Carbide tipped bandsaw blades

[Walnut Beast]

My WM carbide band showed up yesterday.  The carbide tips are the smallest I've ever seen, almost takes a eye loupe to see them.  I would think it would only be possible to get one re-sharp, if that out of them.

Only plan on using it to surface slabs, maybe one shot use will be ok.

Pony up and get a Timberking carbide . You won't be disappointed!

[Walnut Beast]

I think if they break they can be welded if it was were the weld was

I have welded enough to know that when a weld fails it's a perpetual problem if all you do it re-weld that spot, couple that with the flex requirement of a band and I don't think that will work out well.  

From talking to Timberking quite awhile back their guy that sharpens or somebody they knew was welding them back together at the original weld

[Larry]

Pony up and get a Timberking carbide . You won't be disappointed!

From your picture the TK has probably 5 times the amount of carbide on the tip.  They don't sell them in 1-1/2" wide which is all I run now.  I got the Woodmizer because its 1-1/2" wide. 

[Stephen1]

My WM carbide band showed up yesterday.  The carbide tips are the smallest I've ever seen, almost takes a eye loupe to see them.  I would think it would only be possible to get one re-sharp, if that out of them.

Only plan on using it to surface slabs, maybe one shot use will be ok.

Pony up and get a Timberking carbide . You won't be disappointed!

I never said they didn't cut great, they saw beautiful smooth and flat. It is the long term cost that did not make them worth using daily.
I would think they are all made in the same factory. 

[Walnut Beast]

Pony up and get a Timberking carbide . You won't be disappointed!

From your picture the TK has probably 5 times the amount of carbide on the tip.  They don't sell them in 1-1/2" wide which is all I run now.  I got the Woodmizer because its 1-1/2" wide.

They are indeed impressive looking and performing!! I thought they did have them  as guys are running  them on the big dog 2520 Timberking 65hp king

[longtime lurker]

This may or may not be of use to any of you but many years ago I used to work in a mill that had a big (6 or 8 inch) band resaw that ran carbide tipped bands. Those big bands you can sharpen/set/hammer them numerous times then send the band out to get it re-tipped with new carbide inserts.

Anyway they went through a phase when the band bodies were failing prematurely. That was linked to operators running the carbide bands too blunt, because they'll still keep cutting okay when blunt. The solution was to put a big easy to read ammeter on the saw to measure current draw, once you needed more then x amps of current draw to maintain a set cutting speed it was changeout time. Premature breakages became a non-issue.

Maybe if you have a way to measure cut speed vs revs you could do the same with an engine driven bandmill. 

I'm very familiar with carbide tipped circle saws and know that you'll get best tip life (and better finish on the product) from frequent light sharpening rather than running them to dead blunt and grinding a heap off them.

[Walnut Beast]

Run it! Run it!!! Timberking carbide still going strong. Absolutely no comparison to a regular one!

[Walnut Beast]

Run it no more! Blew the Timberking carbide! Seemed like I had run out of tension on the band. It was paper thin up against the shroud cover when I opened it up I noticed. Blew it or not. Carbides are going to be the wave of future on the saw bands in the future I bet.  I'll take a carbide any day up against a box and half or two of regulars any day!

 

  

[Walnut Beast]

Went back to regular blades and what I learned is I will never buy a regular blade again. Carbides just cut so good and last so long!!

[longtime lurker]

Nevermind. How do you delete a comment here anyway???

[Stephen1]

Went back to regular blades and what I learned is I will never buy a regular blade again. Carbides just cut so good and last so long!!

I want to hear that comment after going through 6 nails and 6 blades.  ;D
I had found that carbides also make up for a mill a little out of adjustment.

[Walnut Beast]

The carbide that broke that went through many logs with no nails or any metal 😂 would have cut better in this than the regular brand new blade that cut this. Looks, running your hand across , putting a straight edge of the difference and your motor not bogging down is why the carbide is superior !!
 

[CCCLLC]

You are absolutely correct Longtime Lurker. When the operator is separate from saw maintenance, hard to make them understand.

[Walnut Beast]

Everything is properly adjusted, leveled and down pressure, tension on blade and the cut quality is fantastic but I will say it again the carbides cut better hands down! Haven't ran any other carbides but Timberking carbides