A. When wood cutting, the rule is to have between 3 to 12 teeth in the work.
     On 1 inch thick stock, a blade with 3 to 12 tpi can be used, the more teeth will produce a smoother cut.
     On 6 inch thick stock, a blade with .5 to 2 tpi would be used for resawing, but this can not always be attained
     due to what is available on the blades that are manufactured, so you use as few teeth as you can get on the size blade
     that fits on the bandsaw you are using.
    Take a look at The physics of bandsaw resawing to help get a better understanding of resawing.

Q. How many Teeth Per Inch (tpi) should I use when cutting metal?

A. Again, general rule of thumb is 3 to 12 teeth in the work. SEE CHART

Q. Can I use my Wood Cutting Bandsaw to cut metal?

A. Yes and No
     Wood Cutting bandsaws run from 2700 to 5000 Band Feet Per Minute (BFPM), whereas
     Metal cutting bandsaws run from 75 to 300 BFPM.
     So, with this said, using a bi-metal blade, you can cut soft metals staying with the same
     tooth count of 3 to 12 teeth in the work, but will have a much shorter blade life due to the
     high speed of the blade on the wood saw.
     Cutting hardened material or stainless steel on a wood saw using a bi-metal blade will
     only produce about 2 inch of cut before the blade is dull. (so it is not recommended to try )
     Check the CHART of band saw blade speeds.

Q. I have an older bandsaw and need new blades, the blade on the saw is the correct length,
    how do I find the length of the blade that is on the bandsaw?

A. Follow the steps below to get the blade length.

1. Take the blade off the machine.
2. Place a thin line on the inside edge of the blade with a marker
3. Place the blade on the floor with the mark on the floor and transfer the mark to the floor
4. Carefully roll the blade along the floor until the mark gets to the floor again.
5. Mark the floor a second time where the mark comes onto the floor.
6. Measure from mark to mark, this is the length of the blade that works on your saw.
7. Record this number on your saw for future reference.

Q. I don't know what blade length I require and do not have an old blade, is there a way of working this out?

A. Yes there is, for two wheel bandsaws the following procedure can be followed: See Tips

1. Adjust the wheels to their correct position (about the middle of the adjustment range)
2. Referring to the diagram below, measure the distance between the center point of each wheel. (measurement D)
3. Now measure the radius of each wheel. (R1 and R2)
4. Use this formula to calculate the band length from the measurements you have taken:
   Band length = (R1 x 3.1416) + (R2 x 3.1416) + (2 x D)
5. Ensure the wheels are not adjusted to their extremes, you need to allow for take-up to tension the band and also for possible future blade re-welding. Around the middle of the adjustment range is best.

Q. What blade length fits my band saw? 

A. Below is a partial list of some popular size Band Saws Blades.

Bandsaw Blade FAQ