I don't know if anyone on here watches Steve Ramsey's Youtube channel, "Woodworking For Mere Mortals", but I saw an episode on there where he made a heart-shaped band saw box out of purple heart wood and I have decided to make one for my girlfriend. I just went to cut out the drawer a few minutes ago with a 1/8" bosh band saw blade, and after about 7 inches of cutting, every single tooth on the blade had been ground down to nothing, and won't cut at all any more. I really don't want to go through this again, or buy 1000 blades for one project. Other woodworkers have made similar projects so how do they do it without the experience I have had. This has been extremely frustrating, any advice would be appreciated.
-
5I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because this is a product recommendation question, which are considered off-topic.– Eli IserCommented Dec 6, 2017 at 23:17
-
1I disagree with closing the question. It is not so much a request for a product recommendation as it is a question about what type of blades are needed for a task.– Ashlar ♦Commented Dec 6, 2017 at 23:31
-
3@Ashlar as the question is worded now, the OP is asking for a "good quality blade" recommended to him, not what characterizes a good blade, or what is suitable for the wood he is cutting. With better wording this question can be greatly improved.– Eli IserCommented Dec 7, 2017 at 0:35
-
I attempted to reword the question to make it acceptable.– Ashlar ♦Commented Dec 14, 2017 at 18:29
Add a comment
|
1 Answer
For starters, your blade is too small. A 1/8" blade will have very high teeth per inch (TPI) and is intended primarily for finish work on small/thin pieces. It Taking a quick look at the video it appears that Steve is using a 3/8" or 1/2" blade. This blade size will handle the rough cut on the shapes required fairly easily. I would recommend a 3 - 6 TPI hook blade for general work like this project. (Hook refers to the profile of the individual blade points.) I would also point out that Purple Heart is a very hard wood and will tend to dull a blade faster than some of the more common hardwoods. It would therefore be a good idea to go for a high carbon flex back sawblade to last longer. A cheap steel blade will not last nearly as long and will be more likely to break.
There is lots of information on the internet on buying selecting bandsaw blades. You can also inquire at your local woodworking store. Some internet sites such as sawblade.com have some knowledgable people that you can call and discuss specifics with.
-
Ashlar the only reason I was using a 1/8" blade is because the turns required to make to cut the drawer out were too sharp for a 1/4 blade. I ended up just buying another 1/8" blade and was able to finish the cut. Thanks for the advice though. Commented Dec 7, 2017 at 14:54
-
I would also like you all to know that after well over $100 and probably around 12 hours spent on making this project, on the final clamping I cranked my clamps down too hard and broke the heart into 5 pieces.... I guess this is what being a woodworker is all about, making mistakes and learning from them. Commented Dec 7, 2017 at 15:02
-