Blade Selection; Blade Terminology; Blade Length; Blade Width - Grizzly G0513 SERIES Owner's Manual

Blade Selection

selecting the right blade for the cutting task
requires knowledge about blade characteristics
and cutting priorities (i.e. speed, finish, etc.).

Blade Terminology

B
E
D
F
G
Figure 63. Bandsaw blade components.
A. Kerf: the amount of material removed by the
blade during cutting.
B. Tooth Set: the amount each tooth is bent
left or right along the blade.
c. Gauge: the thickness of the blade.
D. Blade Width: the widest point of the blade
measured from the tip of the tooth to the back
edge of the blade.
E. Tooth Rake: the angle of the tooth face
from a line perpendicular to the length of the
blade.
F. Gullet Depth: the distance from the tooth tip
to the bottom of the curved area (gullet).
G. Tooth Pitch: the distance between tooth
tips.
H. Blade Back: the distance between the bot-
tom of the gullet and the back edge of the
blade.
I. TPI: the number of teeth per inch measured
from gullet to gullet.
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A
C
H
I

Blade Length

Measured by the blade circumference, blade
lengths are specific to each bandsaw. they are
determined by the wheel diameter and distance
between the wheels.

Blade Width

Measured from the back of the blade to the tip
of the blade tooth (the widest point), blade width
is often the first consideration given to blade
selection. Blade width determines the largest and
smallest curve that can be cut, and contributes
to the accuracy of cutting straight—generally the
wider the blade, the straighter it will cut.

Blade Material

Bandsaw blades must meet two requirements:
flexibility and hardness. the flexibility of a blade
allows it to travel on the wheel as a band, while
hardness allows the teeth to cut and hold an
edge. Modern materials technology has allowed
bandsaw blades to meet these requirements in
various ways.
carbon Steel: these blades are differentially
heat treated to provide hard teeth that will hold an
edge, and yet be flexible in the back.
carbide Tooth: Extremely hard carbide is either
welded onto or impregnated into the carbon steel
blades, providing superior edge-holding charac-
teristics (see Figure 64).
Carbon Steel
Carbide Impregnated Steel
Figure 64. Carbide-tooth blade composition.
G0513 Series Bandsaws