Bandsaw Blade Guide: TPI, Bi-Metal vs Carbide, Materials & Selection

A bandsaw is one of the most versatile cutting machines you can have in a workshop. The blade is what makes it work — and getting the blade selection right is the difference between a clean, fast, square cut and a smoking blade with stripped teeth twenty minutes after fitting.

Bandsaws cut everything from solid round bar to structural sections, sheet metal, tube, plastic, hardwood, softwood, and on dedicated machines, meat. The same machine can run dramatically different blades depending on the job. That flexibility is the bandsaw's biggest strength — and also where most operators come unstuck.

This guide covers what matters across the four big bandsaw applications: metal cutting (where most industrial bandsaws live), woodworking (carpentry workshops and joinery), portable bandsaws (Milwaukee M12/M18, DeWalt 20V, etc.), and meat processing (commercial butchering and food production). The focus is industrial — what tradespeople, fabricators, fitters and engineers actually need to know — with honest scope statements about which categories AIMS stocks and which we source on request.

AIMS Industrial is an authorised Excision bandsaw blade distributor. Excision is Australian-owned, has been engineering precision cutting solutions for 30+ years, and their Bi-Alfa Cobalt M42 bi-metal range — along with Bi-Alfa Master Supreme for premium production, M51 cobalt-tungsten for exotic alloys, Bi-Alfa Cobalt Timber for woodworking, and TCT carbide-tipped blades for hardened materials — is the commercial centrepiece of this guide. The technical content applies regardless of brand; the product references are for buyers who want to know exactly what we stock and can source.

What is a bandsaw blade?

A bandsaw blade is a continuous loop of toothed steel running on two or more wheels, with the cutting action coming from teeth on one edge that engage the workpiece as the loop moves past at high linear speed. Unlike a hacksaw (reciprocating, slow, manual) or a circular saw (rotating, high RPM, short engagement), the bandsaw maintains continuous tooth engagement with predictable chip clearance — which is why it's the standard cutting machine in metal workshops, joineries, and butcher shops worldwide.

The blade itself is welded into a loop from coil stock. Commercial bandsaw blade manufacturers — Excision, Lenox, Starrett, Wikus, Bahco, M.K. Morse — supply blades either pre-welded to length, or as coil stock that workshops weld to size in-house using a blade welder. Excision blades for AIMS Industrial come pre-welded to the exact length you need for your machine.

Three things define a bandsaw blade: geometry (width, thickness, length, TPI, tooth set, tooth shape), material (carbon steel, bi-metal M42, bi-metal M51, carbide tipped, or diamond), and welded length (specific to your machine). Get any one wrong and the blade won't cut properly — or won't cut at all.

The two questions to ask before you buy

Every other selection decision flows from these two:

1. What's the diameter or wall thickness of what you're cutting? This drives TPI selection. Thin material needs more teeth in the cut (24 TPI for under 3mm); thick solid material needs fewer (3 TPI for 200mm solid steel).
2. What's the welded length your machine needs? This is fixed by your machine — measure the old blade or check the machine plate. Excision's standard pre-welded lengths cover from 685mm (small benchtop verticals) through 13,000mm (large horizontals and production machines).

Width and thickness are secondary — they're determined by your machine's blade guides, wheel diameter, and the cut radius (if you're contour cutting on a vertical saw). For straight cutting on horizontal saws, run the widest blade your machine accepts.

Material grade (carbon steel vs M42 vs M51 vs carbide) is a productivity and cost decision — covered in the materials H2 below.

TPI selection — the 3-to-6 teeth in workpiece rule

This is the universal bandsaw blade selection law: you want between 3 and 6 teeth engaged with the workpiece at all times. Too few teeth (less than 3) and individual teeth take too big a bite, strip from the blade, or grab and snap. Too many teeth (more than 12) and the gullets between teeth clog with chips, heat builds up, and the blade burns out fast.

For metal cutting on horizontal bandsaws, the practical range is 6–24 teeth in the cut depending on material thickness. For wood cutting on vertical bandsaws, the range is wider — 3–6 teeth is the working window because wood chips are larger and gullets need more clearance.

The table below maps workpiece thickness to recommended TPI for metal cutting:

The single biggest mistake we see is operators running a 14 TPI blade because "it cuts smoother" — on 50mm solid bar, the gullets clog within minutes and the blade is junk. Coarse teeth on thick material isn't rough — it's correct.

Constant pitch vs variable pitch

A constant pitch blade has every tooth the same distance apart — 14 TPI means 14 teeth per inch, evenly spaced. A variable pitch blade has teeth spaced at varying distances along the length — designated as a range like 4/6, 8/12, or 10/14, where 4/6 means the pitch varies between 4 and 6 teeth per inch within the same blade.

Variable pitch is the modern industrial default for two reasons. First, varying the tooth spacing breaks up the harmonic vibration that constant-pitch blades generate when teeth enter and exit the cut at the same frequency. This means less chatter, smoother cut, and longer blade life. Second, variable pitch widens the effective material thickness range of a single blade — a 4/6 TPI variable will cut both 75mm solid bar (where 6 TPI is right) and 50mm solid bar (where 4 TPI suits) without changing blades.

The Excision Bi-Alfa Cobalt M42 range is built around variable pitch designations: 4/6, 5/7, 5/8, 6/10, 7/9, 8/12, 10/14, and 12/16. For general-purpose metal cutting on horizontal bandsaws, the most useful variables are 8/12 TPI for general work under 50mm and 4/6 TPI for 50mm and up.

Constant pitch still has its place — 18 TPI and 24 TPI for thin sheet metal and tube where the cut is too short to benefit from variable spacing, and 3 TPI for heavy solid where there's no harmonic problem to solve.

Blade materials decoded — carbon, M42, M51, carbide, diamond

Bandsaw blade material is the productivity decision. Cheap carbon steel blades work fine for occasional cutting; bi-metal M42 outlasts them 5–10× on production work; M51 lasts longer again on exotic alloys; carbide tipped is the only realistic option for hardened steel and extreme materials. Diamond blades are a specialist application for hard non-metallics.

The workshop default is bi-metal M42. An M42 blade will outlast a hardened carbon blade by 5–10× on the same material, which more than pays for the 3–4× price premium. Carbon-steel-only is a false economy on anything but occasional cutting — you'll change blades constantly and the chipped teeth will leave a rough cut and accelerate machine wear.

M42 vs M51 is a more nuanced decision. M42's 8% cobalt content gives heat resistance to about 500°C at the tooth tip. M51 (10% cobalt + 10% tungsten) extends that to about 600°C and adds significant wear resistance against abrasive alloying elements. The practical M42-to-M51 step-up is justified when you're cutting Inconel, titanium, duplex stainless, or hardened tool steels in production volume — the blade lasts 50–100% longer and finishes the cut cooler. For mild steel, standard 304/316 stainless, and structural sections, M42 is the right answer.

The Excision range covers all five tiers: Bi-Alfa Cobalt M42 as the volume range, Bi-Alfa Master Supreme as the premium production tier, M51 cobalt-tungsten for exotic alloys, and TCT carbide-tipped blades for hardened materials (sourced from Excision's TCT range — contact us for specification).

Tooth set patterns — raker, alternate, wavy

Tooth set is the lateral bending of teeth to create a kerf wider than the blade body, preventing the blade from binding in the cut. Three patterns dominate:

For 90% of metal cutting applications, raker set is the right answer — it's the default on Excision Bi-Alfa M42 and M51 blades. Wavy set appears on the higher-TPI constant pitch blades (18 TPI and 24 TPI) used for thin material, because the wave pattern handles variable section thicknesses without changing blades. Alternate set is reserved for production roughing where the cut surface gets machined or ground afterwards.

Tooth geometry — regular, hook, skip

Tooth geometry is the shape of the tooth face, which determines how aggressively the tooth bites into the material and how chips evacuate.

Regular tooth is the standard on the Excision Bi-Alfa Cobalt M42 metal-cutting range — it cuts ferrous metals predictably with minimum chatter and good surface finish. Hook tooth shows up on wood-specific blades and aluminium-cutting blades where the more aggressive engagement and larger gullets keep up with bigger chips. Skip tooth is a wood and soft-material specialty — you'll see it on resaw blades for thick boards where chip clearance is critical.

Cutting metal — bi-metal M42 as the workshop default

The Excision Bi-Alfa Cobalt M42 range covers virtually every metal cutting application a workshop encounters. Width options from 6mm (small benchtop verticals) through 80mm (production horizontals), thickness 0.5–1.6mm depending on width, TPI from 1.25 to 25, and welded lengths from 685mm to 13,000mm.

For metal cutting on a horizontal bandsaw, three things drive cut quality: correct TPI, correct speed (SFM) for the material, and adequate coolant. The TPI selection table earlier in this guide covers point one. The cutting speed table below covers point two for the common materials:

The cutting speeds and feeds chart covers the broader workshop cutting speed reference. For coolant selection, see the cutting fluids guide — water-soluble emulsion at 5–10% mix is the bandsaw default for ferrous metal cutting; Excision's XDP-series soluble oils are formulated for this application.

Cutting stainless — the work-hardening trap

Austenitic stainless steel (304, 316) work-hardens when deformed without being cut. The instant you reduce feed pressure below the threshold needed to keep teeth biting through the surface, the teeth start sliding instead of cutting. The friction work-hardens the surface to Rockwell C 50+. The next teeth in the cut now hit that hardened layer and chip immediately. Once teeth chip, the rest of the blade follows in seconds.

Three rules for stainless on a bandsaw:

1. Drop the TPI — coarser teeth take a bigger bite per tooth, so the force per tooth is higher and they push through the surface instead of skating on it. A 6/10 TPI variable on 25mm stainless beats a 10/14 TPI variable on the same job.
2. Never stop the feed mid-cut — if you have to stop the saw, retract the blade out of the cut first. Then stop. Don't leave teeth in contact with stationary stainless.
3. Coolant is non-negotiable — heavy water-soluble emulsion with sulphur-based EP additive. Dry-cutting stainless on a bandsaw is a guaranteed blade-killer.

For duplex stainless (2205, 2507), 17-4PH precipitation hardened, or 316L in production volumes, step up from Excision M42 to Excision M51 cobalt-tungsten. The extra heat resistance and wear resistance is the difference between consistent production and frequent blade changes.

Cutting wood on a bandsaw — the AU hardwood reality

Wood bandsaw blades face a different challenge to metal blades. Wood produces large chips that need large gullets. The cutting forces are lower per tooth, but the chip volume per tooth is much higher. This is why dedicated wood bandsaw blades use hook tooth geometry, skip tooth patterns, and lower TPI — typically 3 TPI to 14 TPI depending on what you're cutting.

Australian hardwoods are the international outlier in bandsaw cutting. Janka hardness ratings tell the story: jarrah comes in at 8.5 kN, ironbark at 14.2 kN, spotted gum at 11.0 kN. Compare to the international softwood baseline (pine at 1.5 kN, Douglas fir at 2.4 kN) and you can see why imported standard wood bandsaw blades — designed primarily for North American and European softwoods — dull fast on AU hardwoods.

The Excision Bi-Alfa Cobalt Timber range is the bi-metal answer for hardwood. M42 cobalt tooth tips on a flexible carbon-steel back — the same construction philosophy as the M42 metal-cutting range, but with hook tooth geometry, larger gullets, and TPI selections optimised for wood. The result is a wood bandsaw blade that holds its edge through AU hardwoods where standard carbon-steel imported blades dull within hours.

For resawing (cutting boards along their length to make thinner boards), the workshop default on 14"–18" bandsaws is a 1/2" (12.7mm) blade at 3 TPI hook tooth. For general bench work and scrolling on the same machine, 3/8" (9.5mm) at 4 TPI skip tooth is the most-versatile blade. Resin-loaded woods (Sydney blue gum, cypress) benefit from skip tooth more than hook tooth — the bigger gullets shed sticky chip pack faster.

A practical note from AU joiners on woodworkforums.com.au: a bandsaw spec'd for a 19mm (3/4") blade can usually only tension a 16mm (5/8") blade properly — manufacturer width claims are optimistic. If you're not getting clean cuts on a wide blade, drop a size before assuming the blade is faulty.

Resawing thick boards — width, TPI, technique

Resawing is the highest-demand wood bandsaw operation — cutting boards along their length, often through 100mm+ of hardwood. Three things matter: blade width (for beam strength and straight cuts), TPI (for chip clearance), and machine tension (for accurate tracking).

Beam strength matters more than tooth aggression on tall resaws. A 1/2" blade has roughly 4× the beam strength of a 1/4" blade — it tracks straighter and resists deflection from grain irregularities. The trade-off is wheel diameter: narrower blades flex around smaller wheels without metal fatigue, wider blades need larger wheel diameters.

Drift adjustment — the tendency of a blade to wander left or right of the cut line — is the resawing skill that takes practice. Each blade has a "natural drift angle" determined by tooth set asymmetry and blade tension. Adjust your fence parallel to the drift angle, not parallel to the blade body. Skipping this step is why straight resaws look bowed.

Cutting meat — honest scope

Meat bandsaw blades are a different product class to industrial metal-cutting bandsaw blades. Commercial butcher bandsaws (Hobart, Biro, Butcher Boy, Hollymatic, Torrey) use stainless steel blades, typically 3 TPI raker tooth, around 5/8" (16mm) wide, .022" thick, with rounded tooth profiles designed to cut bone and meat without splintering bone or leaving sharp burrs.

Meat bandsaw blades face four requirements that don't apply to industrial metal blades:

1. Hygiene and food safety — stainless steel construction, smooth non-porous surfaces, designed for cleanability per Australian Standard AS 4696:2023 (Hygienic Production and Transportation of Meat and Meat Products for Human Consumption — current standard, replaced AS 4696:2007 from 01/07/23 in export-registered meat establishments).
2. Corrosion resistance — meat acids and salt brines corrode standard carbon-steel and bi-metal blades within days. Stainless construction is non-negotiable for food contact.
3. NSF/ANSI/3-A certification — the international hygiene standard for food-cutting equipment design. Recognised by AU Food Standards.
4. Tooth profile for bone — meat blades use rounded raker teeth to cut bone cleanly without producing sharp bone splinters that contaminate the meat.

AIMS Industrial does not stock dedicated meat bandsaw blades — the food-grade equipment supply chain is separate from industrial metal cutting, and the technical requirements (food-safe materials, cleanability certification, butcher-machine compatibility) are best served by specialist food-processing equipment distributors. If you're in commercial meat processing and looking for replacement blades for your Hobart, Biro, or Butcher Boy bandsaw, contact us and we'll point you to the right Australian specialist.

A hunter or small-scale butcher with a wood bandsaw asking "can I use my wood bandsaw to cut venison or beef quarters at home?" — yes, with caveats. Fit a coarse 4 TPI blade, clean the machine thoroughly after every use (meat acids and fat corrode wood-bandsaw mechanical components fast if left), and don't use the same blade for wood afterwards. For domestic and hunting use this works fine; for commercial food production, use proper food-grade equipment.

Portable bandsaw blades (Milwaukee, DeWalt, M12/M18)

Portable bandsaws — Milwaukee M12 Sub-Compact, Milwaukee M18 Deep Cut, DeWalt 20V MAX, Makita XBP02 — use shorter blades (typically 600–900mm welded length) at higher TPI than horizontal bandsaws. The Lenox Diemaster 2 (M42 bi-metal, 14 TPI or 10/14 variable) is the workshop consensus replacement for OEM blades across all the major brand portables.

Why portable bandsaws need different blades: the wheel diameter is smaller (typically 38–50mm vs 250mm+ on horizontal saws), so blade flex around the wheels is much higher. This means thinner blade backs (typically 0.6mm vs 0.9–1.3mm), higher TPI to keep cut forces low, and bi-metal M42 as the practical material standard.

AIMS does not stock portable bandsaw blades. Excision's range is focused on industrial horizontal and vertical bandsaw machines, not battery-platform portables. For Milwaukee M12 or M18 replacement blades, M.K. Morse 811 series (about 2× faster than OEM Milwaukee blades per WeldingWeb consensus) and Lenox Diemaster 2 are the gold-standard options — both available through dedicated portable-tool retailers in Australia.

Carbide tipped bandsaw blades — when you need them

Carbide-tipped (TCT) bandsaw blades use tungsten carbide teeth brazed to an alloy steel back. They're the only realistic blade for cutting:

• Hardened steel above Rockwell C 45 (tool steel after heat treatment, case-hardened pins, hardfaced components)
• Abrasive materials (high-silicon aluminium castings, glass-filled composites, fibreglass)
• Production cutting of standard alloys at maximum throughput
• Specialty applications (structural sections, very thick solid bar)

The catch: TCT bandsaw blades require a rigid machine. Carbide is brittle. If your machine flexes — worn guide bearings, undertensioned blade, vibration from worn drive components — carbide teeth chip off. Once a TCT blade loses one or two teeth, the remaining teeth take heavier loads and chip in cascade. As one Hobby-Machinist contributor put it bluntly: "you must stop before shucking off more."

TCT blades typically use 20° negative tooth rake — different from the positive or zero rake on bi-metal blades — for tooth strength. This means the blade pushes against the cut rather than pulling teeth into it, which is what brittle carbide needs to survive the impact-load of entering and exiting the cut.

Excision's TCT bandsaw blade range covers the carbide tier. AIMS can source any Excision TCT specification — including specialty applications like hardened tool steel cutting, high-strength alloy structural sections, and abrasive composite cutting. Contact us with your machine details, material, and cut volume for a TCT specification.

Blade break-in procedure — the most-skipped fundamental

Break-in protocol — the universal standard across every bandsaw blade manufacturer (Excision, Lenox, Starrett, Wikus all publish similar):

1. Cutting speed: normal SFM for the material (per the table earlier in this guide). Speed isn't the variable being controlled during break-in.
2. Feed pressure: reduce to half of normal for easier materials (mild steel, aluminium, brass) or to one-third of normal for harder materials (stainless, alloy steel, tool steel).
3. Duration: first 50–150 square inches of cut, or roughly the first 10 minutes of continuous cutting. For a 50mm bar, that's 8–15 cuts depending on diameter.
4. Ramp up gradually: after the break-in cuts, ramp feed back to normal over the next 5–10 cuts. Don't jump straight back to maximum feed.

Why skipping break-in costs you blade life: under microscope, a broken-in tooth has a smooth, rounded edge profile that distributes cutting load across a small contact area. An unbroken-in tooth has the original sharp edge — which is mechanically weaker than the broken-in profile and chips off in tiny fragments during the first heavy cuts. Once chipped, the tooth can't recover. The blade is permanently down on theoretical life from day one.

For workshops cutting mixed materials, run break-in on the easiest material in your queue (mild steel works well). The broken-in blade is then ready for whatever comes next — including the harder materials that you would have damaged the blade on if cut first.

Common bandsaw blade failure modes

Bandsaw blades don't just dull — they fail in specific, identifiable ways. Recognising the failure mode tells you what went wrong and what to fix.

A bandsaw blade that has cut its design life will typically show even tooth wear across the full length, gradual loss of cutting speed, and eventually rounded tooth tips visible under magnification. This is normal end-of-life. Catastrophic failure (snapping, tooth strip, weld snap) within the first few hours of running is always traceable to one of the causes above — diagnose the cause before fitting the replacement blade or you'll destroy that one the same way.

DIY blade welding from coil stock

Production workshops that go through dozens of bandsaw blades per year sometimes weld their own from coil stock. Coil stock is sold in 30m or 50m rolls — significantly cheaper per metre than pre-welded blades. The breakeven calculation: how many blades per year times the price-per-metre saving versus the cost of a blade welder ($800–$3,000 for a manual resistance butt welder, $5,000+ for production-tier).

The proper method is resistance butt welding — the blade ends are clamped in jaws, current passes through the join, the join heats to forging temperature, and pressure forges the joint. Vertical contour bandsaws (DoAll, Marvel) have built-in resistance welders. Standalone bench welders work the same way.

DIY methods for occasional one-off blade welds (without a dedicated bandsaw welder):

• Silver soldering with a 1/2" lap joint and alignment fixture — cost-effective for thin blades (0.6mm), reliable if surface prep is correct.
• TIG welding with thin stainless filler rod — works well on thicker blades (0.9–1.3mm), requires steady hand and clean alignment.
• MIG welding on low settings — documented in machinist forums but harder to get right on thin material; not the recommended method.

The non-negotiable prep step for any welding method: remove the bluing and oxide from both blade ends with abrasive paper or a wire wheel. Welding through oxide gives a weld that snaps on startup. Clean, bright metal at the join is the difference between a blade that runs and a blade that breaks.

The Excision Bi-Alfa range — what AIMS stocks and sources

Excision's Bi-Alfa range is built around the philosophy that Australian workshops deserve precision cutting solutions made for Australian conditions — and backed by local technical support. AIMS Industrial stocks 220+ Excision bandsaw blade SKUs in the dedicated Band Saw Blades collection, with coverage across:

• Bi-Alfa Cobalt M42 — the workshop standard bi-metal range. Widths 6mm through 67mm, thicknesses 0.5–1.6mm, TPI from 3 to 25 (constant and variable), welded lengths 685–13,000mm. This covers virtually every horizontal and vertical bandsaw application across mild steel, alloy steel, stainless 304/316, and structural sections. The 27×0.9×4/6 TPI variable and 27×0.9×5/7 TPI variable are the most-ordered sizes for general workshop bandsaws.
• Bi-Alfa Master Supreme — Excision's premium production tier. Heavier construction, larger welded lengths (5,200–13,000mm), designed for high-volume production cutting where blade life and consistency justify the price step. Sizes 34mm × 1.1mm × 3/4 TPI (3810–5200mm) through 67mm × 1.6mm × 1.5/2 TPI (7320–10110mm) in stock.
• Bi-Alfa M42 Profile WS — welded specialty profile range for cutting hardened materials and difficult sections. 67×1.6×3/4 TPI Profile WS is the most-spec'd size for structural section cutting.
• Bi-Alfa Cobalt M51 — for exotic alloys (Inconel, titanium, duplex stainless, hardened tool steel). 10% cobalt + 10% tungsten gives extended heat resistance and wear resistance vs M42. Available in 27mm × 0.9mm × 3/4 TPI and larger sizes including 4725mm × 41mm × 1.3mm × 4/6 TPI for production cutting.
• Bi-Alfa Cobalt Timber — Excision's bi-metal range for woodworking. The bi-metal construction gives extended life on Australian hardwoods (jarrah, ironbark, spotted gum, blackbutt) where standard carbon-steel imported wood blades dull within hours. Two stocked SKUs in the main collection.
• TCT carbide-tipped — the carbide tier for hardened steel (Rc 45+), abrasive composites, and production cutting of standard alloys at maximum throughput. AIMS sources from Excision's TCT bandsaw blade range — contact us with machine, material, and cut volume for specification.

For sizes or specifications outside what's in the live collection, AIMS can source any product from the Excision range — including custom welded lengths, specialty profile sections, and Cermet-tipped specialty blades. Excision manufactures in 30m and 50m coil stock and welds to specification, with 95% fill rate on standard items.

Brand reality — Excision vs Lenox vs Starrett vs Wikus

The international bandsaw blade market has consolidated significantly in the last decade, and brand reputation has shifted with it. The honest reality from machinist forums:

For Australian workshops, the Excision Bi-Alfa range covers the full spectrum without the lead time, distribution complexity, or quality-variance issues of the international alternatives. For premium European tier, Wikus is the international benchmark. For portables, Lenox Diemaster 2 remains the consensus answer.

8 common bandsaw blade mistakes

Bandsaw blade safety also matters: always wear safety glasses at minimum (impact-rated for metal cutting), hearing protection for prolonged horizontal saw operation, and a P2 respirator for hardwood cutting (Australian Cancer Council classifies hardwood dust as a Group 1 carcinogen). The bandsaw guards (per AS/NZS 4024 series) must be in place and functional — the running blade is the highest-energy moving part in most workshops.

Frequently Asked Questions

What TPI do I need for cutting steel on a bandsaw?

For metal cutting on a horizontal bandsaw, target 6–24 teeth engaged with the workpiece at all times. Practical guide: 10/14 TPI for 6–12mm material, 8/12 TPI for 12–25mm solid bar, 5/7 or 6/10 TPI for 25–50mm solid, 4/6 TPI for 50–100mm solid, and 3/4 TPI for over 100mm. Thin sheet under 3mm uses 18–24 TPI constant pitch. The single biggest mistake is running fine teeth on thick material — gullets clog within minutes.

What's the 3-to-6 teeth rule and why does it matter?

The 3-to-6 teeth in workpiece rule is the universal bandsaw blade selection law: you want between 3 and 6 teeth engaged with the material at all times during the cut. Fewer than 3 teeth means each tooth takes too big a bite and they strip from the blade. More than 6 teeth (and especially more than 12) means the gullets between teeth clog with chips, heat builds up, and the blade burns out fast. For wood, the working range is 3–6 teeth. For metal, it widens to 6–24 teeth because metal chips are smaller per cubic millimetre cut.

Bi-metal M42 vs carbon steel — which should I buy?

Bi-metal M42 is the workshop standard. It outlasts a hardened carbon steel blade by 5–10× on the same material, which pays back the 3–4× price premium in blade life and consistency. Carbon-steel-only is acceptable for occasional cutting of soft materials (aluminium, brass, mild steel under 25mm) but a false economy for anything else. Run M42 as your default unless you're cutting hardwood, plastic, or aluminium where the cutting forces are low.

What's the difference between M42 and M51 bi-metal?

M42 has 8% cobalt in the HSS tooth tip and is the workshop standard for general metal cutting. M51 has 10% cobalt plus 10% tungsten, which extends heat resistance from about 500°C (M42) to about 600°C and adds significant wear resistance against abrasive alloying elements. The M42-to-M51 step-up is justified for production cutting of Inconel, titanium, duplex stainless, or hardened tool steels — blade life improves 50–100%. For mild steel and standard 304/316 stainless, M42 is the right answer.

What is variable pitch and is it worth the extra cost?

Variable pitch blades have teeth spaced at varying distances (designated as ranges like 4/6, 8/12, or 10/14) rather than all evenly spaced. The varying spacing breaks up the harmonic vibration that constant-pitch blades generate, reducing chatter and extending blade life by 20–40% on most applications. It also widens the effective material thickness range of a single blade. Yes — variable pitch is worth the marginal cost premium on virtually every metal cutting application above 6mm thickness.

How do I break in a new bandsaw blade?

Run the new blade at normal cutting speed (SFM) for the material, but reduce feed pressure to half normal (for mild steel, aluminium, brass) or one-third normal (for stainless, alloy steel, tool steel). Continue at reduced feed for the first 50–150 square inches of cut, or roughly 10 minutes of continuous cutting. Then ramp feed back to normal gradually over the next 5–10 cuts. Skipping break-in chips the microscopic tooth edges immediately and permanently reduces blade life from day one.

Why do my bandsaw blades keep breaking?

Three most-common causes: (1) weld snap from a defective blade weld or cheap import quality — buy quality blades from an authorised distributor; (2) wheel-fatigue snap from blades being twisted around wheels smaller than they're designed for, or from running blades past their design life; (3) work-hardening damage from stopping feed mid-cut on stainless steel, which work-hardens the surface and destroys teeth in seconds. Diagnose the failure mode before fitting the next blade — fitting a new blade without fixing the cause kills it the same way.

Can I cut stainless steel on my bandsaw?

Yes, with three rules: (1) drop the TPI compared to mild steel of the same thickness — coarser teeth bite through the work-hardened surface instead of skating on it; (2) never stop the feed mid-cut — if you have to stop, retract the blade out of the cut first; (3) use heavy water-soluble coolant with sulphur EP additive — dry-cutting stainless on a bandsaw is a guaranteed blade-killer. For duplex stainless or 316L in production volume, step up to M51 cobalt-tungsten blades.

Can I use a wood bandsaw for cutting meat?

For occasional domestic use (cutting up a venison carcass, breaking down beef quarters at home), yes — fit a coarse 4 TPI blade, clean the machine thoroughly after every use (meat acids and fat corrode mechanical components fast if left), and don't use the same blade for wood afterwards. For commercial meat processing, no — Australian Standard AS 4696:2023 requires hygienic food-grade equipment, stainless construction throughout, and cleanability certification. Use proper food-grade meat bandsaws (Hobart, Biro, Butcher Boy) for commercial production.

What's the difference between regular, hook, and skip tooth?

Regular tooth has 0° rake and standard gullet depth — the default for ferrous metal cutting, predictable and smooth. Hook tooth has 10° positive rake and larger gullets — aggressive cutting for wood, plastic, and non-ferrous metals where chip volume is high. Skip tooth has 0° rake but every other tooth removed, creating very large gullets — for soft non-ferrous and especially resin-loaded wood where sticky chips need to clear. For metal cutting on a standard bandsaw, regular tooth is what you want.

Can you sharpen a bandsaw blade?

Realistically, no — the cost of professionally sharpening a bandsaw blade exceeds the cost of replacement for almost all blade sizes. Specialty resharpening services exist for very large production-tier blades (typically over 27mm wide, M51 or carbide tipped, where the original blade cost was $300+), but for workshop-standard M42 blades under 27mm wide, replacement is more economical. Carbide-tipped TCT blades are sometimes worth resharpening — costs and economics depend on the carbide grade and tooth count.

How do I measure a bandsaw blade for replacement?

The critical dimension is welded length — measure the existing blade laid flat in a complete loop, or follow the machine plate / manufacturer specification. Width (typically 13mm, 20mm, 27mm, 34mm, 41mm, 67mm depending on machine class) is determined by your blade guides and wheel diameter — match the existing blade. Thickness is determined by the width (Excision uses 0.5mm at 6–13mm width, 0.9mm at 20–27mm width, 1.1mm at 34mm, 1.3mm at 41mm, 1.6mm at 54–80mm). TPI is the application decision — pick per the material thickness table in this guide.

What blade do I need for resawing on a 14" bandsaw?

The workshop default on 14"–18" wood bandsaws is a 1/2" (12.7mm) blade at 3 TPI hook tooth for resawing boards up to about 150mm tall. For taller resaws (150–250mm), step up to 5/8" (16mm) at 2–3 TPI hook tooth. For Australian hardwoods (jarrah, ironbark, spotted gum), bi-metal construction (Excision Bi-Alfa Cobalt Timber range) significantly outlasts standard carbon-steel imported wood blades. A practical note: a 14" bandsaw spec'd for 19mm blades can typically only tension a 16mm blade properly — drop a size if your blade isn't tracking straight.

What blade for a portable bandsaw (Milwaukee M12/M18 or DeWalt)?

Portable bandsaws use shorter blades (typically 600–900mm welded length) at higher TPI than horizontal saws — 10/14 TPI variable or 14 TPI constant for general work. The Lenox Diemaster 2 (M42 bi-metal) is the workshop consensus replacement for OEM blades across Milwaukee M12 Sub-Compact, M18 Deep Cut, DeWalt 20V MAX, and Makita XBP02. M.K. Morse 811 series is the second consensus option — cuts roughly 2× faster than OEM Milwaukee blades per WeldingWeb. AIMS does not stock portable bandsaw blades — Excision's range focuses on industrial machines.

Lenox vs Starrett vs Excision — which brand?

For Australian workshops in 2026, Excision is the AIMS recommendation — Australian-owned, 30+ years AU market presence, local technical support, and full range coverage from workshop M42 through Master Supreme production tier, M51 exotic alloy, and TCT carbide. Lenox historical reputation was the gold standard, but quality has slipped since the Stanley/Irwin acquisition per Practical Machinist and Garage Journal forum consensus. Starrett has mixed reputation — workshop-tier acceptable, production-tier reported with weld-snap failures more frequently than Excision or Lenox. For premium European tier, Wikus (German) is the benchmark but has limited AU distribution.

Need to size a metric bolt? Our Metric Bolt Size Guide covers M3 through M24 with coarse and fine threads.