Blade Variety Box Bi-Metal

Maintain a high-level of production and quality while sawing in cold weather with Wood-Mizer’s NEW Winter Blade Variety Box! Ideal for sawing tough frozen logs, this WOOD-MIZER EXCLUSIVE blade box includes:

• 1 x Bi-Metal Turbo 7
• 2 x DoubleHard 4°
• 2 x DoubleHard 7°
• 2 x DoubleHard Turbo 7
• 2 x DoubleHard 9°

 

DoubleHard blades only available in .045” x 1 ¼” at 158” length. Bimetal blade is only available in .042 x 1 ¼” at 158” length.

Understanding sawmill blade geometry and terminology can be complex. Here is a crash course in choosing a blade profile that is best suited for your sawing application.

Blade Thickness

• Thicker blades (.045", .050", .055") provide faster feed rates and better cutting performance in difficult sawing conditions such as knotty, frozen, dry or extremely hard material, but requires higher horsepower (25+HP)
• Thinner blades (.035", .038", .042") provide longer flex life with lower horsepower sawmills where production or speed is not a primary factor

Blade Width

• Wider blades for higher horsepower (25+HP) sawmills and a faster feed rate
• Narrow blades for lower horsepower sawmills and more difficult sawing

Hook Angle

• 4 degree: frozen or extreme hardwoods on all sawmills
• 7 degree: frozen, tropical, and extreme hardwoods on higher horsepower (25+HP), wide cut sawmills
• 9 degree: seasoned, hardwoods for lower horsepower sawmills making narrow cuts on smaller logs
• 10 degree: all purpose for a mix of hard and softwoods on all sawmills
• 12 degree: medium to softwoods
• 13 degree: softwoods

Eliminate downtime and keep sawing with these 10 helpful tips to increase your bandsaw blade life expectancy.

1. SHARPEN YOUR BLADES

Use Wood-Mizer's resharp® blade sharpening service or your own blade maintenance equipment to ensure your bandsaw blades maintain maximum precision and performance.

2. PAY ATTENTION TO DETAIL

When installing a new sawmill blade, make a few cuts at a moderate speed to "break in" the blade. Also, minimize skim cuts when only one side of the set tooth is sawing.

3. MAINTAIN DRIVE BELT TENSION

Keep drive belts tight to transmit higher horsepower to the sawmill blade, especially with new belts that need tightened more frequently.

4. UNDERSTAND DIFFERENT WOOD SPECIES AND MOISTURE CONTENT

Trees vary in density, which requires different cutting techniques and feed rates. Wood density change as logs dry which makes sawing more difficult.

5. LUBRICATE YOUR BLADES

Lubricating the sawmill blade can lead to higher sawing performance, reduced pitch build up, longer life between blade sharpenings, and overall blade life.

6. CLEAN BEFORE YOU CUT

Dirt, rocks, sand, and other foreign material that may be in the log will wear the teeth considerably faster. A debarker can help with this.

7. MEASURE BLADE TENSION

Periodically check hydraulic tensioners, air bags, and springs, because proper tension is critical for maximum blade performance and cutting speeds.

8. EXAMINE BLADE WHEEL BELTS

The blade wheel belts must be in good condition to reach peak performance because worn belts can lead to blade tracking problems. Swapping drive side and idle side can extend belt life.

9. INCREASE FEED RATE

Feed rates should be as fast as possible while still maintaining a straight cut because cutting at slower speeds reduces overall bandsaw blade life.

10. EXAMINE BLADE GUIDE ALIGNMENT

If the blade guides are tipped upward or downward, they will cause the blade to cut in the same direction. Keep rollers tight and make sure the blade is not continuously contacting the back guide or roller flange.