For many here this is already old hat. Some new to machining may want this reminder video. I've shown a similar technique to around 5 guys here in Calgary, but if you don't do it often, it is easy to for get, so here's a good video on how to do it:
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Tips/Techniques On coiling bandsaw blades
- Thread starter Dabbler
- Start date
Tips/Techniques
You keep the original box? And here I thought I was anal about such things! You are a better man than I!
No way I'd keep that box. Half the blades I have didn't come in a box so I just hang them all on a wooden dowel on the wall. Boxes would mean two storage locations to forget.
Thanks for adding that comment and making that observation @YYCHM. It is interesting to me that admin involvement seems to clear the new post flags. I'll try to remember to submit a post to all threads after any actions in future to make sure such things don't get lost.
PS @Dabbler - All my blades are now hanging in nice tight loops instead of big huge ones thanks to you. You & I have met so you can more easily picture this big hairy guy all wrapped up in bandsaw blades trying to do this before he saw your "TIP"!...... LOL!
Edit - oh yes, and THANK YOU too for the blissfully short and to the point video! I wish they were ALL like that!
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Well, the blades sit on top of each other in a cupboard that’s the stand for my bandsaw. So keeping the box is so they don’t tangle with each over and also blunt themselves.
But the boxes do serve another purpose- to annoyingly remind me that I can’t work out how to fold the blades properly…
I see. So sheets of cardboard don't work?
Thinking about that a bit more, I think I'll add cardboard seprators to my wall dowels! Thank you!
That was a great video, so much easier to understand than the description in my books!
After following the video, my first mistake was bending over too much and putting the coils underneath which each arm rotation, rather than on top. Once I did that it was as smooth as butter.
I still can‘t get my blades back into the box… The company must have a four coil method, or they squish them into the box…
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That would definitely work, however I already have the box which covers 90% of the blade with my current flawed technique.
(unfortunately I still can’t get the blades in the bloody box, even after I successfully followed the video. I think I’ll have to purchase one more blade to fill out my collection and work out how they did it…)
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Dabbler
ersatz engineer
So here's a wierdness: You can coil it in 3 loops, and get them to lie flat -- or you can do ** 5 ** loops and they still lie flat - but not 2, 4 or 6. Then the blade has to be twisted and they don't lie flat. It is all in the mathematical topology category.
Oh oh...... I smell a really stinky rabbit hole in my future......
Totally by instinct, I would have thought even would be allowed but not odd. Basically, I would have assumed each twist has to be cancelled by an opposite twist in order to straighten the blade.
What am I missing......
Hey @Dabbler, I think I have it! Rabbit hole wasn't as bad as I feared it might be.
The third twist actually twists both prior twists simultaneously. Therefore it's really 4 not 3. It just looks like 3.
Guess I'd have to look at how 5 works to see where the magic really is.
Or not. I'm happy with 3 - 4. Having satisfied myself with that, I'm pretty sure 5 - 6 will be no different. And I have no interest in watching another YouTube video that won't be as merciful as this one was.
The third twist actually twists both prior twists simultaneously. Therefore it's really 4 not 3. It just looks like 3.
Guess I'd have to look at how 5 works to see where the magic really is.
Or not. I'm happy with 3 - 4. Having satisfied myself with that, I'm pretty sure 5 - 6 will be no different. And I have no interest in watching another YouTube video that won't be as merciful as this one was.
Oh boy, now I’m wondering whether it’s odd numbers or odd prime numbers...
I still can’t get the blades back into the original box. Now I’ve got two reasons to purchase a new blade- see how they got it into the box; see if it’s an even, odd or odd prime number of coils.
Dabbler
ersatz engineer
So here's the dope. Don't think in terms of twists. It will 'twist you up' 
When you 'turn' the bandsaw blade while pushing it downward, you make a LOOP. the loop contains a twist in the blade. the next LOOP reverses the twist, allowing the 3 resulting LOOPs to have neutral twist on the blade, and it lies flat. it also holds together because the twists are opposing, and have opposing spring(y) tension.
I won't get into the next one that results in 5 loops... Had to do it on a 163" (or was it 183"?? - it ended in a 3, I'm sure) blade for a wood cutting bandsaw - it was really cool - but really scary to undo!
When you 'turn' the bandsaw blade while pushing it downward, you make a LOOP. the loop contains a twist in the blade. the next LOOP reverses the twist, allowing the 3 resulting LOOPs to have neutral twist on the blade, and it lies flat. it also holds together because the twists are opposing, and have opposing spring(y) tension.I won't get into the next one that results in 5 loops... Had to do it on a 163" (or was it 183"?? - it ended in a 3, I'm sure) blade for a wood cutting bandsaw - it was really cool - but really scary to undo!
So here's the dope. Don't think in terms of twists. It will 'twist you up'
I won't get into the next one that results in 5 loops... Had to do it on a 163" (or was it 183"?? - it ended in a 3, I'm sure) blade for a wood cutting bandsaw - it was really cool - but really scary to undo!
Nope, brain can't handle loops, just twists. Brain has to imagine stresses in the band caused by twists. Loops can't happen without twists. And as you say, each twist has to have a counteracting twist - so 3 doesn't work but 4 does.
It's all in what it takes to get my old brain to see the math and science without getting all twisted into knots.......
My brain is happy right now. So don't go trying to twist it up into more loops than I can handle!
But, ya - I totally get that 4 twists = 3 loops. It's the same math as intervals and spaces between them - or my personal favorite of 3 birthdays is just two years.
Bottom line is that my brain just can't get to the loops my eyes can see without first understanding the stresses caused by the twists that define the loops... Otherwise its all an illusion. LOL!
Given how much twist my little 4x6 metal handsaw twists it's blade, I'm pretty sure we could add a twist between the wheels on the reverse side.Someone needs to make a mobius bandsaw blade , with teeth running along the one continuous edge on both the front and the backside of the blade - I'd pay to see a saw that could run one!
Who has a saw sharpener?