Killed 2 bandsaw blades in one evening

[whateg01]

I use wd40 to keep the 7x12 bandsaw blade from loading up with aluminum. The current job needs a bunch of steel cut (1x8, 2x5, 1x2, all bar/flat stock). On cuts across wide material, I often have trouble with the blade "getting stuck". It's not binding. I can spin the pulley backwards and after the teeth pop free, it moves freely in the cut. I normally cut steel dry, but having the wd40 hanging on the saw, I squirted it on every 15-30 seconds and it never had problems. But then on the 2nd or 3rd cut, it just stopped cutting. Maybe it happened gradually, but I didn't notice that. Just heard the change in the sound. Out of spare blades, I pulled one off the wall that I had taken off before for missing teeth and put it in and it started cutting immediately, like new. Ran it through a couple parts, then it did the same thing. The steel is supposed to just be mild steel, and it cuts like it when it's cutting. These blades normally go months without problems aside from the gradual dulling from use. Is the WD40 causing this? Seems weird, but that's the only thing I'm doing different than usual.

 

[RoninB4]

...

 

[seber]

Try using an actual oil instead of rust preventive. People think WD40 is good for everything. In fact it is good for one thing. Preventing rust.

 

[PCustoms]

Cutting wax stick. Or if you're cheap like me, bar of soap

Blade tensioned and aligned correctly?

Usually when mine pops I've done something dumb (like had an odd shaped stock shift and bind) and/or it's out of alignment.

Reminds me I need to order a blade

 

[danielbuck]

WD40 works pretty well on Aluminum, but I wouldn't use it on steel. Can't say if that's your issue or not, but if the blade is getting stuck, try backing off on the pressure?

I usually cut steel dry as well, or sometimes with cutting wax stick. If by chance the WD40 is gumming up, maybe try some wax or cutting oil. Or maybe wipe the blade down with degreaser to get rid of any lingering WD, then a light bit of wax/oil.

 

[MJD1]

Sounds like your using a blade with too high of a teeth per inch count. Chips are likely not getting pulled out of the cut. No such thing as a one size does all bandsaw blade

 

[readhead]

A few comments. What is the tooth count on the blade? WD-40 is not a cutting oil. Get real cutting oil for steel. Are you conditioning the blade when you put it on. I’m guessing not. Look up bandsaw blade conditioning.

 

[Firebrick43]

 

[Firebrick43]

A cutting wax stick is a much better solution than wd40 on steel. Aluminum WD40 is great.

It could be just a crappy piece of steel. Back when I was a machinist 20 years ago it wasn't uncommon to have a batch of steel forgings come in and all the high end carbide tool life went to hell, even though the metlab said it still passed specs.

 

[MichaelP]

Firebrick's version may be the culprit. That or something is wrong with the arm downfeed.

And I don't think WD40 is something to blame. If you can cut it dry, I don't see how WD40 can make it harder on the blade.

 

[whateg01]

It could be just a crappy piece of steel. Back when I was a machinist 20 years ago it wasn't uncommon to have a batch of steel forgings come in and all the high end carbide tool life went to hell, even though the metlab said it still passed specs.

I didn't think the wd40 was the cause but didn't think I would have hard spots in multiple pieces. Turns out, there are hard spots in multiple pieces. Took carbide to get holes drilled in 2 of them that needed holes.

 

[PCustoms]

I didn't think the wd40 was the cause but didn't think I would have hard spots in multiple pieces. Turns out, there are hard spots in multiple pieces. Took carbide to get holes drilled in 2 of them that needed holes.

Cutting bedframe again?

 

[WillyBoy]

YEAH. ^^^^^ Never doing that again!
Quick and easy way to clean all the teeth right down to little nubs.

 

[niget2002]

Ugh. This reminds me, my wood bandsaw needs a new blade before I start my next project. I burned up the last one splitting slabs.

 

[American Locomotive]

I didn't think the wd40 was the cause but didn't think I would have hard spots in multiple pieces. Turns out, there are hard spots in multiple pieces. Took carbide to get holes drilled in 2 of them that needed holes.

Cheap steel can often have very hard inclusions. Everything will go fine, then your blade will hit a big chunk of whatever that's way harder than the rest of the metal.

Sometimes cheap steel can also be problematic, especially if sourced from less-than-reputable places. As a few others mentioned above, bed frames are notoriously difficult to work with. They're typically made from recycled rail road tracks.

 

[cvairwerks]

Bed frames get torch cuts.....

 

[PCustoms]

Given the dimensions in the OP, I was joking about bedframes...

I've never seen an issue with hard inclusions in new stock. Seems more likely some sort of alignment or binding issue, but the op says everything was moving smooth

 

[RTM]

You cursed me, I killed a Porta Band blade over the weekend, cutting up a treadmill frame. Stopped cutting, pulled it out, no teeth left.

Personally, I know mine is operator error, used the wrong tooth count for tubing.

But that does nothing to help your problems, but thank for the Jinx.

 

[whateg01]

I use the correct tooth count sometimes. Like, when a 10/14 is the right tooth count. Otherwise, I'm too coarse, hence a spare blade with missing teeth, or too many teeth. I have a 6 tpi blade I use if I'm cutting a bunch of thick aluminum. That's about the only time I change blades.