Blade Information
Selecting the right blade requires a knowledge of the various blade characteristics to match the blade with the particular cutting operation.
Blade Length
Measured by the circumference, blade lengths are usually unique to the brand of your bandsaw and the distance between wheels. The Model G0513X is designed for blades that are 1311⁄2" long and the Model G0514X/G0514X3 is designed for blades that are 143" long. Refer to Page 43 for blade replacements.
•Straight Cutting: Use the largest width blade that you own. Narrow blades can cut tight curves (a small radius) but are not very good at cutting straight lines because they naturally wander (blade lead). However, larg- er blades are much better at cutting straight lines, but function poorly at cutting small curves because of their size.
Tooth Style
When selecting blades, another option to con- sider is the shape, gullet size, teeth set and teeth
Figure 51 shows the three main categories of tooth style:
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 selec- tion. Blade width dictates the largest and smallest curve that can be cut, as well as how accurately it can cut a straight line.
The Model G0513X can use blades from 1⁄8" to 1" in width. The Model G0514X/G0514X3 can use blades from 1⁄8" to 11⁄4" in width. Always pick the size of blade that best suits your application.
•Curve Cutting: Use the chart in Figure 50 to determine the correct blade for curve cutting. Determine the smallest radius curve that will be cut on your workpiece and use the cor- responding blade width.
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Figure 50. Blade width radii.
Raker Skip Hook
Figure 51. Raker, Skip & Hook tooth styles.
•Raker: This style is considered to be the standard because the tooth size and shape are the same as the tooth gullet. The teeth on Raker blades usually are very numerous, have no angle, and produce cuts by scrap- ing the material; these characteristics result in very smooth cuts, but do not cut fast and generate more heat while cutting.
•Skip: This style is similar to a raker blade that is missing every other tooth. Because of the design, skip toothed blades have a much larger gullet than raker blades, and therefore, cut faster and generate more heat. However, these blades also leave a rougher cut than raker blades.
G0513X/G0514X/G0514X3 Extreme Series Bandsaw |
