Setting Blade Teeth With Dial Indicator

[GF]

I was setting the teeth on my blades with a dial indicator the other day and noticed that some teeth have different metal hardness levels in them.  Sometime you may have to go to .040 to get a .020 set on a tooth then on the next tooth you may use the same .040 and the tooth will spring back to around .016.

My question here is there are numerous setters out there without dial indicators on them, how do you make sure the teeth have all the same set? These type setters I am guessing set the teeth with a certain amount of pressure each.  It was very obvious that the metal hardness from tooth to tooth varies and one cannot rely on a certain amount of tension assuming the set is going to be correct.

[Fla._Deadheader]

You grasped that fact very quickly.  ;D ;D ;D ;D

   I personally HATE to set one tooth at a time, BUT, we get very smooth cuts, so, it pays. We never use the "Break-over" feature on the setter. We rely on "Feel" to get close and then final from there.

[Gilman]

Deadheader,
I figured you set your bandsaw blades with you teeth and used your tongue as an idicator.  ;D

What type of setter are you using? Does it have an indicator?

GF,
The non indicator setters us matched anvils and dies.  They squeeze the tooth between the anvil and die while trying to focus all the tensile stress in the tooth being set into a small area.  That way you get less variance.  It's hard to explain why they do it this way without going into great detail of a stress strain curve of steel.  But, if you can focus as much stress into a small section of the tooth, you'll have a more accurate set with this type of setter.

On the other hand, without using an indicator, this method is not as accurate due to the properties of steel that you've observed.

[GF]

Wonder if anyone has tried cryogenicing (now thats a new word) a bandsaw blade or possible just the tips to see what the results of wear would be. Below is a list of the % of increase after taking the steel down to -310 degrees.
WEAR RESISTANCE AFTER CRYOGENIC TREATMENT

D2
High Carbon/Chromium Die Steel
817%

S-7
Silicon Tool Steel
503%

52100
Standard Steel
420%

0-1
Oil Hardening Cold Work Die Steel
418%

A-10
Graphite Tool Steel
264%

M-1
Molybdenum High-Speed Steel
225%

H-13
Chromium/Moly High-Speed Steel
209%

M-2
Tungsten/Moly High-Speed Steel
203%

T-1
Tungsten High-Speed Tool Steel
176%

Cpm-10V
Alloy Steel
131%

P-20
Mold Steel
130%

440
Martensitic Stainless
121%

[GF]

Found a place that would Cryo bandsaw blades.

http://www.onecryo.com/onecryo/manufacture-manprice.htm