Axminster HBS200N Manual page 22

Bandsaw Blade Information
About Axcaliber Bandsaw Blades
Axcaliber bandsaw blades are manufactured at
Axminster using advanced CNC machining, high
precision digital measuring equipment and
specialised heat treatment facilities. Detailed quality
checks are performed at each stage of manufacture
using the most modern inspection equipment. The
result is a blade which consistently cuts straighter,
has harder, longer-life teeth and which gives a
superior finish to the work. The final step in the
manufacturing process is one of the most
important; the weld. We have invested heavily in this
area through the purchase of precision welding and
grinding equipment and are, as a result, one of the
few companies worldwide able to offer a fully
guaranteed weld. Blades are cut accurately to length
then, using an IDEAL bandsaw blade welder, a high
voltage current is passed through the blade to
achieve a precision butt weld. The weld is annealed
to remove any brittleness and danger of fatigue and
then hand dressed to produce a perfectly smooth
joint.
Choosing the Right Tooth Pitch (tpi)
3 tpi (skip form)
Used for deep cutting especially rip cuts, this blade
will leave a rough sawn finish although slow feed rate
and high tension will improve the finish of the cut.
4 tpi (skip form)
Good for general-purpose use with a degree of
cutting across the grain and with the grain, reason-
able finish can be achieved with slower feed rates
and good tension.
6 tpi (skip form)
The ideal general purpose blade suitable for cross
cutting up to 150mm and ripping in sections up to
50mm thick although thicker sections can be cut
using slow feed rates. This tooth form will give a
clean finish and is very well suited to natural timbers.
10 tpi (regular)
Good for cutting plywood and MDF as well as
non-ferrous metals and plastics. The finish is good
when cutting natural timbers but the feed rate
should be slow and maximum depth of cut should
not exceed 50mm. When cutting metals reduce the
speed as much as possible especially when cutting
ferrous metals or cast iron.
14 tpi (regular)
A very clean cutting blade for plywood, plastics and
MDF although too fine for natural timbers unless
they are very thin sections (sub 25mm thick). The
14tpi blade is very good to use on slow speeds when
cutting non-ferrous metals. A slow feed speed should
be used at all times with a blade tooth pitch this fine.
Blade Width
Always use the widest saw blade possible; it is
stronger and will withstand greater feed pressures
without flexing. Consult your machine manual for
the maximum and minimum blade widths that it will
accept. The minimum radius of curve for each blade
width is as follows:
Blade width
13mm (1/2")
10mm (3/8")
6mm (1/4")
5mm (3/16")
3mm (1/8")
Blade Length
This is determined by your machine model. A list of
the most popular machines and their blade lengths is
found in the catalogue.
Blade Tooth Form
Standard Blade Tooth Forms: We supply bandsaw
blades with one of two tooth forms, skip or regular:
22 22
Minimum radius
63mm (2 1/2")
27mm (1 1/16")
19mm (3/4")
13mm (1/2")
10mm (3/8")