subject: Superior Quality Blades Enhance Sawing On Portable Sawing Applications [print this page] Superior Quality Blades Enhance Sawing On Portable Sawing Applications
Using the best quality portable saw machine will not get the job done if you use anything but the best quality blades available. Today's modern portaband is made of Bi-Metal M-42 cobalt teeth and a softback. Cost has been driven down on this type of blade to the point where it is not advisable to use a lessor quality blade in ANY situation. The single most important thing to remember when choosing a blade for your application is to make sure that your TPI (Teeth Per Inch) choice is the correct one for your application.
How to Choose TPI (Teeth Per Inch) for Your PortaBand Application.
The rule of thumb when choosing TPI is that at least 2 teeth must be in the work piece at all times. If at least 2 teeth are NOT engaged you will strip teeth. It's okay to have 3 teeth engaged or even 4, but remember, the more teeth in the work piece the better chance that the gullets will fill with chips. When that happens, you will get a dragging situation which promotes dulling, slows cutting action, and risks breakage. Material that is 1/8" thick would require at least 16 TPI to keep at least 2 teeth in the material at all times. A standard 18TPI would be a good choice. The most popular choice is 18 TPI with the 10/14V a close second. Also note that the variable tooth configuration provides a smoother cut and a wider application. Bottom line is that you should choose a bi-metal M-42 portaband with the correct TPI choice for the application. Most manufacturers offer TPI's of 10, 14, 10/14V, 18 and 24. PortaBandStore.com sells saw blades that are ideal for cutting structural steel, pipe, tanks, angle iron, bolts, and other materials, including plastic and wood.
If you want to buy the highest quality blades for your portable band saw machine, log onto PortaBandStore.com. They offer a good range of portaband blades which utilize the Starrett' exclusive bi-metal unique saw technology for longer life and faster cutting. The HSS teeth in their blades contain 8% cobalt- this gives the blades the highest heat and wear resistance. To produce the best quality blades, they use Split-Chip advantage. Using the theory of solid state diffusion, they provide 170% more weld contact area, by joining the two strips of high speed steel wires to a backing steel in a solid phase. This technology significantly reduces the fracture and breakage at the HSS/backing material interface. After the initial use, the teeth develop a groove- producing dual chips that can be easily removed from the cut. As it is a solely internet based company, you have to make payments through credit card or PayPal. If you would like to have more information on a particular blade, either send them an email or Google the manufacture and model number. Just point your mouse to the "Add to Cart" button on the order page and receive your shipment with 24 hours at your doorstep.
