There is no substitute for a well designed, properly maintained, and fully functioning bandsaw machine. When things go wrong, it is usually due to maintenance having been avoided for any length of time.
Avoiding gullet cracks is part of an ideal maintenance procedure.
The gullet is the second hardest working bandsaw feature. A properly cleaned gullet is critical to achieving correct cut, appropriate band cooling and lubrication, and for adequate chip removal to occur.
Gullet cracking stems from a number of variables, but the likely cause is the machine and not the blade.
Band straightness, too tight blade guides, too high blade tension, too heavy a feed rate, too fast a speed rate, too high a feed pressure, too long a running time, too low a coolant flow, improper coolant mix, misaligned guide arms, damaged wheel(s), bad wheel bearings, and bad guide-to-wheel alignment are all known causes of gullet cracking.
Below are a few suggestions meant to help avoid gullet crack issues from occuring.
Check that the band is riding properly on the wheels and not butting up against the flange, and check that the wheels are square.
Check for correct blade tension. Too tight will stress the band and too loose will minimize cut efficiency, including straight/square cuts while also causing stripped teeth.
Check that the speed and feed rates are set to the saw manufacturer’s recommendations for the materials being cut.
Check coolant for proper flow and that it cleans the blade as it passes through the guide arms on either side of the cut. The chip brush should be properly cleaning the gullets.
Check wheel integrity, bearings, and guide arms position along with the backup guides.
When equipment failure occurs, it is important to eliminate root cause in order for future avoidance to occur. Troubleshooting is logical to isolating cause for malfunction.
A bandsaw blade is an inanimate object provoked by mechanical implement. A bandsaw blade should not fail unless it is used in a manner to which it was not designed to perform.
