One of the most used pieces of equipment in any fabrication shop is the band saw. Every fabrication project usually begins with some band saw work. With so much use and so many different operators, blades get broken frequently. Replacing band saw blades can become expensive but a basic band saw blade welder can save time and money.
A broken blade can be repaired as long as there are no kinks and the teeth are still good. Repairs can be accomplished by silver-soldering, TIG welding, or resistance welding. Almost every commercial saw blade welder is a resistance welder. Types range from simple, manually operated units to programmable, full automatic welders.
Even with the automatic machines, the operator’s skill has an impact on the quality of the weld. With manual welding machines the care and skill of the operator is the key to a successful repair. Variations between machines as well as blade size and material all influence the welding process. A skilled operator knows how to adjust for blade size and material and how to control the annealing process to keep the blade flexible.
A properly welded saw blade will run on a properly used band saw until the teeth wear down. Blades break at the weld when the weld is less than perfect. Perfect welds demand proper machine setup – weld current and time… Etc; proper preparation; proper annealing; and proper grinding (if required). If an operator is new to the welding process it will pay to spend some time with scrap blade pieces to learn how to do it correctly.
One of the advantages of having a blade welder available is bulk blade material. Blade material in bulk offers considerable cost savings over pre-assembled blades. A new blade can be welded up in a few minutes from the bulk material. If a particular band saw uses a non-standard or hard to find length of blade bulk buying makes sense. Also, it is possible to adjust the length of an off-the-shelf blade to fit the oddball band saw.
The other methods of saw blade repair (soldering or TIG welding) require advanced skills that may not be available and take time to learn. A welding machine is relatively inexpensive and proper procedures can be learned quickly. There are two important points in learning to use any welder: read the manual first and take some time to practice before welding a blade for actual use.
The important things to consider when shopping for a band saw blade welder are the welding current, the power requirements and the width of blades the welder can handle. Some shops like to use bi-metal blades because they last longer than other materials. A few saw blade welder manufacturers do not support bi-metal blades so finding a welder may require an extra effort.
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