What's everyone using?

I'm using a 1/4 wide by 18TPI presently, and it seems to be a little too wide to comfortably make the radius cuts for an adjustable comb. I tried 1/8" in the past and that was difficult to control and get a straight cut, so I'm thinking about splitting the difference and trying 3/16" this time, finest TPI I can readily find is 14, which should be OK. My current blade is cooked and I need to cut a comb on a rifle stock soon, so I'll be ordering something shortly.

We've always used a 1/4" 14 TPI "raker" and it's always worked fine

 

1/4 and around 10 tpi , too many teeth and gullet fills and burns

 

Just ordered a 3/16 x 10TPI as an experiment, 13.55 delivered from Amazon, be here Saturday, I have to cut some off the butt of a stock so that'll be a decent experiment. I read elsewhere here that someone thought 3/16" was what Devault said he used.

I got a flexback blade (not really by choice, that's just how the one I spotted that roughly fit my specs came), which may help with the curve cuts, and may let me go back to a 1/4" blade. Really I just need to segregate a blade for stock work, and replace my blades more often.

 

been using a 14tpi for over 40 years.no problem with angles 1/4 x 14tpi jack

 

Maybe I'm just asking too much out of my blades and need to replace them significantly more often.

Ordered a 1/4x14tpi as well to compare, will segregate the better one and abuse the other.

 

What's everyone using?

I'm using a 1/4 wide by 18TPI presently, and it seems to be a little too wide to comfortably make the radius cuts for an adjustable comb. I tried 1/8" in the past and that was difficult to control and get a straight cut, so I'm thinking about splitting the difference and trying 3/16" this time, finest TPI I can readily find is 14, which should be OK. My current blade is cooked and I need to cut a comb on a rifle stock soon, so I'll be ordering something shortly.

Specifically for combs, I use 3/16, 18tpi. I've used them for 40 years.

 

You’ll pay more, but a bimetal blade will last you a long time.

 

Ask Tron.

 

Tron uses cat claws superglued to some old banding strap.

 

Increasing the tension when going to smaller blades helps to keep the blade tracking properly.

 

Asked Dennis Devault one time, he said 3/16, 14 TPI. I found it hard to cut straight on the long runs though, even with everything set correctly. 1/4" blade seems to be better even when a sharper radius (Krieghoff) turn is involved so that the straight runs are better. Wax the back end of the blade to prevent burning.

 

I’ve never seen anyone get a Krieghoff cut using a bandsaw. You’ll need a blade like this and a Milling machine to do it correctly

 

Here is a reference that related blade width to curve radius