Grizzly G0621 owner manual Blade Selection Wood Cutting, Blade Length, Blade Width, Tooth Style

Blade Selection (Wood Cutting)

Selecting the right blade for the cut requires a knowledge of various blade characteristics.

Blade Length

Measured by the circumference, blade lengths are usually unique to the brand of your bandsaw and the distance between wheels. The Model G0621 uses 108" long blades. Refer to Page 35 for blade replacements.

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 G0621 uses blades from 1⁄8" to 1" in width. Always pick the size of blade that best suits your application.

•Curve Cutting: Use the chart in Figure 35 to determine the correct blade for curve cutting. Determine the smallest radius curve that will be cut on your workpiece and use the corre- sponding blade width.

•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). Large blades excel at cutting straight lines and are less prone to wander.

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Tooth Style

When selecting blades, another option to con- sider is the shape, gullet size, teeth set and teeth angle—otherwise known as “Tooth Style."

Figure 37 illustrates the three main categories of tooth style:

Raker Skip Hook

Figure 37. 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 than other types 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 less heat. However, these blades also leave a rougher cut than raker blades.

•Hook: The teeth on this style have a posi- tive angle (downward) which makes them dig into the material, and the gullets are usu- ally rounded for easier waste removal. These blades are excellent for the tough demands of resawing and ripping thick material.

G0621 Wood/Metal Bandsaw