Welcome back as we continue discussing the anatomy of a blandsaw blade. With a better understanding you will be able to select the right bandsaw blade for the job at hand.
Hook angle
Is the angle between a line drawn parallel to the front edge of the tooth and a line drawn perpendicular to the back of the bandsaw blade. The larger the hook angle the more the blade attempts to pull the material into the blade. In effect the tooth acts like a chisel by trying to split out the wood fibers.
With smaller hook angles or even a negative hook angles the tooth acts more like a plow or scraper. When cutting dense hardwoods or very knotty wood these saw blades are ideally suited for the job.
Sharpening
As with all sharp edged woodworking tools, they work best when sharp. As bandsaw blade teeth begin to dull the blade will have a tendency to produce wavy cuts. Also, more heat is being produced which will result burn marks on the stock and will accelerate the dulling process.
Bandsaw blades can be sharpened by hand with a flat steel file or a flat diamond hone. A professional sharpening service is another option for sharpening your blade.
Cleaning the bandsaw blade
Like any other blade, bandsaw blades will accumulate pitch and residue from use. It is normal for the sides of the blade to discolor slightly from use. There are many different chemical solvents available for cleaning the blade. I personally like using citrus strip. It is a little more environmentally friendly and has a more pleasant odor. Some of my woodworking buddies like to use lacquer thinner.
What is the right bandsaw blade for my application?
Well that really depends on a variety of factors such as hardness and thickness of the wood, what type of cut your performing (straight or curved), how smooth of an edge do you want, etc.
Start out with two bandsaw blades. A regular bandsaw blade that has 14 TPI, a zero hook angle and small gullets for slow feeding and smooth cuts. And a skip tooth blade for rough dimensioning cuts.
