BANDSAW BLADES
We Stock The Most Popular Length Of Bandsaw Blades In 1/4″ 6mm, 3/8″ 10mm & 1/2″ 12.5mm Wide, With A Choice Of 6TPI 10TPI 14TPI. We Can Supply Almost Any Length Band Saw Blade On Request And Can Order Wider Blades Or Specialist TPI’s For More Larger Saws. Including Regular, Skip, Wave & Bi-Metal Tooth Configurations.
If You have The Make And Model Number Of Your Saw Please Type It In The Search Bar Above As We May Have Already Selected A Range Of Blades To Fit Your Saw.
Bandsaw Blade Selection
At Solent Tools, we simplify your blade selection process. We categorize blades by machine model numbers, eliminating the hassle of determining blade length and tension compatibility. While a variety of blades remains available for your model, understanding different blade widths and TPIs (Teeth Per Inch) is essential.
We stock blades designed for smaller bench-top DIY and professional bandsaws, primarily for wood and non-ferrous metal cutting. Custom-length blades can also be ordered with a lead time of approximately one week.
How Do I Know Which Bandsaw Blade To Use?
The most important thing when it comes to replacing a blade on your band saw is to get the correct length. There are a few ways that you can identify this:
- A lot of band saws will have the blade length on a sticker on the outside of the saw, so have a good look around. This is the by far the easiest way of getting the correct length.
- Because your saw has adjustment to tension the blade the best method for physically measuring the correct blade for your band saw is to; take the adjustment in so that it is at the shortest possible blade length, wrap something around the wheels as if it were a blade and then lay that on a tape measure (if you have a fabric tape measure then you can just wrap that around the wheels). Then take the adjustment out to its longest possible blade length and repeat the processs. Now that you have the shortest and longest possible lengths you can choose a blade above that sits in that range or contact us with your range and we can get a blade made to any length.
- If your blade has snapped then you can lay it on a tape measure to get the length, but please be aware that it will have stretched over time and that it can lead to inaccurate measurements and potentially ordering the wrong blade.
Our shorter stock blades (up to 1699mm) are crafted from Thin Gauge Flexback Carbon. Known for its precision and durability, design to flex around smaller wheels and minimizing premature blade breakage. Longer stock blades (1700mm-2500mm) are made from Standard Gauge Flexback Carbon, offering enhanced strength for larger machines with greater wheel diameters.
What Width Band Saw Blade Is Best?
The width of a blade is important. A narrower blade will have more flexibility and can do intricate cuts. Where as a wider blade is easier for straight line cutting and is more likely to snap if used otherwise.
1/4″ (6mm) Wide Blades are best for cutting curves and shapes due to their flexibility, they will also cut straight lines, but it will be a lot harder to do so on a narrow blade.
3/8″ (10mm) Wide Blades should be used for straight line cutting and shallower curves, this is normally the widest blade you can fit on a hobby / DIY band saw and is therefore the widest blades we keep for lengths of 1575mm and below.
1/2″ (12.5mm) Wide Blades are only really suitable for cutting straight lines due to their lack of flexibility. They can be used for other applications but the chance of them snapping is very high.
What TPI Is Best?
TPI stands for Teeth Per Inch and it will determine the finish that you get in the material that you are cutting.
6TPI is great for rough cuts cross-cutting and ripping through wood. The larger teeth spacing means that the wood can clear faster and not get clogged allowing for a fast cut.
10TPI is a middle of the road and general purpose blade, it is what most DIY band saws are fitted with and will give a reasonable finish in wood.
14TPI will give a clean fine finish in wood and best for cutting thinner materials as it gets more teeth in the material at once. These blades will also cut plastics and thin non-ferrous metals including aluminium, brass and copper (slow feed speeds are advised).
We can order different TPIs on request, with a lead time of around one week.
Finer blades are better suited to plastic and metal cutting. The number of teeth on a bandsaw blade will also determine the feed rate. The higher the TPI, the slower the feed rate.
You should be aiming to have at least 3 teeth in the material that you are cutting. So, if you need to cut very thin material (e.g., under 6mm), it will be better to use a higher TPI (14 TPI) blade; otherwise, the material can bounce.
How Do I Fit My New Bandsaw Blade
It is important to fit a blade correctly, adjust the guide blocks and tension the blade otherwise it can lead to the blade coming off or a new blade snapping after a few cuts. We include fitting instructions with every blade that we sell and a knowledgeable team that can advise should you require further assistance.
Cutting Material
The blades we stock are all for wood cutting bandsaws (which are capable of cutting plastic and thin non-ferrous metals such as Aluminium & Brass – always check your manual before cutting), these bandsaws run in a range of between 2500 – 3200 FPM (Feet Per Minute).
If you are wanting to cut Steel, Stainless Steel and other Ferrous metals you will need a specific metal cutting bandsaw that runs a lot slower in the range of 40-400 FPM (Feet Per Minute). Never attempt to cut steel on a metal cutting bandsaw, it will ruin the blade, probably the saw and above all else the user will be at a high risk of serious injury.
Should bandsaw guide bearings touch blade?
When the blade is under no load the guide blocks / bearings and thrust bearings should not be touching the blades, they should be as close as possible without making direct contact. When a gentle pressure is applied contact should be made and the bearings should spin.
Incorrect pressure of the bearings or the blocks is the number one reason for blades breaking.
If you are still unsure of which blade you need, have any questions or would like to order a bespoke blade please get in contact with us by email sales@solenttools.co.uk or by phone 02380578057.
