Machining Fundamentals 162 Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. • Faster speed. The long, continuous blade moves in only one direction, so cutting is continuous. The blade can run at much higher speeds because it rap- idly dissipates the cutting heat. • Less waste. The small cross section of the band saw blade makes smaller and fewer chips than the thicker blade of the reciprocating power hacksaw, Figure 11-11. 11.3.1 Selecting a Band Saw Blade Band saw blades are made with straight teeth, raker teeth, or wavy teeth, Figure 11-12. Most manufacturers also make variations of these sets. The raker set provides greater cut- ting efficiency and a smoother surface finish. It is preferred for general use. Straight tooth sets also provide for smoother cutting finishes, but they do not create as much noise as the raker design. Wavy sets work best for thinner stock because they create less vibration and noise and tend to produce fewer burrs than the other sets. Tooth pattern determines the efficiency of a blade in various materials. The standard tooth blade pattern is best suited for cutting most ferrous metals. A skip tooth blade pattern is preferred for cutting aluminum, magnesium, Avoid— make sure movable jaw of vise fits solidly against work Solid vise jaw Movable vise jaw Set stop gage high enough to allow cut piece to fall away from blade Goodheart-Willcox Publisher Figure 11-8. If the work is not clamped solidly, it will twist and the blade will bind and be ruined in the fi rst few seconds of use. Goodheart-Willcox Publisher Figure 11-9. Use a stop gage when several pieces of the same length must be cut. Set it high to permit the work to fall free when completely cut. Kerf made by cutoff wheel By power hacksaw By band saw Photo courtesy of Grizzly Industrial, Inc. www.grizzly.com Figure 11-10. Horizontal band saw with built-in coolant system, adjustable hydraulic down feed, automatic shutoff, quick positioning vise, and –45° to +60° swivel mount. Goodheart-Willcox Publisher Figure 11-11. Differences in the amount of metal converted to chips (waste) by each cutoff machine.