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Band Saw and Blade recomendations

D

danlh

I'm New Here
I am a new RV10 Builder and just took delivery of my empennage kit. I am looking at adding a band saw to my tool kit and was wondering if anyone has recommendations on a saw and blade size that would be economical but still be adequate for this project.
Thanks
Dan H
 
The saw I like is way overkill for an RV-10. But I like blades with about 14 teeth per inch. I've used blades with 6.5 tpi and while that worked well, it was a bit rough.

I've used wood-cutting blades and bi-metallic blades with these tpi, both completely satisfactory.

Dave
 
I've got an old Sears 10" bandsaw on a stand that works pretty well. I'll echo the statement on getting a blade with a higher TPI count so it makes a smoother cut. The saw is on its own stand, which is handy. You can pull it out from the wall if you have something longer to cut. If the saw is bolted down to a bench like a grinder or a drill press, it can limit what you can cut.

I've also used a small Ryobi band saw and would not recommend it. That one was from years ago, so maybe they've improved it by now.

The replacement blades I've used the last few years were purchased on Amazon. They are a Supercut (brand), 1/4" wide, 0.025" thick, 14 TPI. It works very well on aluminum and wood. Don't use it on steel, or it will be rendered useless in about five seconds. I've used a hacksaw the few times I've needed to cut steel.
 
Thanks Dave.
I was considering 18 tpi but really had no idea.
I am considering the Grizzly Industrial 9 inch Benchtop model from Home Depot but I was concerned about the speed (2460 FPM). Is this a problem with what we have to cut? I understand that 1000 FPM would be better, but I haven't found anything in a reasonable price range that is that slow.
Dan H
 
When I started my build I got a vintage 12" Craftsman bandsaw from Craigslist for something like $20-30 and fitted it with 1/2" 14tpi Bi-Metal blades from Amazon. Six blades got me through the whole -7A build.
 
Many a RV has been built with table top bandsaws. The older kits had a ton more cutting to do than the newer ones but the tabletops are good enough. Just about any of the blades will cut aluminum but stick toward the middle of what’s available and you will be fine.

The real coarse blades will work but are more crude. The fine teeth ones tend to pack up with chips.

Certain other materials will dull them very quickly so be picky about what you cut.

Watch your fingers!
 
Whatever bandsaw you buy, make sure it uses blades that are easy to obtain. I currently have a Jet brand unit that is very nicely made, but it uses a blade length that seems to be common in the woodworking world but uncommon for metal applications. Consequently I really have to hunt to find replacement fine-tooth blades as they aren't nearly as common as I'd like.
 
I picked up an old floor stand 14" band saw on craigslist for dirt cheap - I can't remember, but $25 or something like that. It's nothing fancy, but I'm almost done with the fuselage, and so far it's done everything I need it to do. The only things I can't cut are long materials that just don't fit in the throat, so the hack saw or die grinder with cutoff wheel comes out for those. I'm still on the original blade.

I wouldn't fret over the choice too much. Any saw made for wood will get you through an RV just fine. A low TPI blade for ripping wood will be too rough for the thin aluminum. Go relatively fine with a wood blade, but if you go too fine with a metal blade, it'll load up.
 
Band saw

I'm always different.
I have a Harbor Fright 9". Sometimes I wish it had a deeper throat but I find ways around it. It uses 62" bands. I like 1/4".
14 TPI up to .040"
7 TPI from above .040" through 1/8"
Thev7TPI leaves some shear marks but cuts like a hot knife through butter. Faster the cut, the less heat, the less dulling. Cut outside the line and finish with sander, vixen file or scotchbrite wheel.
I also made a replacement thingamagger. The little plate that sits around the blade. I made a replacement with zero gap. Basically it's just the width of the kerf. Really helps keep tiny stuff from getting yanked into the saw.
 
Last edited:
wirejock said:
14 TPI up to .040"
7 TPI from above .040" through 1/8"
Thev7TPI leaves some shear marks but cuts like a hot knife through butter. Faster the cut, the less heat, the less dulling. Cut outside the line and finish with sander, vixen file or scotchbrite wheel.
I also made a replacement thingamagger. The little plate that sits around the blade. I made a replacement with zero gap. Basically it's just the width of the kerf. Really helps keep tiny stuff from getting yanked into the saw.
Click to expand...

You may very well be right that swapping to a lower TPI for thicker material is the way to go. I did buy a second blade for that purpose....I've determined that I'm much lazier than first thought. :D I have yet to swap out the blades to deal with different stock.

A zero clearance insert of some sort is definitely a good idea. Laziness factor coming into play again, I just used the band saw to cut from the edge to the center of a piece of plywood, then clamped the wood down to become my new saw top.
 
I'm lucky, I have a ML-16 and 35" DoAll upright band saws (second was a gift!)

"The fine teeth ones tend to pack up with chips."

Beeswax - on the blade and on the path (material).
 
I purchased a Rikon 10" bench top band saw at the start of my RV-10 build. It has been very reliable and of good quality and build. Granted, it isn't the cheapest band saw you can buy, but it has held up well, and the old saying of you get what you pay for is usually true.

Best of luck with your new project
 
mburch said:
Whatever bandsaw you buy, make sure it uses blades that are easy to obtain. I currently have a Jet brand unit that is very nicely made, but it uses a blade length that seems to be common in the woodworking world but uncommon for metal applications. Consequently I really have to hunt to find replacement fine-tooth blades as they aren't nearly as common as I'd like.
Click to expand...

Right in your backyard... https://gooregonindustrial.com/
 
D-Dubya said:
I've got an old Sears 10" bandsaw on a stand that works pretty well. I'll echo the statement on getting a blade with a higher TPI count so it makes a smoother cut. The saw is on its own stand, which is handy.
Click to expand...

I have what is certainly the same Sears bandsaw, got it and an old Sears drill press for ~$70 total on craigslist or Facebook. It's been more than enough for anything I've wanted to use it for in the Empennage so far. Honestly, it hasn't been used that much.

I have a small cutting wheel on a ryobi cordless rotary tool that I use a lot more. Or a corded dremel if I need more power. The bandsaw is great for parts about 6 to 10 inches long, which isn't most of them that need trimming (so far for me at least)
 
Matt: I use bandsawbladesdirect for my blades. You just need the blade length, width, thickness, tooth count and profile and stock type. When I've ordered, I have the new blades on the doorstep in about 48-72 hours.

For cold saw blades, and other circular specialty ones, I use W.D.Quinn Saw. When I ordered a specialty blade for a friend's cold saw, they had it in stock, my name lasered on it and going into the shipping box before I was off the phone with them.
 
Marc Bourget said:
I'm lucky, I have a ML-16 and 35" DoAll upright band saws (second was a gift!)

"The fine teeth ones tend to pack up with chips."

Beeswax - on the blade and on the path (material).
Click to expand...

You are lucky. You can still find them occasionally used for $2-$3k. These are the best upright made, although I won’t trade my Roll-In, which are impossible to find used. Both of these saws are just being borrowed and will outlast many lifetimes of hard use.

There can be a big difference between setting up a sheet metal shop and setting up a shop for an RV build. All you need for an RV is an angry Beaver tied to a post.
 
I have a very old Rockwell band saw. I found that construction supply stores, i.e., https://www.whittonsupply.com/, have a stock of sawblade material that they make custom blades from. I can walk in, and they will make a blade to length for me in a few minutes.

I suggest that you have two blades. They seem to break at in-opportune times.
My blades are 14 or 16 tpi.
 
Dan B said:
I have a very old Rockwell band saw. I found that construction supply stores, i.e., https://www.whittonsupply.com/, have a stock of sawblade material that they make custom blades from. I can walk in, and they will make a blade to length for me in a few minutes.

I suggest that you have two blades. They seem to break at in-opportune times.
My blades are 14 or 16 tpi.
Click to expand...

That sounds great. Most machine shops have blade welders. Back in the day, you bought blade stock in a roll and made your own blades to length. The Doall saw mentioned earlier has an accessory blade welder you could have built right it.
Rockwell and South Bend made great tools. Powerful, Heavy and indestructible.
 
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