Band Saw Blades, Oscillating Blades, Hole Saws and Cut-Off Discs

A blade has two jobs to get right, and they’re in this order: it has to fit the tool, and then it has to suit what you’re cutting. A blade that’s perfect for the material does you no good if it won’t mount, so start with the tool every time.

Band saw blades: length first

A band saw blade is a loop, and the loop has to be the exact length your saw takes. That’s the number to know before anything else. It’s usually in the saw’s manual or on a label on the saw, and it’s often printed on the old blade. Get it down to the fraction: a saw that takes 93-1/2 inches won’t run a 93. WBC’s band saw blades, with the lengths as the shelf labels show them (check the package for the exact length):

Blade	Width	Teeth per inch	Length (shelf label)
Olson	1/2 in.	18	64
Olson	1/4 in.	6	82
Olson	1/4 in.	6	93
Olson	1/8 in.	14	93
ProForce	3/16 in.		93-1/2 in.
ProForce	3/4 in.	3	93-1/2 in.
ProForce	3/4 in.		93-1/2 in.
ProForce	1/2 in.	6 or 14	115 in.
ProForce	3/8 in.		115 in.
Shear Force	5/8 in.		115 in.
Resaw King	3/4 in.	2-3	145 in.

WBC also carries Milwaukee 1/2-inch blades for portable band saws in 10, 18 and 24 TPI, in the lengths those saws take.

Once the length matches, pick the width and the teeth:

• Width is measured from the tooth tips to the back edge. A narrow blade, like the 1/8 or 3/16, turns tight curves. A wide blade, 1/2 to 3/4 inch, runs straighter and is what you want for ripping and resawing.
• Teeth per inch depends on how thick the material is. As a rough guide for wood, you want about three to six teeth in the cut at once; for metal, more. Too few teeth and they can catch and break; too many and the spaces between them pack with sawdust. So thick stock wants a coarse blade like the 3 or 6 TPI, and thin stock a finer one like the 14 or 18.

The Resaw King is the specialist: 3/4 inch wide with 2 to 3 teeth per inch, built for slicing thick boards into thinner ones, like turning a rough-sawn plank from the mill into stock you can work. Its 145-inch length fits a big saw.

Oscillating blades: the mount decides

Oscillating tool blades don’t all fit every tool. There are a few mounting systems: Starlock, which has a raised star-shaped hub; StarlockPlus and StarlockMax above it; OIS; and the older open-back universal fit. A tool rated for standard Starlock doesn’t automatically take StarlockMax, and a Starlock-only tool won’t take open-back universal blades. Check what your tool takes before you pick the blade.

Then match the blade to the material:

• Clean wood: the 1-1/4-inch Starlock wood blade (high-carbon steel) and the 2-1/2-inch Starlock bi-metal blade for clean wood. Trimming door jambs, notching trim, flush-cutting.
• Wood with nails in it: the 1-1/4-inch Starlock wood-and-nail blade and the 1-1/4-inch bi-metal nail-embedded wood blades (3-pack). Bi-metal handles the occasional nail and copper pipe without losing its teeth. In an older Montana house, where trim and casing have been nailed and re-nailed for decades, this is the blade to start with.
• Tougher work: the 1-1/4-inch carbide-tooth general-purpose blades (3-pack and 10-pack) and the Starlock Max carbide-tipped blade, which needs a StarlockMax tool. Carbide teeth outlast steel in hardwood, plywood and harder fasteners.
• Grout and mortar: the carbide-grit grout and mortar blade grinds instead of cutting with teeth. For cleaning out tile joints and old mortar.
• FEIN E-Cut blades: 1-3/4-inch universal blades, a 1-3/8-inch long blade for deeper plunge cuts, and 1-3/8-inch precision blades for cleaner cuts.
• 5-piece Starlock variety set: a handful of common blades in one pack, a good way to start if you just bought the tool.

Hole saw kits

WBC carries two 9-piece bi-metal hole saw kits, one set up for plumbers and one for electricians. Bi-metal cuts wood and the thin metal you run into on those jobs, and a kit puts a set of sizes for that trade in one case.

Metal cut-off discs

Cut-off discs for an angle grinder, in 4-1/2 inch and 5 inch:

Disc	Size	Fits
X-LOCK metal cut-off disc	4-1/2 in.	X-LOCK grinders
X-LOCK thin-kerf metal cut-off disc	5 in.	X-LOCK grinders
Type 27 metal cut-off disc	4-1/2 in.	Conventional grinders
Type 27 metal cut-off disc	5 in.	Conventional grinders

X-LOCK is a tool-free mounting system for X-LOCK grinders; some X-LOCK discs also fit conventional grinders, so read the package for the grinders a disc is approved for. Type 27 describes the disc’s shape, a depressed center, not how it mounts.

Three rules for cut-off discs. Never put on a disc bigger than the grinder is made for. The disc’s maximum RPM has to be at least the grinder’s RPM. And use the right guard for the disc. Then clamp the work, cut with the edge only, keep the disc moving and let it do the work rather than leaning on it. A cut-off disc is not a grinding disc; don’t grind with its face. Keep discs dry until you use them.

The Pick

For a band saw, match the length first, then a coarse blade for thick wood or a fine one for thin stock, and the Resaw King for slicing boards. For an oscillating tool, confirm the mount, then a wood blade for clean wood, bi-metal where there are nails, carbide for tough material and the grout blade for tile. For metal on a grinder, the 4-1/2 or 5-inch cut-off disc that matches your grinder’s mount.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know what size band saw blade I need?

Start with the length, from the saw’s manual, a label on the saw or the old blade. Then pick the width: narrow for curves, wide for straight cuts and resawing. Then the teeth per inch for the thickness you cut.

Will any oscillating blade fit my tool?

No. Starlock, StarlockPlus, StarlockMax, OIS and open-back universal are different mounts. Check what your tool accepts, then pick the blade.

What’s the difference between a Starlock wood blade and a bi-metal blade?

The wood blade is for clean wood. Bi-metal has hardened teeth on a flexible body, so it handles wood with nails, copper pipe and aluminum trim.

Can I grind with a cut-off disc?

No. Cut-off discs cut with their edge only. Use a grinding or flap disc for surface work.