Glossary of Bandsaw Terms

Before buying a bandsaw or even embarking on any bandsaw activity, it’s important to understand words and phrasing. In other words, what everything means in relation to buying and using your bandsaw. We’ve listed the main ones right here: 

 

Band speed. This is the rate at which the bandsaw blade moves across the material. You’ll find it’s usually measured in Feet Per Minute (FPM) or Meters Per Minute (MPM). 

 

Blade width. What the saw blade measures from the tip of the tooth to the back of the blade. 

 

Baseband speed. This is the recommended speed for cutting metals based on a piece measuring 4” wide. 

 

Bi-metal. A high-speed steel edge material electron beam welded to a spring steel back. This provides optimum cutting performance and longevity. 

 

Carbon flex back. A solid blade of carbon steel with a soft back and a hardened tooth. This provides longevity at a lower cost per cut. 

 

Carbon hardback. A one-piece blade of carbon steel with a hardened back and tooth edge for dealing with heavier pressures than usual. It leads to a faster cutting rate as well as longevity of the blade. 

 

Cutting rate. This refers to how much material is removed over a period of time. It’s measured in square inches per minute. 

 

Depth of penetration. How far down into the material the tooth tip penetrates during each cut. 

 

Gullet. This is the curved area at the tooth’s base. The tooth tip to the bottom of the gullet is referred to as the gullet depth. 

 

Kerf. How much material is removed by each cut of the blade. 

 

Relief angle. This is the tooth face i.e. its surface (rather than the cutting edge). 

 

Tooth back clearance angle. How the tooth is angled, measured by the direction the saw is cutting in. 

 

TPI. The number of Teeth Per Inch that the bandsaw has. 

 

Tooth rate angle. How the tooth is angled when perpendicular to the cutting direction of the saw. 

 

Vari-Pitch. A blade designed for cutting metal using vari-pitch teeth. The tooth size and gullet vary along the length of the blade. 

 

For more information on bandsaws and bandsaw blades, our expert team are on hand to help. Just call us on 01892 663398 or email [email protected] for guidance.