Blade Break-In

Why Break-In a Band Saw Blade?

Completing a proper break-in on a new band saw blade will dramatically increase its life.

What is Blade Break-In?
A new band saw blade has razor sharp tooth tips. In order to withstand the cutting pressures used in band sawing, tooth tips should be honed to form a micro-fine radius. Failure to perform this honing will cause microscopic damage to the tips of the teeth, resulting in reduced blade life.

How To Break In a Blade

Select the proper band speed for the material to be cut
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Reduce the feed force/rate to achieve a cutting rate 20% to 50% of normal (soft materials require a larger feed rate reduction than harder materials).

Begin the first cut at the reduced rate. Make sure the teeth are forming a chip. Small adjustments to the band speed may be made in the event of excessive noise/vibration.

​During the first cut, increase feed rate/force slightly once the blade fully enters the work-piece.

With each following cut, gradually increase feed rate/force until normal cutting rate is reached.