BAND SAW BLADES
A band saw blade is a delicate piece of steel that is sub- jected to tremendous strain. You can obtain long use from a band saw blade if you give it fair treatment. B ensure you use blades of the proper thickness, width, and temper for the various types of material to be cut.
Always use the widest blade possible. Use the narrow blades only for sawing small, abrupt curves and for fine delicate work. This will save blades and will produce better work. Band saw blades may be purchased, weld- ed, set and sharpened ready for use. For cutting wood and similar materials, Delta supplies blades in widths of 1/8, 3/16, 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, and 3/4 inches.
File and set the wood cutting blades whenever you find it requires pressure to make them cut. If a blade is bro- ken it can be brazed or welded; however, if it has become badly
Any one of a number of conditions may cause a band saw blade to break. Blade breakage is, in some cases, unavoidable, being the natural result of the peculiar stresses to which such blades are subjected. It is, how- ever, often due to avoidable causes, most often to lack of care or judgment on the part of the operator in mounting or adjusting the blade or guides. The most common causes of blade breakage are: 1) faulty alignments and adjustments of the guides; 2) forcing or twisting a wide blade around a curve of short radius; 3) feeding too fast;
4)dullness of the teeth or absence of sufficient set; 5) excessive tightening of the blade; 6) top guide set too high above the work being cut; 7) using a blade with a lumpy or improperly finished braze or weld; and 8) con- tinuous running of the saw blade when not in use for cut- ting.
New blades for the standard
OPERATING THE BAND SAW
Before starting the machine, see that all adjustments are properly made and the guards are in place. Turn the pul- ley by hand to make sure that everything is correct BEFORE turning on the power.
Keep the top guide down close to the work at all times. Do not force the material against the blade too hard.
Light contact with the blade will permit easier following of the line and prevent undue friction, heating, and work- hardening of the blade at its back edge.
KEEP THE SAW BLADE SHARP and you will find that very little forward pressure is required for average cut- ting. Move the stock against the blade steadily and no faster than will give an easy cutting movement.
Avoid twisting the blade by trying to turn sharp corners. Remember, you must saw around corners.
CUTTING CURVES
When cutting curves, turn the stock carefully so that the blade may follow without being twisted. If a curve is so abrupt that it is necessary to repeatedly back up and cut a new kerf, either a narrow blade is needed or a blade with more set is required. The more set a blade has, the easier it will allow the stock to be turned, but the cut is usually rougher than where a medium amount of set is
used. In withdrawing the piece being cut, in order to change the cut, or for any other reason, the operator must be careful that he does not accidentally draw the blade off the wheels. In most cases it is easier and safer to turn the stock and saw out through the waste materi- al, rather than try to withdraw the stock from the blade.
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