Picking the right band saw blade is half the job. Get the TPI, blade type and tooth set right for your material and your saw cuts straight, stays cool, and lasts. Get it wrong and you'll burn blades, snap teeth, or wander your cut. This guide covers blade selection for metal and wood bandsaws — TPI rules, blade construction, tooth geometry, set, dimensions, material-specific traps, fluid choices, troubleshooting, and Australian brand options.
Band Saw Blade Quick Reference — TPI by Material
Common starting points for bi-metal blades on metal-cutting bandsaws. Adjust based on stock thickness (3-tooth rule below).
| Material | Stock thickness | Recommended TPI | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mild steel (solid) | 3-25 mm | 10-14 TPI | Bi-metal, raker set |
| Mild steel (solid) | 25-75 mm | 6-10 TPI | Drop to 4-6 TPI for heavy section |
| Mild steel tube/RHS | 2-5 mm wall | 14-18 TPI | Variable pitch reduces vibration |
| Stainless 304/316 | 3-25 mm | 10-14 TPI | M42 cobalt preferred — work-hardens fast |
| Aluminium (solid) | Any | 4-6 TPI skip | Big gullets to clear gummy swarf |
| Brass / bronze | Any | 10-14 TPI | Standard bi-metal handles it well |
| Cast iron | Any | 10-14 TPI | Dry — fluid mixes with dust to form abrasive paste |
| Tool steel (hardened) | Any | 10-14 TPI | Carbide-tipped, slow feed |
| Plastic / acrylic | Any | 6-10 TPI skip | Skip tooth prevents melting |
| Hardwood (resaw) | 50 mm+ | 3-4 TPI hook | Wide blade (19-25 mm), hook tooth |
| Softwood / general timber | Up to 75 mm | 6-10 TPI | Regular or skip tooth |
These are starting points. Manufacturer charts (Bahco, Lenox, Sutton, Excision) should be consulted for production work. Browse our full saw blades range.
Band Saw Blade Types — Construction Materials
Blade construction sets the cost-per-cut and the materials you can sensibly cut. Four mainstream options.
Carbon steel (high-carbon)
Single-piece hardened carbon steel. Cheap, flexible, works well on softwoods, plastics, non-ferrous metals up to medium thickness. Loses temper around 200°C — not for hot work or hardened steel. Common on entry-level vertical bandsaws and bench-top hobby machines.
- Use case: Timber, plastic, aluminium, brass
- Cost tier: Lowest
- Lifespan: Short (50-100 hrs typical)
Bi-metal (HSS edge welded to spring steel back)
The workhorse for metal-cutting bandsaws across Australian fab shops. M2 or M42 high-speed steel tooth edge electron-beam-welded to a flexible spring steel back. Holds an edge at 500-600°C, survives the heat of metal cutting, and the spring back gives fatigue life on the wheels.
- Use case: Mild steel, stainless, structural sections, general metal
- Cost tier: Mid
- Lifespan: Long — 5-10x carbon on metal
M42 cobalt HSS bi-metal
M42 contains 8% cobalt, lifting hot hardness and red-hardness substantially over standard M2 bi-metal. Worth the upcharge on stainless, tool steel, Inconel, and any work-hardening material. Premium brands Excision, Bahco, and Sutton all offer M42 variants.
- Use case: Stainless 304/316, tool steel, nickel alloys, hardened material
- Cost tier: Mid-high
- Lifespan: Long on tough materials where M2 dulls fast
Carbide-tipped
Tungsten carbide tooth tips brazed to a steel back. Aggressive cutter on hardened steels, abrasive materials, fibre composites, and exotic alloys. Expensive to buy, expensive to replace if you snap one — but cost per cut on the right material beats bi-metal comfortably.
- Use case: Hardened tool steel, Inconel, titanium, abrasive composites, production cutting on tough stock
- Cost tier: Highest
- Lifespan: Very long on suitable material; intolerant of misuse
For deeper material trade-offs across cutting tools, see HSS vs Carbide and Carbide vs HSS End Mill.
TPI Selection — The 3-Tooth Rule
The cardinal rule for bandsaw TPI: at least 3 teeth must be engaged in the cut at all times, ideally between 6 and 12. Fewer than 3 teeth in contact and the tooth slams into the workpiece edge unsupported — you lose teeth, the blade snags, the cut wanders. More than 24 teeth in contact and you can't clear chips fast enough — the gullet packs, the blade overheats, and you weld swarf onto the tooth face.
Working example: cutting 12 mm mild steel with a 14 TPI blade gives you (12 mm ÷ 25.4) × 14 ≈ 6.6 teeth in the cut. Right in the sweet spot.
Same 12 mm with a 4 TPI blade: only 1.9 teeth engaged. Tooth strip likely within minutes.
| Stock thickness | Best TPI (constant pitch) | Variable pitch alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Under 3 mm | 24 TPI | 18-24 variable |
| 3-6 mm | 14-18 TPI | 14-18 variable |
| 6-12 mm | 10-14 TPI | 10-14 variable |
| 12-25 mm | 8-10 TPI | 8-12 variable |
| 25-50 mm | 6-8 TPI | 5-8 variable |
| 50-100 mm | 4-6 TPI | 4-6 variable |
| Over 100 mm | 3-4 TPI | 2-3 variable |
Warning: tube and thin-wall section breaks both ends of the rule because the saw transitions from thin (single wall) to thick (two walls) to thin again as it cuts through. Always run variable-pitch on tube — the changing tooth pitch smooths the cut and stops the harmonics that crack teeth at the transitions.
Tooth Set — How the Teeth Are Bent
The "set" is the alternating side-to-side offset on each tooth. It cuts a kerf wider than the blade body, which gives the blade clearance and lets it turn corners without binding. Four patterns dominate.
Raker set
Pattern: one left, one right, one straight (raker), repeat. The straight raker clears chips from the kerf. Standard set for metal cutting — fast, durable, leaves a clean kerf on solid bar. Found on most general-purpose bi-metal blades.
Wavy set
Groups of teeth gradually bend left, then gradually bend right, in a wave pattern. Distributes load across more teeth in light cuts — ideal for thin sheet, tube, light wall section where a raker set would catch and chip. The go-to set for cutting RHS, SHS, and thin-wall tube.
Straight (no set)
All teeth in a straight line — found on some woodworking blades and specialty applications. Cuts a narrow kerf with no swarf clearance, so only works in materials where chips compress (some plastics, soft timber).
Alternate set
One tooth left, one tooth right, alternating with no raker. Common on woodworking blades. Faster than raker on softer materials, leaves a wider kerf.
Tooth Form — Regular, Skip, Hook
The tooth face angle and gullet shape control chip formation. Three standard forms.
- Regular (precision) tooth: 0° rake angle, deep round gullet. General-purpose. Smooth cuts on thin material, medium-thickness metal. Default for bi-metal blades on solids.
- Skip tooth: Wider spacing, deeper gullet, 0° rake. Designed to clear long stringy chips — aluminium, brass, plastics, soft non-ferrous. Stops gummy swarf packing the gullet.
- Hook tooth: Positive 10° rake, deep gullet. Aggressive cutter. Used on thick wood, thick aluminium, larger non-ferrous section. Higher feed rate, rougher finish.
Pitch terminology: "regular pitch" means all teeth same TPI; "variable pitch" means TPI varies across a short repeating section (e.g. 5/8 = teeth vary between 5 and 8 TPI). Variable pitch reduces resonance and chatter — preferred for production metal cutting.
Blade Dimensions — Length, Width, Thickness
Three dimensions to match to your saw and your work.
Length
Set by the wheel diameter and centre distance on your saw. Most production bandsaws use a small range of standard lengths (e.g. 1638 mm, 2080 mm, 2362 mm, 2925 mm are common). Custom welded lengths are available from suppliers like Excision. Always check your saw's spec plate.
To measure an existing blade: lay a tape measure on a flat surface, mark a spot on the blade, align the mark to zero, then roll the blade along the tape until the mark returns. The reading is your blade length.
Width
From tooth tip to back edge. Affects two things: minimum cut radius and beam stiffness.
- Narrow blades (6-13 mm): Tight radius cuts, intricate work, curve cutting. Less stiff — wanders on heavy feed.
- Medium blades (13-19 mm): General workshop use, straight cuts on bench bandsaws.
- Wide blades (19-50 mm): Resaw work, production horizontal bandsaws, heavy section. Stiff, stays straight at high feed.
Thickness
Typically 0.6 mm to 1.6 mm. Thicker blade survives heavier feed and bigger section but fatigues faster around small wheels. Match thickness to wheel diameter — too thick on a small wheel and the back fatigues and snaps. Rule of thumb: blade thickness should be no more than 1/1000 of the wheel diameter.
Material-Specific Guidance
Stainless steel — the work-hardening trap
Warning: 304 and 316 stainless work-harden in seconds if you let the blade rub instead of cut. Once the surface is hardened (Rc 45+), even a sharp blade glazes over and stops cutting. Two rules: (1) keep constant feed pressure — never let the blade dwell, (2) use M42 cobalt bi-metal minimum, ideally with flood coolant. Production stainless work justifies carbide-tipped blades.
Aluminium — gumming and swarf welding
Aluminium produces long ductile chips that pack into tooth gullets, then friction-weld onto the tooth face and re-cut as a built-up edge. Three counters: skip-tooth blade with big gullets, lubricant (Excision Alube stick or similar grease-stick lubricant), and slower band speed than you'd guess. Don't use water-based coolant on small-section aluminium — it lifts the lubricating film and makes the swarf stickier.
Cast iron — dust, not chips
Cast iron breaks into fine abrasive dust rather than chips. Cut dry — cutting fluid mixes with the dust to form a grinding paste that wears the blade prematurely. Wear respiratory protection — cast iron dust contains silica.
Tube and structural section — variable pitch every time
Tube, RHS, SHS, and channel section all hit the bandsaw teeth at varying depths as the cut progresses. Constant-pitch blades resonate and chip teeth at the wall transitions. Variable pitch (e.g. 8/12, 10/14, 4/6 raker) handles the transitions smoothly. AS 1473.2 covers safety guarding around horizontal bandsaws used for cutting structural section.
Hardened tool steel and exotic alloys
Above Rc 40, bi-metal struggles. Carbide-tipped is the practical answer. Slow feed, slow band speed (often 40-60 m/min), flood coolant. The carbide tooth needs to peel rather than chip the material.
Cutting Fluid Selection
| Material | Fluid | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Mild steel (production) | Soluble oil flood | Cools and lubricates, cheap to run |
| Stainless steel | Heavy soluble or neat cutting oil | Carries heat away, prevents work-hardening |
| Aluminium | Stick lubricant or kerosene mist | Stops swarf welding to tooth face |
| Cast iron | None (dry) | Fluid + dust = abrasive paste |
| Brass / bronze | Light cutting oil or dry | Short chips, low heat — fluid optional |
| Plastics | Compressed air or none | Cools without solvent attack on the plastic |
| Tool steel / exotic | Neat cutting oil flood | Maximum lubrication for carbide |
| Timber | None | Sawdust burns, fluid not needed |
For more on cutting fluid selection across machining, see Tap Magic Cutting Fluids FAQ. Browse the cutting lubricants range at AIMS.
Troubleshooting — Common Bandsaw Blade Problems
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Cut wandering (out of square) | Worn blade guides, blade dull on one side, tooth set damaged | Replace guides, replace blade, check tension |
| Chatter / vibration | Wrong TPI (too coarse), insufficient feed pressure, loose tension | Switch to finer or variable pitch, increase feed, re-tension |
| Blade snapping | Over-tensioned, fatigue from small wheel, weld failure, twist in blade | Reduce tension to manufacturer spec, check wheel alignment, replace blade |
| Premature tooth wear | Wrong material grade, no coolant, band speed too high | Upgrade to M42 or carbide, add flood coolant, reduce SFM |
| Tooth strip | TPI too coarse (less than 3 teeth in cut), entry chip-load too heavy, no run-in on new blade | Use 3-tooth rule, reduce feed on entry, run new blades at half feed for first 50-100 cuts |
| Burning material / blue chips | Band speed too high, blade dull, no coolant | Reduce band speed, replace blade, add coolant |
| Swarf welded to tooth face | Lubricant inadequate for material (esp. aluminium), gullets too small | Add lube stick or coolant, switch to skip tooth |
| Blade twists / rolls in guides | Guide pressure too high, guides worn, blade tension uneven | Re-adjust guides, replace guide bearings, re-tension to spec |
| Loud screeching during cut | Dull blade, dry cut where fluid needed, glazed tooth tips | Replace blade or add coolant — don't push a dull blade |
The break-in rule: a new bi-metal or carbide blade needs run-in. Cut at half normal feed for the first 50-100 sq.cm of cross-sectional area. This works the fine micro-burr off the tooth tips gradually — skip break-in and tooth tips fracture instead of wearing, halving blade life.
Brand Context — Australian and International
AIMS stocks the brands Australian fabricators rely on. Quick context on each:
- Excision — Australian-distributed, broad range of bi-metal and carbide bandsaw blades, welded to length on request. Strong on metal-cutting bandsaw consumables for production shops. Most cost-effective brand for medium-volume Australian metal fab work.
- Bahco — Swedish heritage, premium bi-metal and M42 ranges. Sandvik-owned. Excellent technical data sheets and material-specific recommendations.
- Sutton Tools — Australian-made cutting tool brand. Holds bandsaw blade lines alongside their stronger drilling and threading ranges. Worth supporting on a like-for-like spec comparison if buying Australian matters to you.
When to pay more: production volume justifies M42 or carbide; one-off jobs and infrequent use rarely do. A workshop cutting 20 mm RHS for general fab work runs bi-metal happily. A stainless food-grade fabrication shop benefits from M42 or carbide on every job.
When to Replace a Band Saw Blade
Signs your blade is done:
- Visible chipping or missing teeth — replace immediately, broken teeth cause secondary damage
- Burnt or blued teeth — temper drawn, blade will never hold an edge again
- Cut times doubled or more compared to a new blade
- Cuts wandering off-square (after checking guides and tension)
- Burning smell or smoke during cuts that previously ran cool
- Excessive feed pressure required to maintain cut rate
- Surface rust patches you can't clean off (light surface oxidation is fine)
Production rule of thumb: bi-metal blade life is 200-1000 hours depending on duty cycle and material. Carbide can exceed 2000 hours on suitable work. Keep at least one spare blade on the shelf — unplanned downtime costs more than a blade.
AIMS' Note on Safe Bandsaw Operation
Bandsaws — especially vertical metal-cutting bandsaws and horizontal production bandsaws — are covered by AS 1473.2 (safety of machines: guarding around bandsaws) and AS 4024 (machinery safety series). The work health and safety obligations under the WHS Act 2011 require risk assessment and operator training. Practical points for every operator:
- Guarding: Adjust the upper blade guard so only the blade depth required for the cut is exposed — typically 5-10 mm above the workpiece. AS 1473.2 mandates guarding above the cutting zone.
- Eye protection: Safety glasses or goggles minimum on every cut. Side shields essential for cast iron or any material that produces dust or fine chips.
- Hand protection: Cut-resistant gloves when handling blades — bandsaw teeth strip skin instantly. Never wear gloves while operating the saw — they can be drawn into the blade. Gloves for handling, bare hands (or close-fitting work gloves) for cutting.
- Hearing protection: Horizontal production bandsaws regularly exceed 85 dB(A) — ear protection required under WHS exposure limits.
- Respiratory: Dust mask or respirator for cast iron, fibre composite, MDF, treated timber. Cast iron dust contains crystalline silica.
- Workpiece clamping: Always clamp or vice-hold the workpiece. Hand-holding round stock or tube is the leading cause of bandsaw injuries.
- Cleaning: Isolate the machine before cleaning. Brush, don't blow — compressed air drives swarf into bearings and eyes.
- Blade changes: Isolate and lock out before changing blades. New blades arrive sharp — handle from the back edge or wear cut-resistant gloves for the change only.
If you're cutting hot work or in proximity to flammables, follow the hot work permit process — see our Hot Work Permit Australia guide for what's required under AS 1674.1.
Band Speed (SFM) — Matching to Material
Band speed (surface feet per minute, SFM, or metres per minute, m/min) is the linear speed of the blade past the workpiece. Get it right and the chip per tooth, the heat in the cut, and blade life all fall into place. Get it wrong and you'll either burn the blade or accept slow uneconomic cut times.
| Material | Band speed (m/min) | Band speed (SFM) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mild steel | 60-90 | 200-300 | Standard bi-metal, soluble coolant |
| Medium carbon steel | 45-75 | 150-250 | Reduce if blade glows or chips blue |
| Stainless 304/316 | 40-60 | 130-200 | M42 cobalt, flood coolant essential |
| Tool steel (annealed) | 30-50 | 100-165 | M42 minimum, neat cutting oil |
| Tool steel (hardened) | 25-40 | 80-130 | Carbide-tipped only |
| Cast iron | 40-70 | 130-230 | Dry, brisk feed |
| Aluminium (solid) | 200-500 | 650-1650 | Skip tooth, lube stick |
| Brass / bronze | 120-200 | 400-650 | Optional light cutting oil |
| Inconel / nickel alloys | 20-40 | 65-130 | Carbide, neat oil flood, slow steady feed |
| Titanium | 20-30 | 65-100 | Carbide, flood coolant, low feed |
| Hardwood | 500-900 | 1650-3000 | Carbon or bi-metal, dry |
| Plastic / acrylic | 250-600 | 800-2000 | Skip tooth, compressed air to cool |
Heat is the enemy of blade life. If the chips come off blue or straw-coloured the band speed is too high or the feed is wrong. Cool, silver chips mean you're cutting; not burning. The relationship between band speed, feed rate and tooth pitch is well covered in our Cutting Speeds & Feeds Chart — the principles transfer directly to bandsaws.
Blade Tension — Setting It Correctly
Tension keeps the blade straight and stops it deflecting under feed pressure. Too little tension and the cut wanders; too much and the blade fatigues and snaps at the weld or back edge. Manufacturer specs are non-negotiable on a production saw.
- Bi-metal blades: Typically 25,000-30,000 psi (172-207 MPa) tension across the blade body. Most production bandsaws have a tension gauge or indicator scale referencing these numbers.
- Carbide-tipped blades: Often 30,000-35,000 psi (207-241 MPa) — they need more tension to keep the wider stiffer body straight under heavier feed.
- Carbon steel blades: Lower at 15,000-20,000 psi — the back metal is softer, won't take the higher loads.
The "pluck test" is a rough field check: tension up, then pluck the blade between the wheels. A correctly tensioned blade rings clearly; a slack blade thuds. It's not a substitute for a tension gauge but it'll catch an obviously slack blade.
Warning: back off blade tension when leaving the saw idle overnight or for longer breaks. A blade held under full tension for days will develop fatigue stretches and weld stress that shorten its life. This is one of the easiest production wins — five seconds at shutdown extends blade life noticeably.
Blade Guide Setup — Where Most Wandering Cuts Start
Guide setup is the most-overlooked maintenance task on bandsaws. Worn guides let the blade twist and deflect under feed pressure, and the symptom shows as a wandering cut that operators blame on the blade. Three guide types in common use:
- Roller bearing guides: Most common on horizontal production bandsaws. Carbide rollers on the blade sides + thrust bearing on the back. Replace rollers when they show visible flat spots, the bearings have play, or the blade can be pushed sideways with hand pressure.
- Solid carbide block guides: Older horizontal saws and some vertical bandsaws. Cheaper to replace, but wear shows as a visible groove that mismatches the new blade width. Resurface or replace.
- Wheel-tyre guides (vertical bandsaws): The blade tracks on rubber-tyred wheels. Tyres wear, harden, and crack. Replace when the blade tracks off centre or you see chunks of tyre coming off.
Guide spacing matters too — the guides should be no more than 5-10 mm from the workpiece on either side. Wide guide spacing leaves more unsupported blade between the guides and the cut, which means more deflection. On vertical bandsaws, drop the upper guide down close to the work before every cut.
Cost-Per-Cut Thinking — When to Pay for Premium
The right blade economically isn't always the cheapest. Cost-per-cut economics for a small fabrication shop running mild steel 5 hours a day:
| Blade type | Price (indicative) | Cuts per blade | Cost per cut |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheap import bi-metal | $45 | 200 | $0.23 |
| Excision M2 bi-metal | $75 | 500 | $0.15 |
| Bahco M42 cobalt | $110 | 800 | $0.14 |
| Carbide-tipped (mild steel) | $280 | 1500 | $0.19 |
For routine mild steel, the M2 bi-metal sits in the sweet spot. M42 is roughly the same cost-per-cut as M2 on mild steel but pulls way ahead on stainless. Carbide only earns its keep on hardened or exotic materials, or in volume on a production saw where uptime is worth the premium.
Real cost driver: blade change time. If your operator spends 15 minutes changing a blade, at $50/hr labour that's $12.50 per change. The cheap blade saving $25 per blade purchase is wiped out if you change twice as often. Track changes not just blade unit cost.
Blade Storage and Care
Bandsaw blades arrive coiled in three loops. Handle them carelessly and they uncoil violently and slice you, or kink. Two things kill blade life in storage:
- Rust: Bare bi-metal blades rust if stored in damp or salty environments (coastal sheds, near-coast workshops). Light film of light oil before storage; wipe with WD-40 or an INOX MX2 type protective lubricant. Excessive surface rust is recoverable; pitting is not.
- Coil set damage: If a blade is uncoiled and re-coiled wrong, it develops a permanent twist or "memory" that makes it run untrue. Watch a YouTube video of the proper three-loop coiling technique before re-coiling a blade.
For workshop organisation, hang blades on pegs by length and TPI label. Tool storage solutions at AIMS include peg boards and rack systems suited to blade hanging.
Band Saw Blade FAQ
What TPI band saw blade should I use for steel?
For solid mild steel 3-25 mm thick, run 10-14 TPI bi-metal raker. For 25-75 mm thick, drop to 6-10 TPI. Above 75 mm use 4-6 TPI. For stainless steel of similar thickness, use M42 cobalt bi-metal at the same TPI — the cobalt grade handles the heat from work-hardening.
What is the 3-tooth rule for band saw blades?
At least 3 teeth must be engaged in the workpiece at all times — ideally between 6 and 12 teeth. Fewer than 3 teeth in contact causes tooth strip; more than 24 teeth packs the gullets with swarf. Match TPI to material thickness using this rule first.
What's the difference between bi-metal and carbon steel band saw blades?
Carbon steel blades are a single-piece hardened steel — cheap, flexible, fine for timber, plastic, and soft non-ferrous metal up to medium thickness. Bi-metal blades have a high-speed steel (HSS) tooth edge welded to a spring steel back, giving them heat resistance up to 500-600°C and the durability needed for serious metal cutting. Bi-metal lasts 5-10 times longer than carbon on steel.
What blade do I need for cutting stainless steel on a bandsaw?
M42 cobalt bi-metal at 10-14 TPI for stock 3-25 mm thick. Critical points: maintain constant feed pressure so the blade never dwells (stainless work-hardens in seconds if you let the blade rub), use flood coolant, and reduce band speed compared to mild steel — typically 40-60 m/min for 304/316.
Why does my band saw blade keep breaking?
Most common causes: over-tensioned (check manufacturer spec — typically 25,000-30,000 psi for bi-metal), wheel diameter too small for blade thickness (rule: blade thickness no more than 1/1000 of wheel diameter), twist in the blade from storage, weld failure on welded-to-length blades, or stress fracture from running with worn guide bearings.
What is a variable pitch band saw blade?
Variable pitch blades have teeth at irregular spacing across a short repeating pattern (e.g. 5/8 TPI varies from 5 to 8 across a section). The varying pitch breaks up the harmonic resonance that constant-pitch blades produce, reducing chatter, cutting noise, and tooth fracture on tube and structural section. Production metal cutting almost always uses variable pitch.
How long should a band saw blade last?
Bi-metal blades on production metal cutting: 200-1000 hours depending on duty cycle, material grade, feed rate, and coolant. Carbide-tipped: up to 2000+ hours on suitable material. Carbon steel blades on timber: 50-200 hours. Track blades by hours of cut time, not calendar time — a blade run hard for 8 hours/day wears far faster than one used occasionally.
Should I use cutting fluid on a bandsaw?
Yes for most metals — flood coolant or soluble oil for production steel and stainless, neat cutting oil for tool steel and exotic alloys, stick lubricant for aluminium. No for cast iron — fluid combines with cast iron dust to form an abrasive paste that wears the blade fast. No for timber and most plastics — dry is fine.
What blade do I use for cutting aluminium on a bandsaw?
4-6 TPI skip-tooth blade. The big gullets clear long stringy aluminium chips that would otherwise weld to the tooth face. Add a lube stick (Excision Alube or similar) or kerosene mist to stop the chips welding. Avoid water-based coolant on small-section aluminium — it lifts the lubricating film.
What's the difference between raker, wavy, and hook tooth set?
Raker: one left, one right, one straight (raker), repeat — standard for solid metal cutting. Wavy: groups of teeth bent gradually left then right in a wave — ideal for thin tube and sheet. Hook: positive-rake aggressive cutter for thick wood or thick non-ferrous. Match set to material: raker for solids, wavy for thin-wall section, hook for heavy timber.
How do I measure band saw blade length?
Lay a tape measure flat on a bench. Mark a spot on the blade with chalk or marker. Align the mark to the zero on the tape. Slowly roll the blade along the tape, keeping it flat, until your mark returns. Read the tape — that's your blade length. Alternatively, calculate from your saw: blade length is approximately twice the centre distance plus pi times the sum of the two wheel radii.
Can I use a wood bandsaw blade for cutting metal?
No. Wood blades are typically carbon steel with a hook tooth at 3-6 TPI — both wrong for metal. Carbon steel loses its edge by 200°C (metal cutting easily exceeds this), and the coarse hook tooth violates the 3-tooth rule on most metal stock. Use a bi-metal blade with appropriate TPI for the material.
Why is my bandsaw cut not square?
Three common causes: (1) worn or misadjusted blade guide bearings letting the blade twist, (2) one side of the blade dull (often from cutting work-hardened stainless without coolant), (3) insufficient blade tension. Check guides first, then tension, then replace the blade. If the cut wanders consistently in one direction, the blade is asymmetrically dull.
What band saw blade brands does AIMS stock?
AIMS stocks Excision (Australian-distributed, broad bi-metal and carbide range with welded-to-length service), Bahco (Swedish premium, Sandvik-owned), and Sutton Tools (Australian-made cutting tool brand). Browse the full saw blades range or contact our team on +61 2 9773 0122 for help matching blade specs to your saw and your material.
When should I replace a bandsaw blade versus sharpening it?
For most workshops, bandsaw blades are replaced not sharpened — the time and equipment to grind a band correctly outweighs blade cost. Exceptions: large production blades (over 40 mm wide) on dedicated production saws, where in-house grinding services exist. If you're running consumer or workshop-grade bandsaws, replace when dull. Keep at least one spare on the shelf.
For related selection guides, see Hacksaw Blade Guide (hand-cut metal), Cutting Speeds & Feeds Chart, and the Material Density Chart for related material-selection reference data. Browse the AIMS saw blades range or call our team on +61 2 9773 0122 for help matching blade to job.
