Norwood Premium Goldline bands missing a tooth

[Coalsmoke]

I'm in the process of switching my bands over to Woodmizer Double Hards and am using up all the Norwood blades I have. I have noticed that so far on two of the bands this month they have been made short by one tooth. Luckily there's just enough travel in the saw's tension adjuster to be able to get them on the band wheels. You'd think a person would get perfect bands when they cost $35.

Anyone notice this with their bands as well or is this just Norwood's trick? Makes using the semi-auto tooth setter on them a bit of a pain too.

[fishpharmer]

Have you tried the Cooks Supersharps?
http://www.cookssaw.com/shop/index.php?target=categories&category_id=179

[Coalsmoke]

Not yet. I have a case of the Woodmizer bands sitting here just waiting to be tried, so I'll give them a run first.

[ohsoloco]

I bought a box of blades from Norwood when I first picked up my mill.  Besides being ridiculously overpriced, I recall that the gullet where the weld was located was a little longer than the rest, and the finger on the sharpener wouldn't  grab the next tooth.  This was 8 years ago.

[Tom]

With most band blade shops, the welded area will differ from the rest of the band.  There are some that do a very good job and some welders who just don't understand.  I've gotten some were the teeth at the weld site were almost on top of one another and then I've gotten some where the bulk of both gullets was used and the teeth were a long way apart.   If I had my choice, of the two errant designs, I think I would prefer the far apart one. 

It's always recommended to start at the weld for setting and sharpening procedures. It gives you a start/stop place, but it also allows you to bypass or remedy bad configurations.   Even with a good shop, you will get some welds that could have been better.  They just get into a hurry, I think.   I don't think that it has anything to do with economics, especially as far down the ladder the welder is from the Accounting department.

[ladylake]

Where I buy my blades 2 different people weld them, 1 has them spaced far apart , the other spaced even. I prefer the far apart also, helps with sharpening and setting.  Steve

[Chuck White]

I've never noticed a difference in "tooth spacing" at the weld, but that don't mean there isn't a difference!
I alway start at the weld and stop the sharpener before the weld is touched again at the end.
I've always used .045-10° Wood-Mizer Double Hard bands.  Prior to that, on my FIL's mill we used .042-10° Double Hard bands.

[paul case]

ive been using timberwolf bands  and have very good luck with them. i never broke one a the weld. i have found 3 or 4 out of 50 that have 2 welds. they do such a good job at getting them put together with the right spacing between teeth at the joint that if you dont look close you wont notice the splice. the 2 splices have not caused me any problems.  pc

[ohsoloco]

I need to find out where I get my blades from  :-\  My dad streams polka stations on the computer, and years ago heard a commercial for a shop in the Chicago area that makes bandsaw blades.  I always ask for a box of blades for Christmas, so I never had the need to buy any myself for years    The tooth spacing is perfect and consistent on all of the blades I've received from this shop.  No need to look for the weld for sharpening, I just use a Sharpie to mark where I start.  I have to find the weld for setting since the set changes there, and it takes me a long time to find 'em sometimes.

[ladylake]

 A couple of reason I like the teeth spaced at the weld are it's easy to find the weld and my sharpener stops when it gets to the weld. I'll be telling the guy that spaces them even to space them apart a little.   Steve

[ohsoloco]

I prefer them this way  ;)  When I put a blade on the sharpener, I usually have to make a couple fine adjustments as I sharpen a couple teeth, so I always have to go a few teeth past where I started.  Works for me.

[Coalsmoke]

I guess I should be thankful they didn't skip 2 teeth or there would be no way I'd be getting it on the band wheels. I just thought it weird on a high end blade. One thing they hvae though is good welds. I've never had a blade break on the weld yet.

[Tom]

It's always a good idea to tell the manufacturer about your feelings on the weld.  Some, maybe most, will make special compensation for you.  I did this with Cooks because I was getting two or three bands in an order that had multiple welds.  They cut OK, but they were a bear on the sharpener and setter.  After I told them  my concern, they quit shipping me bands with multiple welds.  They understood.

[Coalsmoke]

That's a good idea. I'm currently waiting to hear back from them on a bunk that bent, so I'll let them chew on one thing at a time from me.