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15TPI for alum?

P

prkaye

Well Known Member
I was told by another builder that a 15TPI bandsaw blade is perfectly adequate for cutting aluminum. I've been using an 18TPI blade, but have been having trouble finding a replacement locally for the specific size I need, and i need one now.
Has anybody else used a narrow 15TPI blade for aluminum with success?
 
Phil: I had been using a 14TPI (for non-ferrous) and it worked fine...However I have not been able to find a replacement as well. The saw is a craftsman brand, and they no longer carry the blades. Unfortunately, the length of the blade is 56 7/8 " and difficult to find as well. I found a replacement blade for non-ferrous 32TPI through Ace Hardware (special order). I am picking it up today, and anxious to see how things turn out.
 
I thought that the TPI had a relationship to the thickness of the metal actually being cut, with a requirement that at least 3 (or more) teeth be actually cutting the material at one time. Obviously then, less TPI with thicker material, more TPI with thinner......is this premise different with Al????

Allan
 
Saw Blades

AllanC is correct. The number of teeth per inch is related to the thickness of the material. The material the saw blade is made from is related to the material you're cutting.

Cutting aluminum you can get away with a basic carbon steel blade. Don't try and cut steel with it because teeth will probably fly of the blade or dull in a very short order.

I use matrix or bi-metal steel blades. These will cut steel with no worries and can still cut aluminum. They last the longest and are more money in cost. I think well worth the extra cost.

I use a variable pitch of 14/18. In other words the pitch varies through the length of the blade. This allows you to cut thin and thick material all with one blade. I find this variable pitch works well with everything you will need to cut building a Vans aircraft.

As far as getting odd length blades look in your yellow pages for a local tool supply, industrial supply, and saw shops. They usually have the blade stock by the roll and custom make them to the length you need.

If its a standard length most of the mail order tool supplies like MSC, J&L Supply,or even McMaster carry stock sizes.

Hope this helps.

ted
 
3 teeth

with a requirement that at least 3 (or more) teeth be actually cutting the material at one time
Click to expand...

Wow, so that means I shouldn't even be using an 18TPI blade to cut .063" sheet metal! (18TPI means each tooth is .055"). Even a 32 TPI blade would only give 2 teeth in .063" alum at once. I haven't had a problem using an 18TPI blade though... however I should look into finding these "bi-metal" blades, because I tend to go through blades VERY quickly.

By the way, should a bandsaw blade be oiled with a cutting/tapping oil?
 
TerryWighs said:
Phil: I had been using a 14TPI (for non-ferrous) and it worked fine...However I have not been able to find a replacement as well. The saw is a craftsman brand, and they no longer carry the blades. Unfortunately, the length of the blade is 56 7/8 " and difficult to find as well. I found a replacement blade for non-ferrous 32TPI through Ace Hardware (special order). I am picking it up today, and anxious to see how things turn out.
Click to expand...

I use the same blade on an older Craftsman saw. I can get them at my local sears, but I also ordered two the other day when I bought my digital level mentioned in another thread. $8.99 each. At least, so far, I haven't gotten anything saying they don't carry them anymore.

1/4 x 56-7/8 in. Band Saw Blade, 14 tpi, Non-Ferrous

Item #: 00926655000
 
I use a wood cutting blade and have been for years they work great and never plug up. The blade is 3/8 inch wide .020 thick hook style and set is raker and 4TPI. You can use wood blades on AL but not steel. The shop I use to work in this is all they ever used. I thought they were crazy till I tried it myself.
 
Phil,

although it will probably work, as Ted noted, it may not give the best or quickest of cuts, and may deform the edges of the kerf, for sheet aluminum. Blade shape is also important, and McMaster-Carr has some great references in its online catalog about this. The variable and bi-metal blades have worked well for me as well.

The big woodworking 4TPI blades probably work quite well in thicker stock, but I dread to see how they cut thinner flat aluminum, unless the blade was running at a high speed with a low feed rate - and don't forget, al can have quite a variance in temper/hardness as well - this will all influence cutting ability. I've cut 3" al rounds in my Harbor Freight bandsaw with 12TPI blades, and found that it cut better and cleaner with squirts of WD-40 - removes the swarf and helps to stop the blades getting hot. I've only used cutting fluids when drilling/tapping/milling/turning aluminum ,and for the noted thicker bandsaw cuts.

Read a good bandsaw handbook to find expert opinion. Not to say other blades won't work, but if you're looking for the optimum....

Allan
 
"The big woodworking 4TPI blades probably work quite well in thicker stock, but I dread to see how they cut thinner flat aluminum,"

I wouldn't dream of cutting thin flat stock with the 4TPI blade. Under .063 I use snips or the large paper cuter that I have, it is good up to .032.
 
yes...

Norman CYYJ said:
I use a wood cutting blade and have been for years they work great and never plug up. The blade is 3/8 inch wide .020 thick hook style and set is raker and 4TPI. You can use wood blades on AL but not steel. The shop I use to work in this is all they ever used. I thought they were crazy till I tried it myself.
Click to expand...

Ive used this set-up too for a long while with a Deltas 9 inch band saw.... works well...

gil A
 
Speed of the blade

is also a consideration. Aluminum can be cut with a much higher speed than steel, therefore wider teeth can be used. The only negative of using too high TPI with aluminum is that the soft aluminum can clog up the fine teeth more quickly.
 
thanks! new saw!

Thanks for all your help guys! I learned a lot about bandsaws and blades through this.
I foudn out my supply problem, I think. The newer version of my saw sold by Canadian Tire (CT) now uses a 59.125" blade instead of a 59.5" blade. SO I think CT is not stocking as many (any?) of the 59.5" blades anymore. Since it was a cheapo saw, I decided it was an excuse to upgrade :)
I got this unit, as well as a bimetallic blade for it:
http://busybeetools.ca/cgi-bin/picture10?&NETID=1343040111081705295&NTITEM=B013N
I got it for $225 at the store (Boxing Week sale red tag was left on it) !!

Oh... i also found out why i was going through blades so fast. My old saw runs at 1300 to 2600 sfm. My new saw, designed for metal work, runs at 80, 120 or 200 sfm. I suspect 1300 sfm was just way too fast to be cutting metal without heating up and ruining my blades! I think i'll keep my old saw setup for cutting wood... much more convenient than my other wood saws (jig saw and circ saw).
 
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Tony has it right!

Tony Partain said:
Lowes Aircraft Supply! ;) Vermont American is the company

http://www.vermontamerican.com/Products/BandSawBlades.htm?G=190888
Click to expand...

14 or 15 TPI blades seem to be the best for cutting aluminum from the folks I have talked to. However, I can't find one for my bandsaw.


I found a Vermont American 18TPI x 3/8 for my Delta (59.25") at Lowes Aircraft supply. It is the closest I could get, and it is really pretty good. I have cut everything up to 1/4 " aluminum. No problem if you go slow, down to .016. The bigger TPI blades don't cut the thin stuff as smooth.

The narrow blades are even worse as far as I am concerned. I like the wider blades. Seem to cut straighter.

I am going to see about getting a blade made up from the URL listed previously.

FWIW,
 
prkaye said:
The newer version of my saw sold by Canadian Tire (CT) now uses a 59.125" blade instead of a 59.5" blade.
Click to expand...
I am not familiar with your saw, but FWIW I have run both 59.125" and 59.5" blades in my saw without issue. The tension adjust mechanism has enough throw to compensate for both. YMMV. Your user manual may say otherwise.

While I have bought several Vermont American 18tpi blades at Lowe's, I've also found Rigid brand blades of the same size at Home Depot.
 
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