Product Guides

Band Saw Blade Guide: TPI, Blade Types & Material Selection

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. Related AIMS Industrial Engineering References For the engineering context behind band saw blade selection — material identification, cutting speed by material, and tooth geometry troubleshooting — see the AIMS Phase 4 master references. Phase 4 master references (universal engineering data): Workpiece Material Cross-Reference Chart — SAE / AISI / DIN / JIS / AS/NZS equivalents across 20 material groups Cutting Speeds & Feeds Reference — RPM and feed rate by material and tool type — drilling, milling, tapping, reaming Cutting Tool Materials Guide — HSS, HSS-Co, PM-HSS, solid carbide, PCBN and PCD explained Cutting Tool Coatings Guide — TiN, TiCN, TiAlN, AlCrN and premium coatings with application matrix Cutting Tool Troubleshooting Guide — 33 symptoms diagnosed across drills, taps, endmills, reamers and bandsaw blades Metric to Imperial Conversion Chart — mm, inches, drill # and gauge cross-reference Sister selection guides in the AIMS application cluster: AIMS Drill Bit Selection Guide — HSS / cobalt / carbide / masonry / tile selection by material and application AIMS Tap & Die Selection Guide — Hand, spiral point, spiral flute and forming taps — metric and imperial For purchase advice, technical questions or items not currently listed, ring AIMS Industrial on (02) 9773 0122 or use the contact page. Trade accounts and bulk pricing available. People Also Ask — Bandsaw Blades Q: What TPI should I use for cutting metal on a bandsaw? For metal cutting, the TPI selection depends on the wall thickness or cross-section of the material. The general rule is to maintain at least three teeth in contact with the workpiece at all times to prevent tooth stripping and vibration. For thin-walled tube or sheet metal below about 3mm, use 18–24 TPI. For medium sections of 6–25mm, 10–14 TPI is a common range. For solid bar or large structural sections above 25mm, 4–8 TPI provides efficient chip clearance. Bi-metal blades are strongly recommended for metal cutting as they resist the heat and tooth loading that destroys carbon steel blades quickly. Q: What is the difference between a bi-metal and a carbide-tipped bandsaw blade? Bi-metal blades have HSS teeth welded to a flexible spring-steel back. They outperform carbon steel blades significantly and are the standard choice for cutting most metals, hard plastics and composites. Carbide-tipped blades have tungsten carbide tooth tips brazed to the body, providing much greater hardness and heat resistance. They are used for cutting very hard materials such as hardened steel, cast iron, exotic alloys and abrasive materials that would quickly dull HSS teeth. Carbide-tipped blades are substantially more expensive but last many times longer on suitable materials. Q: Why does my bandsaw blade wander and cut crooked? Blade wander is most often caused by a blade that has become dull — a sharp blade tracks straight, a dull blade deflects sideways under feed pressure. Other causes include insufficient blade tension, guides that are set too far from the workpiece or worn, excessive feed rate forcing the blade sideways, or a blade that is too narrow for the radius being cut. Check blade condition first and replace if teeth appear rounded or chipped. Increase blade tension to the specification for that blade width. Re-set the blade guides to within a few millimetres of the workpiece on both sides. Q: How do I tension a bandsaw blade correctly? Most bandsaws have a built-in tension scale for different blade widths — use this as a starting point. A correctly tensioned blade should deflect only a few millimetres when pressed sideways with a finger near the guide. A blade that is under-tensioned will wander and may slip from the wheels; one that is over-tensioned risks cracking the back of the blade through fatigue. After fitting a new blade, run the saw briefly and re-check tension, as new blades settle and may need re-tensioning. Many manufacturers recommend releasing tension on the blade when the saw is not in use for extended periods to extend blade and machine life. Q: Can bandsaw blades be welded and reused after breaking? Yes — bandsaw blades are commonly welded using a blade welding machine that flash-welds and anneals the blade back joint. This is standard practice in production workshops where blade lengths are custom-cut from coil stock and where broken blades are routinely repaired rather than replaced. A properly welded joint, when cleaned, annealed and ground flush, should be nearly as strong as the original blade. Welded blade joints should be checked after welding by flexing the blade through 90 degrees before fitting — a brittle or mis-welded joint will break immediately. Consumer-grade bandsaws may not justify the cost of welding equipment, but industrial workshops typically find it cost-effective.What is tooth set on a bandsaw blade? Tooth set is how the teeth are bent left and right to cut a kerf wider than the blade body, so the blade doesn't bind. Raker set (left, right, straight repeating) suits general metal cutting; wavy set (teeth bent in gradual groups) suits thin sheet and tube; alternate set suits fast wood cutting. Match the set to the material and thickness. See the saw blades range. What tooth form should a bandsaw blade have? The tooth form (gullet shape) sets how the blade clears chips. A regular (standard) tooth suits thin material and general work; a hook tooth has a positive rake for faster cutting in thicker material and softer metals; a skip tooth has wide gullets for soft, gummy materials and deep cuts. Choose the form for the material and cut depth. See power hacksaw blades for the reciprocating alternative. How do I break in a new bandsaw blade? A new blade should be run in: for the first cuts, reduce the feed pressure to about half normal so the fresh, sharp teeth aren't chipped before the edges hone slightly, then bring the feed up to normal after a dozen or so cuts. Skipping break-in on a bi-metal or carbide blade is a common cause of early tooth loss. For hacksaw-blade selection see our hacksaw blade guide.