# bandsaw mill blades



## kmwhalley (Dec 22, 2011)

Hey everybody...hope all is well. I have recently purchased a blade for my sawmill and notice that it wants to track up qnd it is cutting a cup in the boards. I am running a 1.25 in lenox blade??? Any help and/or suggestions of good blades would be great.


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## scsmith42 (Jan 24, 2011)

Woodmizer's bands are very popular with sawmill owners (even non-woodmizer mills), so you might want to check with them. Suffolk Machinery and Timberwolf are other good alternatives. 

When I've had problems with band tracking on my dedicated resaw, it's usually a combination of tension and blade sharpness.


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## Logger (Nov 26, 2009)

Ive had that happen on hickory if the log was not fresh, also if i cut through mud/dirt will dull the bottom side teeth.


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## fromtheforty (Jan 15, 2011)

If the wood is soft/rotten the blade likes to track up and down. My experience with Lenox was not good but I know several people that like them. The guy I buy my blades from says that sometimes certain mills don't like certain companies blades. I'm not talking the mill manufacturer, but for example, one guys Baker my like run Lenox well and another guys Baker may not. I would guess that its more of an adjustment thing. 

I have heard only positives about Woodmizer and Cooks. I use Simmonds. I have never tried Timberwolf blades, but I have heard that they break often from a couple of people.

Geoff


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## kmwhalley (Dec 22, 2011)

Awesome...I will bite the bullet and try some eoodmizer blades...I did get the lenox chip tooth blade, and it works very well


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## Julie Mor (Feb 10, 2013)

Call Lennox tech support. They are very knowledgeable and helpful. 800-642-0010


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## Tennessee Tim (Dec 15, 2010)

Sounds like a tension problem IF there wasn't any issue prior. I've ran my Hud-son Farmboss for 3 yrs now part-time running woodmizer and a few other blades like Ripper (good blade a little course of a cut though), I've got 2 Munsfor ?? now that I really like.... testing in several applications...BUT what I've found out is all saws and blades react differ and MOST of all is every blade requires a differ psi setting and also needs to be set/tuned to your saw AND wood application. I think(DON'T QUOTE) woodmizer is in the mid 20,000psi range and the munsfor is approx 35,000...not sure were everyone else falls into.

After 3 yrs I've purchased a tension meter (Lenox) to see where my "torque" specs are on my blades (I have a bolt to tension blade....my next change is air or hydraulic)...due to arrive tomorrow.....I think (could be wrong) I've been running incorrectly and has caused me unnecessary complications.

I'm going directly to the blade to test and checking ALL aspects....not relying on things between.

Keep us updated on what you find.

Have a Blessed and Prosperous day in Jesus's Awesome Love,
Tim


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## gus1962 (Jan 9, 2013)

Hi, I didn't mean to hijack this post but I'm just curious. Can you use a band saw blade mill to bandsaw machine?


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## Julie Mor (Feb 10, 2013)

gus1962 said:


> Hi, I didn't mean to hijack this post but I'm just curious. Can you use a band saw blade mill to bandsaw machine?


No need. You can get excellent bandsaw blades that mill lumber as good or better than most mill blades. But because you are "milling" at 90 deg. to what the mills here do, you have to make sure you have a solid fence and be conscious of keeping the lumber tight against it.


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## gus1962 (Jan 9, 2013)

Thanks for your reply .But sawmill band has thicker kerf, right?


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## qbilder (Dec 19, 2010)

I actually prefer the lenox woodmaster C blades to the Woodmizer 7 degree blades. I used the 7's for quite a while before trying something else, and after the Lenox blades I probably won't go back to WM unless I try the 4's. For me, the Lenox cut faster, smoother, and last longer between sharpening. The only thing I notice different is that the Lenox has more brittle teeth. They will break or chip off if you hit rocks or nails. My WM blades would dull/blunt or deform before breaking. I'm guessing your issue is either not blade related, or else you simply got a defective blade. It happens regardless of who you buy blades from.


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## Julie Mor (Feb 10, 2013)

gus1962 said:


> Thanks for your reply .But sawmill band has thicker kerf, right?


I just bought a Woodmaster CT that's 1" wide with 1.3 TPI. Its cutting with ease 8/4 sapele that's up to 9" wide, the highest setting on my bandsaw. Its kerf is .035. And it leaves an extremely smooth finish. You can even get a 2" wide CT with the same kerf, if your bandsaw will take that wide a blade. http://www.bandsawbladesdirect.com/product_info.php/cPath/21_28/products_id/40

I asked the hardwood store how much loss they got from their mill saw and they said almost 1/4". That's why I'm doing it myself. At 1/2" thicknesses, I'm getting 50% more useable lumber than the hardwood store would get.


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