g0555X
(Mfg. since 1/12)
-31-
selecting the right blade requires a knowledge of
various blade characteristics to match the blade
with the particular cutting operation.
Blade Length
Measured by the circumference, blade lengths are
usually unique to the brand of your bandsaw and
the distance between wheels. the Model g0555X
is designed for blades that are 93
1
⁄
2
" long. refer to
page 32 for blade replacements.
Blade Width
Measured from the back of the blade to the tip of
the blade tooth (the widest point), blade width is
often the first consideration given to blade selec-
tion. blade width dictates the largest and smallest
curve that can be cut, as well as how accurately it
can cut a straight line.
the Model g0555X uses blades from
1
⁄
8
" to
3
⁄
4
" in
width. always pick the size of blade that best suits
your application.
•
Curve Cutting: use the chart in figure 35 to
determine the correct blade for curve cutting.
determine the smallest radius curve that will
be cut on your workpiece and use the corre-
sponding blade width.
figure 35. blade width radii.
Blade Width
Cutting Radius
figure 36. raker, skip & hook tooth styles.
Raker
Skip
Hook
•
Straight Cutting: use the largest width
blade that you own. narrow blades can cut
tight curves (a small radius) but are not very
good at cutting straight lines because they
naturally wander (blade lead). however, large
blades excel at cutting straight lines, but func-
tion poorly at cutting small curves because of
their size.
Tooth Style
When selecting blades, another option to con-
sider is the shape, gullet size, teeth set and teeth
angle—otherwise known as “tooth style."
figure 36 illustrates the three main categories of
tooth style:
•
Raker: this style is considered to be the
standard because the tooth size and shape
are the same as the tooth gullet. the teeth
on raker blades usually are very numerous,
have no angle, and produce cuts by scrap-
ing the material; these characteristics result
in very smooth cuts, but do not cut fast and
generate more heat while cutting.
•
Skip: this style is similar to a raker blade
that is missing every other tooth. because of
the design, skip toothed blades have a much
larger gullet than raker blades, and therefore,
cut faster and generate more heat. however,
these blades also leave a rougher cut than
raker blades.
Blade Information
