Understanding Portable Sawmill Blade Teeth Terminology

If you happen to be new in the lumber industry, don't worry.  A good portable sawmill and the right blades to go along with it can take you a long way.  However, it's very important that you understand how to care for your blades.

For example, do you know what the gullet of a blade is?  Simply put, it's the empty space between each of the blade's teeth.  Those little valleys are what helps the sawdust to move out of the cut so that the blade can just keep on going, like a hot knife through butter.

It's also important to understand the hook angle and the tooth pitch of each blade.  The hook angle is the angle at which the blade cuts into the lumber.  An acceptable range is 8 to 10 degrees.  Too far beyond either end of that and you'll bend and break your blades.

The number of teeth on every blade, known as tooth pitch or tooth spacing, and the tooth face are also important.  More or less teeth can influence your cut and so can a tooth face (leading tooth edge) that isn't sharp.

All of those things can create problems in their own ways.  That's why it's important to sharpen your portable sawmill blades regularly and buy the right blades for the job at hand.  Would you like to learn more about how to make the perfect blade choices for your portable sawmill business?  If so, just visit www.cookssaw.com for some more great tips.