Broken Bandsaw blade Recycling

shag · January 27, 2011, 05:17:45 PM

Hello, I am new to this forum. I have lurked around a bit and decided to post. I have always been interested in old sawmills even as a kid at fall festivals watching them cut boards from a tree was memorable. I am not mill owner but I have had the pleasure of helping a friend mill a couple large white pines on my property "up on the mountain" and it was a great day indeed.
The reason I am here, I am a new blacksmith/blade smith (a novice of only a couple years)and have built my own shop here in upstate New York. I am interested in your old blades! I have had the pleasure to work with some old large circular and old large band blades and they are a wonderful steel for the blade smith. So I googled "used sawmill blades" and viola, I am here. I would be interested is some or more of your old used blades. I don't have a lot of money but I can certainly pay something. I can also offer some sort of trade if beginner blacksmithing work is something you may be interested in.
So, if you are willing to part with, sell, trade some of your used blades, let me know and maybe we can work something out. Be sure that they will turn into a barn door hinge or knife or be part of a Damascus billet that is made with care. I can be reached here or at carpetman86(at)yahoo.com

Chuck White · January 27, 2011, 05:34:22 PM

Hello Shag, and welcome to the Forestry Forum! Great to have another NY'r here!

Great bunch of people here. Lots of info too!

Right now I have about 15 1¼ bandsaw blades, broken into 1½ foot lengths in the old recycle bin in my garage.

shag · January 27, 2011, 05:50:00 PM

Thanks for the welcome Chuck! I am in Rensselaer County about 30 minutes east of Albany...I am interested in those blades...hmmm. how close are you from me?

sdunston · January 27, 2011, 06:34:03 PM

There is someone on ebay making Junk art out of them, They come up if you do a search on ebay for woodmizer.
Sam

Magicman · January 27, 2011, 08:07:46 PM

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, shag.

shag · January 27, 2011, 08:18:37 PM

Thanks for the welcome magicman....sdunston..thanks for the heads up but that is a bit pricey...I was hoping to not pay art prices for scrap...heheheh.I was hoping to get my hands on some nice wide 3-6 inch wide bands. I already have some other 1095 steel paired for it to make some Damascus blanks. I have a good feeling about this site...something will come up here that I can afford and they can post any nice goodies I can make for them...Thanks for your comments so far. Where do most ofyou buy your new blades? is there a specific store that gives good prices? I know the blades are quite expensive for you....

pineywoods · January 27, 2011, 08:29:13 PM

Shag, I think you will find most of the sawyers on here run narrow thin band blades. 1 1/4 1 1/2 wide .035 to .055 thick. Probably the most common would be .045 thick by 1 1/4 wide, fairly soft body with induction hardened teeth. They break all too frequently and usually are just tossed. There are also some guys running circle saw mills, but those blades can usually be re-built.

shag · January 27, 2011, 08:38:43 PM

Quote from: pineywoods on January 27, 2011, 08:29:13 PM
Shag, I think you will find most of the sawyers on here run narrow thin band blades. 1 1/4 1 1/2 wide .035 to .055 thick. Probably the most common would be .045 thick by 1 1/4 wide, fairly soft body with induction hardened teeth. They break all too frequently and usually are just tossed. There are also some guys running circle saw mills, but those blades can usually be re-built.

The 1-2" blades should be fine for what I wanted. Can you tell me if they are mostly Bi-metal? or just carbon steel? The bigger blades that you spoke of , I know can be fixed/welded many times over. At some point do they become trash for you? Forgive my ignorance, I wouldn't ask if I already knew. The bigger blades are like a huge jackpot for me is all.

Chuck White · January 28, 2011, 05:35:20 AM

Quote from: shag on January 27, 2011, 05:50:00 PM
Thanks for the welcome Chuck! I am in Rensselaer County about 30 minutes east of Albany...I am interested in those blades...hmmm. how close are you from me?

Shag;
I'm pretty-much "dead center" of St Lawrence County.
I don't know if USPS has "flat-rate" boxes that the blades would fit in or not, that would make it easy.
I usually go through 10-15 blades per year!
They do end up as junk, for me anyway.

shag · January 28, 2011, 10:57:08 AM

Chuck, I need to go to the post office anyway..I'll take a look..Thanks!

shag · January 28, 2011, 01:08:50 PM

Chuck, Here is a link to the USPS flat rate box types.....take a look but it does not look like they have anything that you can fill up with bladed cut in 18 inches or more....take a look and let me know.....No worries if it is something you can't do. Hell, you don't even know me, so I can't ask you to go that far outta your way....anywho, take a look and let me know.

https://shop.usps.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10052&categoryId=10000036&langId=-1&parent_category_rn=10000002&top=&sort=&viewAll=Y

bandmiller2 · January 28, 2011, 08:52:29 PM

I made a rig to clean creasoat out of my8x12 flue liner,a loose fitting piece of steel plate with saw pieces welded around the edges.Attached to a pole ran it up and down chiminey, scrapes stubborn creasoat and it falls through the gullets to the cleanout door below.Frank C.

shag · January 28, 2011, 10:24:59 PM

now that is interesting...

customsawyer · January 29, 2011, 05:26:22 AM

I probable have a pickup load or so of the 1 1/2 and 1 3/4 X.055 blades if a pile that I keep saying I am going to haul to the recycle place and see if I can get some extra coin for it. You are welcome to them if they would help but it might be a little far to drive. ;D

terrifictimbersllc · January 29, 2011, 07:48:30 AM

Shag, I drive up to Lake Champlain from Connecticut several times a year and if going through close to you could meet you on the road when I have old blades. They would be 1-1/4" Wood-mizer 9 and 10 degree ones. Don't have any now but probably will have half a dozen or so by summer. We take the Mass pike into NY then up 787 to connect to 87 North at exit 7 above the airport. send me a pm if you want me to save them for you no rush.

Kevin · January 29, 2011, 09:24:27 AM

Shag;
If you're interested in making a knife from a broken blade for the forum, I'm sure someone will supply the wood for the handle, I'll make the case and Jeff can auction it off.

shag · January 29, 2011, 10:28:29 AM

customsawyer, that is generous of you...I may surprise you some time next yeay and ask if the pile is still there. A member of my blacksmithing site the owner actually is from you way and we may just have a hammer in or 2 down that way.....

terrifictimbersllc ...Small world, I grew up in Salem Connecticut....I lived there 30 years.I was the mayor of Ocean Beach in New London (I thought I was) back in the 80s-90s...lol...wow I miss the shore. I moved up here about 10 years ago. I get of the mass pike on exit 3 is the best way to get to me but I can meet you. you zoom right past exit 3 to get to 787....

Kevin, I have a lot of irons in the fire right now so to speak But I would be happy to do that when it gets a bit more habitable out in the smithy this spring. it would certainly be rude of me to pop in and ask for something and not be willing to offer somethingf back now woud it....just remind me and I will do it...deal? maybe one of you wood peckers could come up with a chunk of Burl for the handle..I might have a piece of steel cable left to make a nice cable Damascus chopper for the cause....I DO want to say...WOW, There is a ton of stuff here to read and learn...zowee..not to mention who ever codes this site rocks the Casba too.

Kevin · January 29, 2011, 10:37:56 AM

Can we have the log gnawers come up with some burl for the cause? ;D

b dukes · January 29, 2011, 07:33:32 PM

Shag,
If you are interested I could get you some treated spring steel. The plant I uses to work at generates alot of scrap , I could get some for you. It is somewhere between 1 to 3" wide but it is only about .075 thick the best I can remember. We have made some filet knifes out of it before that worked great. Only had to give it some shape an a edge.

shag · January 30, 2011, 02:19:40 PM

B Dukes, I would be interested if it is no trouble....One of the main things I am looking to do is make some pattern welded steel (i.e Damascus). This takes layers of carbon steel (spring steel is high carbon) and a lower carbon steel with 2% or so of nickle in it (band saw blades) You put them together and with the magic of the forge they come together as Damascus steel...great for a lot of things. If you have never seen Damascus steel once it is etched with acid...do a google for "Damascus steel" and look at some of it...it can be beautiful. so yes, if it is not a problem for you to get some of the steel PM me and I can send you the postage or what ever we work out...thanks for posting!!

shag · February 07, 2011, 04:51:38 PM

I just wanted to publicly thanks Chuck for helping me out, a new person to this forum and and certainly happy to be a member here. I will try to post what I make as soon as the blades arrive and I get out to the smith and get fired up....burrrr it's cold still....brrrr