SHOP: Once you settle on the right blade, what’s the best way to break it in so that blade life is maximized?
CHIBE: Most people when they break a blade in want to just slow the band speed down. That’s not the proper way to break a blade in. We always recommend that the customer looks up the blade speed on a blade speed chart and use the recommended specifications for the material being cut. Throughout the break in period, you are going to want to keep your blade speed the same. What you’re going to change is your feed, preferably the feed force. Some machines have it where you can control force and rate, and in that case you will want to lessen your feed force. So say you were using a Cosen V-2026 vertical band saw, if you normally run it at 80 lbs per sq inch, you might want to start out at 40 lbs per square inch and make your cuts from there, increasing it after every cut. They also have charts on how many square inches it takes to break in a blade.
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