Bandsaw blade selection matters. Switched to a 1/2″ 3 TPI and resawing is so much easier now.
Finally bit the bullet and ordered a proper resaw blade for the bandsaw. The difference is dramatic – should have made this change years ago.
The Problem
My old blade was a 3/8″ 6 TPI general-purpose blade. It could resaw, but slowly and with significant drift. I was constantly adjusting the fence angle to compensate, and the cut surface required heavy cleanup.
The gullets on a fine-tooth blade can’t clear chips fast enough during deep cuts. The blade overheats, wanders, and produces a rough, burned surface.
The New Blade
Upgraded to a Timberwolf 1/2″ 3 TPI with a hook tooth design. The wider blade resists deflection, and the aggressive tooth pattern clears chips efficiently even in 8″ cuts.
Installed it with proper tension – the Timberwolf requires about 15,000 PSI on my 14″ saw. Adjusted the guides and thrust bearings, then spent 15 minutes fine-tuning the fence angle for zero drift.
Real-World Testing
Resawed a 10″ wide walnut board into bookmatched panels. The blade tracked perfectly straight without any manual correction. Cut surface came off the saw smooth enough to go straight to the planer with minimal material removal.
What used to take 10 minutes of careful feeding now takes 3 minutes of confident cuts. The blade pays for itself in time savings on the first project.
Maintenance Note
These blades can be resharpened several times before replacement. Already found a local sharpening service that does bandsaw blades. About $12 per sharpening versus $45 for new.
