While folding and unfolding bandsaw blades sounds like a straight-forward task, it can be quite the opposite if not performed correctly. Firstly, ensure you wear protective gloves and eye protection such as safety glasses and stay well away from others any time you attempt to fold or unfold your sharp bandsaw blades.

Here at Hardwood Mills, we’ve put together the following steps to ensure our Australian clients safely fold, unfold, coil or move their bandsaw blades in their home, shop or mill every time:

 

Unfolding a Bandsaw Blade

To correctly unfold a bandsaw blade, grab a coil with the teeth facing towards your gloved palms. The correct coil will leave a coil hanging free in the middle with the other two coils leaving crossed sections. Using the hand you picked the coil out with, carefully reach for the free hanging coil and lift it upwards to form a triangle. Release the free hanging coil upwards away from your body. This will straighten the blade letting it unfold naturally and easily.

Folding a Bandsaw Blade

As you may already know, folding a bandsaw blade is a trickier task than unfolding it. You should always aim to prevent the teeth of the blade from touching each other or the ground.

Grab the loose blade and hold it out in front of you before grabbing it in such a way that your hands will be able to rotate inward. Once you have achieved this, twist the blade causing it to bend in half, ensuring it’s bending away from your body.

Gently and carefully loop the top section of the blade under the bottom slightly to the side so that in one hand two coils will form while in the other hand only one coil will form.

The top should then loop up underneath to form a clean coil. Once you have carefully formed the coils, simply join them together and store them away in a safe place until next time.

 

Following the above steps, you will be able to carefully fold and unfold the sawmill blades each time, preventing injury the blade, yourself and others in the vicinity. Folding the blade as outlined above will allow it to be stored or moved to another location safely.

Here at Hardwood Mills we are one of the leading suppliers of sawmills, blades and accessories in Australia with a head office in West Gosford on the Central Coast of NSW, close to Sydney.

To discuss your sawmill needs, give us a call or send through an email today for a friendly chat with one of our sawmill experts!