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Don't let a broken band saw blade put you out of Sk commission.

The first time I heard about brazing your own band saw blades, my initial reaction was "why bother?" After all, band saw blades aren't really that expensive.

But if you've ever had a band saw blade break — and didn't have an extra blade on hand — you

know how frustrating it can be (especially if the blade is still fairly new). That's where brazing comes in. It's a simple process that allows you to repair a broken blade and have your band saw up and running again in almost no time.

Brazing is also useful if you own a band saw that takes a blade length that isn't readily available. You can buy band saw blade stock in bulk and make your own blades to any length you need.

▲ Scarf Joint. To create a strong joint, the bevels should be at least a Vs* wide to provide plenty of surface area for the solder.

Welding vs. Brazing. Band saw blades are joined together in one of two ways. Nearly all blades sold today are welded. The ends of the blade are ground square and then butted together while a strong electrical current is passed through them. The heat from the current actually "melts" the ends of the blade and fuses them together.

Welding produces a very strong joint. But a band saw blade welder is a fairly expensive piece of equipment, and out of the reach of most home shop owners. A less expensive option is to braze the ends of the blade together.

Brazing is an old technique that has been used to join band saw blades for decades. Although it's been more or less replaced by welding, it's a simple enough process that you can do in your own shop without much in the way of equipment. All you need is

12 ShopNotes No. 86