block system such as Cool Blocks to replace the metal blocks. These "plastic" Cool Blocks and similar products ($15 as an aftermarket accessory) allow the blade to be held tighter without increasing heat on the blade.
Another option is a Carter conversion kit to replace the blocks and thrust bearing altogether. Carter guides use bearing guides at the sides of the blade which basically ride against the blade without adding heat. Carter Guides are almost an industry standard for a bearing guide upgrade. They are expensive though, running around
$150. Carter now offers an economy guide ($65) for V4" or smaller blades called the Stabilizer. This guide replaces the thrust and side bearings with a single grooved bearing. The rear of the blade rides in the groove controlling left-to-right and rear movement. A variant on the Stabilizer is a set of roller guides from Iturra Design. These guides (around $60) replace the metal side guide blocks with blocks utilizing small bearings.
Blades
After all your careful research to buy the
correct band saw, using the wrong blades will undo your good work. While entire articles have been written about choosing the correct band saw blades, for a quick reference remember this: the tighter the curve you want to cut, the narrower the blade should be. With a more dense wood, more teeth per inch are required; and when resawing, you should use a wider blade with fewer teeth per inch.
While blade widths range from Vs" up to 3/4", a good general purpose blade is a V4" blade with six teeth per inch. PW
