Band saws....? Cutting theory

Does anyone have any thoughts on tooth count?

Yes, you want 3 teeth on the part being cut at all times.

Most material (metal) I want to cut ranges from sheet metal to thick bar (I have 3/4" bar in my stock now, not sure that I would get much thicker but possibly depending on what comes down the line on projects), all mild steel. I want to work with some aluminum also. As far as higher strength steels - I don't see getting much in to that at this stage of the game, so I can cross that bridge down the road if I need to.

The higher the tooth count the finer the cut/finish, but slower the cutting I believe. The rule of thumb I have heard is to size the tooth count to allow 3 teeth engaged in the metal at a time. That won't work for sheet metal unless I had microscopic teeth. I'd say 1/16" or around .060" would be the thinnest I'd try to cut, but that might present too much of a challenge - especially for lower tooth count blades.

The stock HF saw blade is 14tpi. I don't know if that is a decent gauge or not.

I find the 11/14 blades to work well for the thicknesses I cut.
I cut sheet metal with shears, not saws. Plate is a different mater.
 
14 TPI is a good compromise, as is 10/14 vari-pitch.
 
Thanks for the info.

Got some blades coming. Some 10-14's and some wood blades just for the heck of it. We'll see how they run.
 
Back
Top