1/4" width bandsaw blade in 64.5" lengths?

[REZCAR]

Hi, first post here. Read about bandsaws here and on the net and bought a HF 4x6 this afternoon. So far so good, one thing I did not know is how difficult it would be to find a thinner blade.

I want to make some intricate cuts and the 1/2" blade would not make the turns. Is it even possible to use the thinner blade on the 1/2" wheels?
Thanks!

[MichaelP]

The main problem with this, as I see it, may be the blade guides and not the wheels. Because the teeth of the blades are bent outwards, they're supposed to stay below the guide bearings (not in the blade gap between them). If you could find a flat blade (where teeth are in the same plane with the blade body), it won't be a problem, but I don't know if such blades exist at all.

Unfortunately (or fortunately ), my saw is not the HF one. As I remember, they use thin bearings (vs. 1/2" ones as on my saw). Take a look at their size and position. Maybe, they won't interfere at all.

Another way of dealing with this would be replacing the upper bearing with a larger diameter one. This would keep the blade lower.

Naturally, you may just increase the gap and ignore the fact that the teeth are rubbing against the gudes, but I, personally, would never do it.

[bandsawguy]

You will have another problem with running a narrow blade on the saw and that is the teeth will be running on the wheel. This will cause the set to flatten out and the blade life to be diminished. If you only have a small number of parts to do it may not be a concern to you.

[REZCAR]

Thanks guys, that makes complete sense to me. Since it's only a one time thing (I hope) I may just try a small blade, or may just find a way to do the cuts a different way altogether.

[MAC702]

Hand-held jigsaw won't work?

[REZCAR]

Hmm, it might. It's 1/2" steel and I know I don't have the patience for it. Another thing I did was to put a carbide burr in my router table, much easier but way to loud. I was just hoping to be able to do it all on my new bandsaw.

[hankj]

For 1/2" plate, I'd take it to a shop with a CNC plaz table.

Hank

[Broccoli1]

Hmm, it might. It's 1/2" steel and I know I don't have the patience for it. Another thing I did was to put a carbide burr in my router table, much easier but way to loud. I was just hoping to be able to do it all on my new bandsaw.

The HF saw is not going to be any faster- the Blade speed needs to be S L O W fer steel.