Cutting a bandsaw for safe removal.

[CCCLLC]

Broke my first band on the LT40 Wide today. Not anymore exciting than doing it on the smaller lt 40 except the blade is slightly longer and more aggravating to remove. Need recommendation on a cutter to cut band (.045") for safer removal of the broken band. Purchased some bull nips for max 16 guage metal. Wouldn't hardly leave a scratch on band.
Need something to keep on truck for mobile jobs. Price of tool is cheaper then downtime and/or cut palm.

[kelLOGg]

I use a small hand-held grinder.

[richhiway]

I would use a battery powered grinder with a cut off wheel. I have a ryobi. I just take the blade off the wheels and squeeze it together in the center. Put the debarker about halfway out so it's not in the way.

[Chuck White]

If the blade broke just from running and not hitting something, it's most likely getting a bit brittle.

Just fold it together as much as possible then compress it a little more with pliers or vice grips and it should snap in half, then just remove the pieces!

[CCCLLC]

Hope to also cut when it is lodged behind the wheel after breaking, still on the mill and not wanting to budge. Yesterday after breaking, I thought I was going to have to remove drive side wheel just to accomplish anything. Finally got it to pull through, one tooth at a time. It was jammed! Didn't feel comfortable pulling that hard against the teeth. Hoping to cut it into segments for safer removal. Most times no power available at job site.
Thanks for input so far.

[Southside]

Yup, battery powered angle grinder with a diamond disc in it. Cuts them in about 1 second with no effort. 

[Hilltop366]

I have a plier size strapping cutter that works well for thin material but I bet would be too light for bandsaw blades but a search shows that there are bigger ones.

strapping cutter

[CCCLLC]

Thanks for the help guys. I'll try a diamond wheel in the Dremel and move up from there. I'll also be on the lookout for a larger banding cutter that is maybe capable of 16-14 guage material. That would be about 50 percent overkill for my .045" blades. All great ideas. Cheaper than Urgent Care.😭

[CCCLLC]

Chuck, after I got that blade out, I was surprised at how brittle it had become like you mentioned. Not much bending at all to snap it in half. Never had a blade that brittle before. It had been on the mill less than an hour but cutting 32" across on a 2 year old White Oak. Maybe it got hot but never showed anything on tension guage.
Always learning!

[charles mann]

Battery powered grinder or a small pair (12-18") of bolt cutters. I have used the 10" knipex brand diagonal cutters to cut 1/16" hinge pin with minimal effort and very negligible damage to the cutting edge. I tried that with the 8" snap on dikes and destroyed the cutting edge and wasnt able to even cut the hinge pin. 

[WV Sawmiller]

   Forgive me if you find this insulting - it is not meant to be - but if the band was in a log when it broke did you use wedges to help separate the partially cut board/flitch from the rest of the cant? I keep a couple of felling wedges with me on every mobile job in case of a broken blade or one that jumped off the rollers when I tried to back out for any reason. 

(Never overlook the obvious. I still remember when I started to call WM tech support not long after I got my mill because he tensioner would not work - then I remembered I had not put the blade back on the wheels. Oooops.) 

[Crusarius]

harbor freight, bauer cordless angle grinder. Cheap, and no big deal if it gets run over, or walks off.

[terrifictimbersllc]

I use a Wiss straight cutter, it has red handles.  Cuts 0.045 x 1-1/4 bands no problem just have to do it right.  Open it wide and get the band back as far as possible in the jaws, use both hands its not hard.   055 x 1-1/2 bands are a different story, takes 2 hands then maybe, it's better not to get the blade stuck in the first place. .

Agree that there are times where cutting the band makes sense.  Stuck in a cut my fault, charging hourly with customer help sometimes 3 guys waiting, I just cut it.   Already hit metal in a cut, blade trashed anyway, cut it both sides, tell the help to pull it out while I change the blade. 

[CCCLLC]

Was really lucky, as compared to times past. Had the last 3 boards up on sides for edging and was only about 6" in when this band broke. Normally with past, I would be 4" deep and 11' feet into log.😆

[Larry]

I use a Wiss straight cutter, it has red handles.  Cuts 0.045 x 1-1/4 bands no problem just have to do it right.  Open it wide and get the band back as far as possible in the jaws, use both hands its not hard.   055 x 1-1/2 bands are a different story, takes 2 hands then maybe, it's better not to get the blade stuck in the first place. .

Same here with the 045 bands.  Its easy, quiet, and hot sparks don't fly around.

I'm making a switch to .050 1-1/2" bands.  Sometimes there not that easy to cut, so I sometimes do use the angle grinder, but I don't like it.  Hot sparks and sawdust don't mix.  Your also close to a gas tank for the engine.  Please be careful my friend if you choose the ginder.

[jeepcj779]

I have seen steel strapping cutters on Amazon for about $130. Up to 2" and .050 cut.

[moodnacreek]

A band cannot be run around a wheel forever, it has to crack eventually. This is one reason why bigger wheels are better as they flex the band less. When small bands are shot, put on your welding gloves or get your vise grips and break them.

[Chuck White]

A band cannot be run around a wheel forever, it has to crack eventually. This is one reason why bigger wheels are better as they flex the band less. When small bands are shot, put on your welding gloves or get your vise grips and break them.

And that's another reason that in the owner/operators manual it says "disengage the blade when gigging back to the head of the mill"!
More rotations, less life!
Anytime that the band is turning, it is also losing lifetime!