Many pallet manufacturers and mills that produce cut stock for pallets are equipped with horizontal bandsaws to resaw blocks cut from cants and low-grade lumber into pallet deck boards and stringers. The saws may be set up as a single machine or in a series, and they may be equipped with a run-around system to automate feeding or they may be fed manually.
Keeping horizontal bandsaws cutting properly is important in order to maximize a company’s production and output of pallet parts.
The best bandsaw blade for your application is obviously a key factor in productive, efficient resawing operations.
Leading manufacturers and suppliers of bandsaw blades for resaws advertise in Pallet Enterprise, and we share some insights from them in this article.
What is the value of a given blade? Blade value is determined by the amount of lumber cut compared to the blade cost, noted James Osmond, vice president of sales for Cooks Saw. “This needs to be calculated rather than simply guessing.”
Of course, there are a number of other factors to consider. “Blade life and consistency in the number of board feet produced, as well as how fast those board feet can be produced, are probably the two considerations I hear most often,” said Michael Masters, chief technology officer for Wikus Saw Technology.
Some suppliers recommend trying several types of blades to determine which is best for your application.
Kyle Kilgore, owner of Kilgore Saw Co., suggested experimenting with blade selection. “Different blades may work better on some saws and not on others,” he advised. “Often it is best to try different types of blades to determine which one works best for you, depending on the wood and the saw being used.”
You might consider the following questions in the process of selecting the right blade.
1.) What kind of wood are you cutting – softwood or hardwood, and what species?
2.) What is the condition of the wood – green, air-dried, kiln-dried, frozen?
3.) What kind of raw material is the wood – blocks from cants, low-grade lumber?
4.) What are your production goals – how many board feet, deck boards, or stringers do you need to produce and how fast, such as per hour or per shift?
5.) What is the blade value – how much lumber can you produce for the cost of the blade?
6.) What is your budget?
7.) What is going to be better and more cost-effective for your application: single-use blades or blades that can be resharpened?
8.) If you are going to select blades that can be resharpened, do you have the equipment and employee skill set to service the blades, or are you going to send them out for service?
9.) How long will the blade cut effectively before it needs to be changed out?
10.) What lumber quality does the blade produce?
11.) Is removing sawdust from the cut a factor?
“The blades you purchase should be capable of handling your feed rates and should be consistently manufactured,” commented Mark Younker, president of Kenne-SAW & Supply Co. “Consistently made blades track the same, fit the same, cut straight, and last longer. Greatly enhancing your sawing process starts with the most consistently made tool, your blade.”
Production is critical when a company is running multi-head bandsaws, according to Kilgore. “You want to avoid downtime at all costs, so quality is important. If you choose to change the blades at predetermined intervals, you might be able to use a more economical blade, but if you want to get maximum life from the blades, then quality and consistency are important.”
It is important to purchase the right blade for the application – hard back or flex back, tooth pitch, kerf, etc. — explained Joan Bennett, industrial product manager for MK Morse, whose blades are distributed by Saw Service & Supply. “Buying the right tool to perform the job will be instrumental to your success,” she said.
Blade sizes are specific to machines. Bennett advised care when handling the blade during installation. “Damage to the teeth during installation can negatively impact the life of the blade and the finish of the workpiece,” he said.
Reusable blades should be changed out before they begin cutting poorly. It prevents the blade from stretching and reduces blade maintenance. Also, changing blades before they break maintains cut quality and reduces downtime. Blades must be kept clean, properly aligned, and run at the proper strain.
A few advertisers offered tips for readers.
Some blades are designed to saw very hard or frozen wood, pointed out Bennett Lacey of HUB Industrial Supply. “If your facility cuts multiple species of materials, you may consider running hardwoods together and softwoods together,” he recommended. “By doing this, you can utilize both styles of blades to get optimal cutting and yield.”
“My tip is to run your bands with the least amount of tension or strain you can to make them cut straight,” suggested John Brock of Menominee Saw & Supply Company. “If you are confident in the mill alignment and equipment condition, only tension the saw to a point where it will cut straight for a given period of time. This will help prevent wear and tear on the blades and equipment.”
Austin Lacefield of Piper’s Saw Shop said, “For best performance, it is recommended to run new blades at approximately one-half the normal feed rate for the first few cuts to hone the cutting edge.”
Of course, the performance of the bandsaw itself is critical to good blade performance. The wheels need to have a proper crown, the blade guides and lubrication system need to be functioning properly, and the machine must run at a proper blade speed.
“If the machine is not kept in top shape, then you’re losing production and destroying blades,” warned Osmond. Even a great blade will perform poorly on a neglected machine.”
“Having clean, smooth wheels is important,” said Kilgore. “Often, it is best to resurface on a regular basis. Keeping the machine aligned and the guides in the correct position can increase the life of a blade dramatically.”
Bernie’s Saw & Supply Inc.
Contact: Peg Curran
Phone: (708) 209-1656
Email: peg@berniesaw.com
Distributor
Supplies bandsaw blades for resawing and dismantling. The company supplies both carbon and bi-metal blades in stock sizes ranging from 16 feet to 24 feet and can provide other sizes. Same-day shipping and free shipping with minimum order.
Burton Mill Solutions / Simonds International
Contact: Matt Elmore
Phone: (231) 287-0243
Email: matthew.elmore@burtonmill.com
Website: www.burtonmill.com
Manufacturer / Disposable and Reusable blades
Burton Mill Solutions supplies blades for such resaw applications as pallet mills, stave mills, hardwood mills and primary breakdown in smaller mills. It offers Simonds International’s line of PreSharp and Super7 narrow kerf bandsaw blades. Both the PreSharp (10-degree tooth) and Super7 (7-degree tooth) feature a unique square-faced edge for optimal tracking and a smooth, clean cut.
The new Simonds Super7 blades introduce the next level of performance in the evolution of narrow kerf bandsaw blades. The 7-degree tooth profile features a straighter, sharper tooth that cuts deep and smooth in exceptionally hard, exotic, or frozen wood, improving performance and providing higher production rates. The increased gullet capacity pulls more material and sawdust out of the cut, providing for smoother sawing and cleaner boards. The slim back angle introduces less blade material into the cut, decreasing friction and reducing heat. The thicker blades (0.055) improve durability and blade life for mills with a high hp (25+) motor.
All Super7 blades are sharpened using a proprietary PreSharp sharpening process, creating a unique square face tooth to better control saw dust and deliver straight cuts.
PreSharp is available in four widths: 1-inch OS, 1-¼-inch, 1-½-inch, and 2-inch OS.
Super7 is available in two widths: 1-½-inch and 2-inch OS.
Cook’s Saw Manufacturing
Phone: (800) 473-4804
Email: sales@cookssaw.com
Website: www.cookssaw.com
Cook’s Saw Mfg. offers a wide range of bandsaw blades for resaws. Blades are conveniently listed on the company’s website corresponding to various brands and models of band resaws; customers can click on the brand and model of resaw they have to find the appropriate blades. Cook’s Saw also offers blades for its own brand of portable band sawmills and resaws.
Country Saw & Knife
Contact: Eric Glista
Phone: (888) 639-7297
Email: eglista@countrysaw.com
Country Saw & Knife is a multi-generational, family-owned business that specializes in industrial and hobby craft precision cutting. It supplies carbide tipped circular saws and thin kerf bandsaw blades for pallet shops, gang saws, pallet dismantlers, resales, board lumber, furniture, shops, and metal shops.
Country Saw & Knife offers a vast selection of blades and options. Its staff pays attention to detail and has extensive knowledge of industrial cutting equipment and machines, including all gangsaws, mill cutters, drill presses, and bandsaws in the industry. Country Saw & Knife has established and grown relationships with most of the manufacturers of these industrial cutting technologies.
Country Saw & Knife will supply your company with the right blade for the job to keep your saws cutting. Its staff has the expertise to maximize your cutting production.
Fuelbox Industrial
Contact: Sam Lacey, Santiago del Pino
Phone: (904) 685-9323
Email: sam@fuelboxindustrial.com, santiago@fuelboxindustrial.com
Website: www.fuelboxindustrial.com
Manufacturer and Distributor / Disposable blades
Fuelbox Industrial Butter Blade® bandsaw blades for resawing are uniquely designed for cutting new lumber and are available in 12 profiles. These resaw blades are engineered to boost productivity by up to 50 percent while also reducing the cost per board cut. Manufactured from rigorously tested premium quality steel, they ensure faster cutting and superior performance.
Fuelbox Industrial also offers its new Turbo Dust profiles. These innovative designs minimize sawdust and heat from wood, resulting in cleaner cuts and prolonged blade life.
Fuelbox Industrial also offers Butter Blade® dismantling bandsaw blades, meticulously engineered with a distinctive tooth geometry. The cutting-edge design guarantees effortless alignment into the groove of the pallet and rapid cutting of screws and nails, helping customers increase production by 35 percent. They reduce the cost per pallet and reduce operator fatigue, making them an ideal choice for efficient, smooth pallet dismantling.
Order any custom bandsaw blades before 2 p.m. EST for guaranteed same-day shipping. Fuelbox Industrial will pay $100 if the order does not arrive on time.
HUB Industrial Supply
Contact: Bennett Lacey
Phone: (800) 743-9401
Email: bennett@hubindustrial.com
Website: www.pallet.hubindustrial.com
Manufacturer / Disposable and Reusable blades
HUB Industrial Supply manufactures wood-cutting bandsaw blades of all kinds for the pallet industry. It offers many styles and types of resaw blades ranging in widths from 1-inch to 2-inch, thicknesses from .035-inch to .055-inch, and a variety of tooth pitches.
HUB Industrial Supply also offers a number of bandsaw blade choices for pallet dismantling machines, manufactured to whatever length your machine requires. Its Nail Shredder bi-metal blades offer a very low cost per cut and are used on thousands of bandsaw pallet dismantlers.
HUB Industrial Supply also offers round blades in resharpenable and single-use styles, as well as notcher bits.
KASCO
Phone: (877) 366-1696
Email: inquiries@kascocorp.com
Website: www.kasco.com
Manufacturer
Kasco manufactures premium, thin kerf bandsaw blades for the pallet and sawmill industries. It offers three brands of blades.
Kasco WoodMaxx blades are the result of 110 years of experience. They feature precision ground teeth for straight, accurate cuts. WoodMaxx blades are made from the highest quality materials to improve performance, increase blade life, and reduce safety hazards. WoodMaxx blades are suited for hardwood, softwood, frozen wood, or exotic species.
FlexMaxx flex-back blades are the newest addition to Kasco’s line of blades for cutting wood. Designed with the same stringent quality controls as the WoodMaxx blades, the FlexxMaxx blades bring a new level of cutting flexibility. They are an excellent choice for wood cutting applications that require accuracy, flexible cuts, and fine finishes.
SweepMaxx blades are designed to saw hardwood and softwood in both dry and frozen conditions, sweeping away the sawdust.
Kasco PalletMaxx bandsaw blades are for pallet dismantling machines. With an aggressive carbon steel tooth design, they are engineered to dismantle pallets quickly and efficiently.
Kenne-Saw & Supply Co
Contact: Robert McMillan
Phone: 877-420-9235
Email: info@kenne-saw.com
Website: www.kenne-saw.com
Kenne-Saw & Supply Co. specializes in providing bandsaw blades to the pallet manufacturing and wood products industries. It offers quick turn-around times, fast shipping, and competitive pricing for high-tension, narrow bandsaw blades.
Kenne-Saw & Supply Co. has teamed with Munkfors, one of the best blade manufacturers in the world, to develop a line of bandsaw blades that have earned a reputation for high performance. The company uses high-grade materials and advanced manufacturing and welding methods.
The benefits of Kenne-Saw blades are less downtime, less inspection for faults, and longer runs. These benefits translate to lower costs and less labor.
Kenne-Saw & Supply Co. has partnered with Munkfors to develop the fastest-growing line of bandsaw blades for the pallet resaw and portable sawmill markets. The hallmark of these blades is engineering for consistently high results and profile grinding. Munkfors uses a patented method of profile grinding. Compared to milled teeth, it gives an extremely sharp and durable edge. As a result, the patented profile ground blades cut cleaner, produce less material waste, and last longer.
Kenne-Saw & Supply Co. also offers high-yielding bandsaw blades for pallet dismantling machines.
Kilgore Saw Co.
Contact: Kyle Kilgore
Phone: (888) 857-5153
Email: kilgoresawco@yahoo.com
Manufacturer and Distributor
Kilgore Saw Co. is a distributor for Lenox, Simonds, and Wood-Mizer Silver Tip thin kerf bandsaw blades. The company has 26 years of experience in the bandsaw blade business and has welded over 3 million blades which are precision welded for superior performance.
Menominee Saw & Supply Co.
Contact: John Brock
Phone: (906) 863-2609
Email: John@menomineesaw.com
Website: www.menomineesaw.com
Manufacturer and Distributor / Disposable and Reusable blades
Menominee Saw & Supply is a manufacturer and distributor of tools and supplies for the wood cutting industry. It distributes disposable bandsaw blades and manufactures and services reusable bandsaw blades. The company services bandsaws, carbide circle saws, circular log saws, and tools for millwork and cabinet shops.
Menominee Saw & Supply distributes disposable bandsaw blades from Simonds, Wood-Mizer, Munkforssager, and M.K. Morse. It offers one of the largest varieties of blades available to meet a mill’s cutting needs.
Menominee Saw & Supply stocks band material from ¼-inch to 2-inches wide and can normally ship within two days of an order. Bandsaw blade expert Terry Champeau suggests trying a variety of blades from different manufacturers to determine what works best for your process. Terry and the sales staff can help with suggestions on where to start and what to try.
Menominee Saw & Supply manufactures repairable bandsaw blades using some of the most advanced equipment available. The blades are manufactured using 100 percent Uddeholm steel. A plasma welding process ensures the least damage to the steel. Blades are sharpened on CNC equipment to help ensure proper tooth shape and provide the sharpest cutting edge.
Midwest Sharpening Service
Contact: Marvin Miller
Phone: (231) 924-5953
Fax: (231) 924-6166
Distributor
Midwest Sharpening Service offers bandsaw blades from major manufacturers, including Lenox, and stocks the most popular sizes. The company will weld blades to custom lengths. Quantity discounts are available.
Midwest Sharpening Service also offers expert sharpening service plus custom saws for gangsaws, edgers, scragg mills, trim saws, and splitters.
Piper’s Saw Shop
Contact: Andrew Fauver,
Austin Lacefield
Phone: (800) 845-6075
Email: info@piperssaw.com
Website: piperssawshop.godaddysites.com/
Manufacturer and Distributor / Reusable blades
Piper’s Saw Shop has been manufacturing bandsaw blades for cutting wood since 1992. As an authorized distributor for Simonds, Wood-Mizer, and Lenox, it offers a wide selection of widths, thicknesses, tooth spacing, and hook angle. Custom lengths are also available.
Piper’s Saw Shop can maximize the life and serviceability of bandsaw blades with its resharpening service.
Delivery trucks cover Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee, and it offers worldwide shipping. Call to request a catalog or pricing information.
Saw Service & Supply
Contact: Gary Snyder, Nathan Belock, Dale Belock
Phone: (800) 735-5604
Email: garysnyder@sawserviceandsupply.com, nathanbelock@sawserviceandsupply.com, dalebelock@sawserviceandsupply.com
Website: www.sawservicesupply.com
Manufacturer and Distributor / Disposable and Reusable blades
Saw Service & Supply Inc. is a manufacturer and distributor of bandsaw blades and other supplies. The cornerstone of its business is delivering the highest level of service to the pallet industry. The pallet recycling segment is the company’s specialty. It is committed to responsiveness, reliable service, and quality products. Saw Service & Supply offers bandsaw blades for pallet dismantling machines, resaws, and any other type of saw that uses bandsaw blades.
The Saw Service & Supply Trial Blade Total Confidence Guarantee provides a Morse bandsaw blade for performance evaluation. Give the company your saw specifications and cutting application and it will supply a trial blade for evaluation. For more information about the Trial Blade Total Confidence Guarantee, contact the company.
Saw Service & Supply’s goal is to provide exceptional service and deliver your order on time. It stocks numerous lengths of dismantling bandsaw blades and resaw bandsaw blades to ship the same day and will also supply custom lengths.
Saw Service & Supply also offers bandsaw blades for the new Robotic Pallet Dismantler; the blades are available and ready to ship.
If you have a question or a difficult sawing problem, team with a Saw Service & Supply BandTech Technical Support staff member to solve it.
SE Metals
Contact: Dallas Welker
Phone: (678) 207-8550
Email: sales@semetals.net
Website: www.semetals.net
Distributor
SE Metals has been in the mill saw and resaw sharpening business for more than 40 years. It is a top distributor of Lenox, Kasco, and Simonds bandsaw blades for resawing and pallet dismantling. SE Metals stands 100 percent behind its products, no matter the brand. It offers nationwide delivery.
SE Metals offers stock blades and custom lengths of 1-inch,1.25-inch, 1.5-inch, 2-inch, and PalletMaster 1.25-inch blades.
The company has three welding machines and is committed to making the best, strongest welds as well as providing excellent customer service.
Sharp Tool
Contact: Mike Morette
Phone: (800) 221-5452
Email: mike@sharptool.com
Website: www.sharptool.com
Manufacturer and Distributor
Sharp Tool has a wide range of bandsaw blades that are in stock and ready to ship – blades to fit all bandsaws and sawmills. They excel at sawing hardwoods and softwoods.
Whether for hardwoods or softwoods, whole logs or cants, green wood or dried wood, the range of Munkfors bandsaw blades will satisfy your application. Blade features such as material, hardness, width, thickness, TPI, pitch, and hook angle have been considered to give the best combination of features for specific applications.
Sharp Tool Deck Duster blades, with the same features and engineered for the same high performance, remove up to 85 percent of sawdust from the cut.
The Sharp Tool website has a machine manufacturer and model drop-down filter on the lefthand side of the page. Customers can also filter by length, pitch, thickness/gage, width, and price to find the exact blade they need. Sharp Tool also offers custom welding of blades to any size.
WIKUS Saw Blade Technology
Phone: (844) WIKUS-4U
Email: sales@wikussawtech.com
Manufacturer
WIKUS is one of the world’s leaders in saw blades to cut metal and is Europe’s largest manufacturer of bandsaw blades. It guarantees the highest standards in the production of high-tech bandsaw blades with high-quality raw materials, up-to-date manufacturing methods, and continuous quality assurance.
For the pallet industry, WIKUS offers 34 Special bi-metal bandsaw blades for pallet dismantling machines.
Wood-Mizer
Phone: (800) 553-0182
Email: infocenter@woodmizer.com
Website: www.woodmizer.com
Manufacturer
Wood-Mizer manufactures a wide range of bandsaw blades for resawing as well as cutting on portable band sawmills. Wood-Mizer designs and manufactures its own blades and is the only portable sawmill equipment manufacturer that does so.
From sawing green softwoods to abrasive hardwoods, Wood-Mizer offers an extensive range of bandsaw blades with more than 100 combinations based on profile, width, thickness, tooth spacing, and material for any type of sawing or resawing application. Brands include WOW, Turbo747, SilverTip, DoubleHard, RazorTip, Bi-Metal Industrial, Turbo7 High-Performance, and Vortex blades, which remove sawdust from the cut.
Each Wood-Mizer blade tooth is precisely set by computer-controlled equipment and is completely profiled and ground tip to tip using super abrasive CBN grinding technology. From the selection of raw steel to performing more than 100 tests and inspections through the final grind, Wood-Mizer is dedicated to providing the highest quality bandsaw blades.
Wood-Mizer manufactures blades for Wood-Mizer, Baker, Cooks, Hud-Son, Norwood, Timberking, Timbery, Woodland Mills, and more band sawmills and resaws. The company website allows customers to select blades based on the manufacturer and model of a saw as well as blade length.
Wood-Mizer also offers bandsaw blades for pallet dismantling machines.
