How To Weld Bandsaw Blades (Requirements)

Last Updated on August 28, 2022 by Barry Gray

So you’ve been using your bandsaw for a fair amount of time – and the inevitable happens.

If you don’t have too much time on your hands, that’s completely fine, you can feel free to read our quick overview of how to weld bandsaw blades below.

Broken blades can be welded and used in your bandsaw, often providing long periods of service once repaired
Welding blades are a cheaper alternative than buying replacement blades
Always inspect your blade for any rust damages, and clean appropriately before grinding and welding
Soak in soapy water, or use a non-corrosive cleaning agent to remove built-up resin from use
To prevent breaks, monitor blade status using blade tracking adjustment features, as well as regular maintenance

You notice the blade has broken – and all you can think of is how much it’ll cost to get everything back and running again, so you can resume working. Luckily for you, though – a broken bandsaw blade doesn’t have to be the end of your work.

You can simply weld the bandsaw blade back into shape.

Through this article, we’ll explain exactly how you can do that, as well as the importance of doing so when necessary.

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Need to Weld A Bandsaw Blade & How To Do So

Next up, we’ll discuss exactly when and why you’d need to weld a bandsaw blade, as well as step by step guide on how to do so.

Not exactly sure what you’ll need? No problem, we cover that too.

Why Would You Need To Weld A Bandsaw Blade?

Blades can break and bend – unfortunately this is part of the job. Of course, you’re more than able to buy a new bandsaw blade – yet welding is a much cheaper alternative, and gives you more use out of your blades.

Broken blades can occur for many reasons. General wear and tear, plus forgetting to care for your blades are common ways which lead to a break.. Sometimes, it’s inevitable.

Yet, this doesn’t mean that you have to rush to the closest hardware store and buy a replacement blade. If you’ve got all the correct tools, you can replace it on your own – that sounds much cheaper, doesn’t it?

Plus, most broken blades just need to be welded, and can return back to providing you with hours of service.

There are going to be situations where the blade is beyond repair, though.

With damage over time, the blade can be affected by rust and become brittle and impractical to use. Added with the overall age of the blade, you’ll face a situation where you’ll have to count your losses, and settle for buying a replacement blade.

What Do You Need To Weld A Bandsaw Blade?

Here’s what you’ll be needing to weld a bandsaw blade. Of course, there are many other ways and alternative steps that you could follow, yet this is the most simple.

Items Needed

1 x Broken bandsaw blade
1 x Vise
1 x Tig Welder
1 x Grinder

Don’t forget to wear the relative safety equipment when welding, and to be aware of your surrounding environments.

Welding A Broken Bandsaw Blade: How To

Okay, so now we’ve finished looking into why a broken blade would occur and the importance of welding them together, we can get into the fun stuff.

That’s welding the broken blade into one, usable and strong bandsaw blade capable of making the same cuts as it were doing so before it broke into two. We’ve narrowed down the welding of your bandsaw blades into three sets of steps.

Setting Up The Blade

There are two steps in this method that you’d be following as you set up the broken blades.

Cleaning The Blade

Firstly, it’s best to switch your bandsaw off at the source, and to inspect the blade once removed.

Inspection of the blade is crucial, as you’ll be able to identify if the blade is beyond repair, or if it’s study enough to last.

We mentioned earlier the impact of rust upon a blade, which can result in the blade becoming weak over time.

This is what you’ll be checking when you’re inspecting the blade, any spots that have rusted.

A brittle blade will do you no good, even if you’re looking to weld it.

If you’ve checked the entire blade and there’s no signs of rust, your next step is to clean the blade.

Cleaning the blade is simple. You can use a degreasing agent, or soak in soapy water.

It should be a no-brainer. Don’t use anything corrosive, as this will damage your blade.

A wash with a degreasing agent, soapy water or alternative, (oven cleaners and Simple Green, to name a few) will remove any resin which has built up over time. You’ll notice an improvement in the quality of your blade once you use it again post-clean.

Grinding The Blade

After you’ve wiped down the blade with a cloth, it’s time to grind the blade. Grinding the blade is an important step, as it will provide a tighter fit once welded, enhancing the strength of the blade.

To grind the blade, it’s best to do so at an angle, using your vise. Both snapped ends of the blade will have to overlap, so they are compact and tight.

Once you’ve finished grinding the blades, place them both in the vise again, making sure that the ends are almost overlapping.

Welding The Blade

You’re now ready to weld, and it should be a simple and relatively quick process.

You’ll notice just how important it is to touch the ends of the blade tightly together – as the blade will be weak without touching when welding is complete. Hopefully, you won’t have to worry about this.

Once you’ve finished welding, you can move onto welding the other side of the blade. You’ll do this once, like the first side.

Welding both sides is important, as this is also another way you’re able to strengthen the blade.

Post-Weld & Maintenance Of Blade

Now that you’ve completed the welding of both sides, give the blade a quick annealing with a blowtorch, on both sides. This is a useful tip that can often be forgotten, with the blade again being strengthened once stressed.

After the blade has cooled down, you can use the grinder to the repaired area to smooth out any imperfections that occurred through welding. You can give your blade another clean, yet you’re also ready to re-install the blade into the bandsaw.

Naturally, damage will occur through general use overtime, and a blade will need to be replaced eventually. In the meantime, your newly-welded blade can last quite a long time, through regular maintenance.

This includes lubricating your blades after use, and cleaning them regularly to remove built-up resin, after you’ve inspected for any potential rust damage.

The Round-Up

Now that you’ve finished reading this article, you should have a fairly solid idea of how to weld a broken bandsaw blade, if you didn’t already. You can do many things to prevent this from occurring, yet eventually this happens to us all.

If you have a blade tracking adjustment feature, as well as a blade tension adjustability – you can use both of these to monitor the general status of your blade. Once the time comes to weld a broken blade – you’ll be prepared!

I’d love to see what you think, though. Do you use a method similar to this when welding bandsaw blades?
Or do you use another method? Whatever it may be, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.