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Difficulty: MediumPortable Power Saws

When using a portable band saw to cut thin-walled metal conduit, which guideline should be followed when selecting the blade's tooth pitch (teeth per inch / TPI) to prevent stripping teeth and stalling the tool?

  1. A
    Adjust the blade guide rollers so the blade teeth extend several inches past the stock to increase downward cutting leverage.
  2. B
    Select a coarse-pitch blade with large gullets designed to rip quickly across metal grain boundaries.
  3. Choose a fine-pitch blade that ensures at least three consecutive teeth remain in contact with the pipe wall at all times.Answer
  4. D
    Apply heavy downward hand pressure during the return stroke to force the teeth through the conduit wall.

Answer

Choose a fine-pitch blade that ensures at least three consecutive teeth remain in contact with the pipe wall at all times.
The standard rule for portable band saws when cutting tubing or structural shapes is to maintain at least three teeth in simultaneous contact with the workpiece wall. This prevents the edge of the metal from falling into the gullet between teeth, which would snag and shear the cutting teeth off the blade.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Evaluate the material cross-section and thickness.
Thin-walled conduit has a narrow cross-sectional wall thickness that requires support across multiple teeth.
When cutting structural shapes or tubing, the spacing between teeth must not exceed the thickness of the wall being cut.
2
Apply the standard band saw tooth pitch selection rule of thumb.
Select a blade with a high TPI (fine tooth pitch) so that a minimum of 3 teeth engage the wall thickness simultaneously.
Having at least 3 teeth in contact prevents the thin wall from slipping into the gullet between teeth, which strips the teeth and ruins the blade.

Key Concept

Portable Band Saw Blade Pitch Selection and Metal Cutting Dynamics
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Portable Power Saws

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