The chip brush is a nondescript equipment piece on both horizontal and vertical bandsaws. They are designed to increase blade performance by keeping the gullets free of debris. The chip brush performs a critical role in the function and lifespan of the blade and the machine.
In order to produce a clean cut, clean gullets are necessary. It will reduce blade stripping, wear, and welded chips to the blade teeth. It will eliminate rough cuts and minimize blade bounce.
Chip brushes on most bandsaws are mechanical and motor-driven. As the blade passes the spinning steel brush, the brush removes the spiral shaped chips from the blade’s gullet, keeping them clean for subsequent cuts.
Chips being welded into the gullet will cause blade bounce. The blade becomes solid metal, as if it had no teeth to cut through any material.
Smaller machines use a static brush that rotates while it cleans the blade gullets using the force of the blade as it passes. There are several different types of brushes available.
Steel is common and wears well. Steel brushes are unaffected by the liquids used to keep the blade cool and lubricated.
Nylon brushes are quiet, hold their shape longer, and provide greater blade security with each pass. They are less expensive but need to be replaced more often.
If chips are not removed from the gullets as the blade rotates around the machine’s wheels and other parts, those metal chips — shavings — might fall into and damage the machines internal mechanisms.
Make sure to check chip brush condition and assure that it is working properly. It will help save time, expense, and materials handling to have a smooth cutting saw blade in production.
