Employ the below best practices and safety tips to get the best cutting results from your portable band saw blades.
- Before mounting or removing a blade, ensure the machine is unplugged or otherwise unpowered.
- Before loading the blade, make sure the teeth are going in the right direction, toward the shoe. If they aren’t, simply flip the blade inside out. With the machine unpowered, unlock the tension release lever, flip the saw over, and slide the blade around the guide wheels. Ideally, there should be 1/16” to 1/8” overhang to avoid unnecessary wear on your guide wheels. Once the blade is mounted, turn the saw back over and tighten the tension release lever. Run the machine for a few seconds to ensure the blade is properly seated.
- Always wear gloves when handling the blade and safety glasses when cutting.
- Enter the material with the blade running at the correct angle to minimize the cross section being cut.
- Rest the shoe, or back-up plate, firmly against the material while cutting.
- When working with tough materials, rock the blade to change the angle while cutting to reduce friction and be more efficient.
Watch these tips in action here.
If you have further questions, reach out to our Customer Service department at techteam@mkmorse.com or 800-733-3377 ext. 752.