that if that blade will do that task on the bandsaw it will do it in a bowsaw,slower maybe,but still do it.

Some would argue that you can`t get the tension needed to make them operate correctly.I`ve found that while they don`t act the same as they do on the bandsaw they still outperform anything I`ve tried to this point including the commercially available bowsaw blades.I found those blades to be too wide,heavy,and left too wide a kerf even after resharpening.

Keep in mind,this all comes from someone who has been known to use bandsaw blades in hacksaw and swedish saw frames to get a job done when he didn`t want to go out in the snow.I`ve even used bandsaw blades to cut metal.Call me crazy but it worked.

Mainely,Bob

Re: Bandsaw Blades for Handsaws

Todd Stock

>I use a 1 inch width, 3TPI skiptooth blade. Think I found it on closeout at a local tool place for under $10. Tracks well and the 150" or so of blade stock gave me enough for three blades (on my second now...).

The bow saw blades I found (this was a few years ago) were far too short for the 48" length needed for a frame saw. I also found that the power that can be applied with a framesaw made the aggressive tooth pattern of the bandsaw blade a real plus. Other than being a bit tougher to start that a bow saw (but no worse than a D-8), I'm satisfied.

Re: Bandsaw Blades for Handsaws *LINK*

Lyn J. Mangiameli

>Bandsaw blades work great for this application. The only downside I can think of is that you need to heat the ends to soften them so that they can be drilled. Most use a propane torch for this, though I have read that some just use the head of a nail held in drill, then run on the spot where the hole will be until the friction heats the area sufficiently. I haven't tried this myself.

The advantages are many:

Bandsaw blades come in a wide range of widths, thicknesses and tooth patterns. Some even give a choice of sets (Timberwolf/Suffolk). Most bandsaw packaging and product literature do a good job describing the minimum radius, and cutting characteristics of the specific blade, and these apply to hand use as well.

Most bandsaw blades are cheap, and actually very cheap when compared to commercially available frame saw blades. Since the come in a wide variety of lengths, you can select a length that will be divided into equally by the size you need.

For handsaw use you do not need anything more than the basic steel blades. Bimetal blades will cost more and offer little improvement in life when worked at hand tool speeds. Carbide tipped blades would actually work worse for hand tool use due to their width and geometry, not to mention extreme costs.

Bandsaw blades can be resharpened quickly and easily using a Dremel like tool and a cut off disk (even better, one of the cheap diamond coated steel disks sold by Lee Valley). No this may seem silly to do for hand tool use, when the basic stock is so cheap, but usually you can get an even better edge than comes from the factory.

Exotic patterns like the Highland Hardware blade have no advantage for hand tool use, are harder to sharpen and anneal, and are more expensive.

Below is a link to a site where I get most of my blades for bandsaw use, some of which get passed down to use in both a large and small bow saw.


http://www.suffolkmachinery.com

Re: Bandsaw Blades for Handsaws

Alan Hamilton

>Monte,

Highland Hardware carries a gaggle of bow saws and bow saw blades. Looking quickly at their catalog, on one page they have the following: 4 tpi crosscut; 5 tpi rip; 7 tpi crosscut; 9 tpi joint/crosscut (I don't know what this might be); and 3/8" 9 tpi scroll saw; these blades are all for bow saws or frame saws, and all cost less than eight dollars. I believe I've seen on their web site that they carry many more than are in their current catalog. And that's only Highland Hardware.

IIRC there are three or four other outfits that carry a similar variety. You might want to check out Woodcraft, The Best Things, Traditional Woodworker, and Adria. Those stick in my mind for some reason. They're not all that hard to find.

Alan

No need to anneal

Bob Hackett

>Just place the blade flat on an endgrain block of wood and punch a hole using a pin punch of the size needed.One good whack will get you a nice round hole as long as the punch is ground square and not dubbed.If the blade deforms near the hole just flip it over and tap it to flatten.

Mainely,Bob

Re: No need to anneal

Lyn J. Mangiameli

>I had not read that before, but it sounds like a great tip that I 've got to try. Sure would be way easier than the what I've always done.

Re: Bandsaw Blades for Handsaws

Monte Milanuk

>Just to clarify, I never said I hadn't been able to find *any*; what I meant was that most of the ones I'd seen were bowsaws that looked pretty similar, i.e. probably made the same place or at least off the same plans (haven't looked that closely at the dimensions, so I might be way off there). Yes, most of the places that carry those saws carry a selection of blades for them, and you're right, they aren't that spendy. But for people who make their own bowsaws to their own specs, or make some kind of big honkin' frame saw for resawing, I'm guessing they probably use bandsaw blades, and make them fit however they have to.

Monte

Re: Bandsaw Blades for Handsaws

Todd Stock

>Re: blade mounting holes...

If you have an old drill bit you don't mind killing, try low speed and high pressure to bring the local area around the bit to a high enough temp to melt through the blade. Saves having to anneal the ends to punch a hole.

Honkin' big bench!

Dave (Arlington, VA)

>I can only speak to framesaws. As I recall my framesaw is roughly 18"x24".

The bandsaw blade I used was a 3/4" 4 TPI Skip tooth. I have some, but not a world of experience ripping with it. Cutting to a line with it is a skill I'm still developing (a vast understatement!). Pre-"guiding cuts" with a backsaw are a good idea.

I didn't know enough when I built it to be worried about annealing the blade. I just used a drill but and didn't have any problem. In retrospect I probably did shortened the life of that bit. Oh, well.

I found I liked using the framesaw to cut on the backstroke.

Also I may be unique on this, but if you plan to do much ripping with a low TPI framesaw make sure you have a honkin' big workbench. Otherwise, as you cut the bench will move all around on you - and it's difficult enough to cut as it is. I thought my bench would be heavy enough, but if I was going to rip with my framesaw regularly I'd have to find a way to bolt my bench down to the floor or beef it up.

Best of luck - and regards -

Dave

Re: No need to anneal

Bob Rozaieski in Eastern PA

>I just clamped the end of my framesaw (bandsaw) blade between two scraps of hardwood and drilled through all three items with a normal twist drill for metal. Worked fine for me without heating, although maybe as you said the heat from the friction of the bit may have softened it.

Re: Honkin' big bench!

Todd Stock

>Good point...I have the Tage Frid bench and hold the stock tilted to the left and held in the shoulder vise. I throw a few bags of water softener salt or limestone pellets on the bench to keep it from moving around. This winter...new bench.

I use a one man saw, so the blade is set up to cut on the pull (good bicep workout). The longer the throw (up to a point, I suppose), the greater the efficiency (fewer starts and stops).

Re: Bandsaw Blades for Handsaws *LINK*

Robert Weber

>Lyn, by this: "Carbide tipped blades would actually work worse for hand tool use due to their width and geometry, not to mention extreme costs." are you referring to blades like the Resaw King by Laguna Tools? I always wanted to try that in a frame resaw thinking that it might be better...

Rob in Peoria


Laguna Tools Resaw King

Re: Bandsaw Blades for Handsaws

Lyn J. Mangiameli

>I haven't tried the Resaw King but do have the Lenox carbide tipped bandsaw blade I use (in a bandsaw)for resawing cocobolo and the like.

Because the carbide tip is welded on, the tooth is almost always much wider and the blade needs to be thicker to avoid so much flexibility that it would stress the welds. Because carbide is so brittle,and doesn't like unsupported edge shapes, the tooth geometry is rather blunt. This isn't bad for high speed use where a motor is doing the job, but makes for more work when hand sawing. It is also almost impossible to tune the teeth in any way other than as factory supplied.

I do find it a good blade for use saying very hard exotics. I has a wider kerf, but the surface is usually so smooth as to make up for the kerf loss by not having to plane away so much of the surface to get it smooth.

In contrast, a bowsaw/frame saw cut will rarely be so smooth or straight as to avoid a fair amount of surface cleanup. In such settings, IMO, you might as well go with the cheaper blade, with a thinner blade, and more sharply angled teeth that will make hand sawing less effortful. Unless , of course, handsawing is an essential part of your fitness routine :-)