Bandsaw Blade Repair - How to Solder Bandsaw Blades

[@RHILL-gs3jw]

Brilliant, one blade snapped, bought new one which was an inch too long, so having seen what you did I soldered the snapped one which worked great, so deliberately snapped the new one ( very cheap blade) and soldered that. Both working great, very happy man. It's not the buying of a new blade, a repair can be done in minutes, when I had to order a new one it took days.

[@coreygrua3271]

I appreciate your toleration of risk. Then your patient, practical knowledge takes over and a solution is found. I like ideas that contribute to provident living when we are surrounded by a ‘“throw away” society. Bravo once again.

[@knecht105]

Thanks for watching!

[@tedsobocienski787]

I give you a lot of credit for trying something that you haven't done before. One will never know what we can do if we don't try.

[@ShevillMathers]

Never seen them repaired with ordinary solder, so interested to hear how long it lasts. Silver solder is a better option and can be done easily with the torch and rig you have. When finished, just place the blade over a curved surface and lightly file off any bumps both sides. If using silver solder or braze, let the blade cool slowly, in fact keep it warm either side of the join to anneal the join/blade an inch or so either side. Blade last longer when not brittle at the joint. As another viewer commented, use your angle grinder to cut and shape the angle iron-even cut out the middle section with it. Thanks for sharing, stay safe, Greetings from Tasmania Australia.

[@Renassainceman]

There are numerous splicing kits available using silver solder, which is much stronger than standard lead/tin solder. Brazing is also popular, using the same alignment jig, and is similar to soldering, but much stronger and longer lasting.

[@buddyhutchins3782]

Just found this and by coincidence broke a blade a couple days ago........gonna give this a try. Thank you for sharing.

[@knecht105]

Hope it helps! Thanks for watching!

[@buddyhutchins3782]

I've enjoyed watching you and used several of your 'tips' Colin, great and thanks again. Keep'um coming.

[@grahamallen3941]

Nice job Colin, beats throwing the blade away and love the little jig you made for this job. Thanks Graham 🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@knecht105]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching.

[@SMee67]

I have 3 blades waiting to be soldered. I've been recommended to use silver solder for bandsaw blades, and to lightly file any lumps that occur. Nice job, mate 👍

[@rc3d490]

Bill Carroll the flux for silver solder, is the same?

[@SMee67]

Percy Flores yes, as far as I'm aware it is. I have never seen different flux other than a paste and a liquid form.

[@knecht105]

Agreed, i think silver solder is a better choice if you have it kicking around the shop. Thanks for watching, Bill.

[@OstazFarid]

@@knecht105 is brass stick good for soldering bandsaw blade?

[@BobHerres]

Thank you , Great Job Well Done ! This is something I had never considered. Thank you for sharing this nifty procedure!

[@knecht105]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching.

[@MrGoosePit]

Looks like a win to me. Better than throwing out an otherwise good blade. Nice work Colin!

[@roderickobriensr6504]

Good job Colin! I never would have thought to use solder.

[@knecht105]

Thank You!

[@terryevans6625]

I'm impressed. I bought a band saw blade machine from Harbor Freight that didn't work. I've seen similar videos as this using MAP gas, but apparently regular gas would work too! Thanks!

[@knecht105]

Thanks for watching!

[@MarkMcCluney]

Gosh! I'm genuinely surprised at how simple and effective that was. Good job mate. Love the custom mod to your bandsaw by the way;-)

[@knecht105]

Thank You, Mark!

[@jordanwhiteflower8125]

I LOVE YOUR VIDEO IT IS PRACTICAL AND INGENIUS

[@hardnox6655]

That was interesting. Never thought about doing that method. I have used a MIG welder on low heat and it worked fine then touched up the weld with a flat file.

[@leonardpearlman4017]

Madness! I have thought of TIG welding, and then dressing and annealing? But I have the silver solder and flux, an ounce of solder might be good for a lifetime. I've found some silver-brazed blades to be as durable as anything, and some come apart, so it still needs work.

[@hernancoronel]

Awesome attempt! With a stainless steel hemostat pressing the joint solder would have flowed in the same way and since the stainless steel does not adhere to solder it would have helped the joint a lot. Great job and great idea! Thanks!

[@guyluck9253]

I have always silversoldered my blades. I have a 30 Metre roll of blades. I cut to length and then carefully grind the ends square and prepare a holding jig and butt solder the blade ends together remembering to leave a tiny gap between the ends to allow the solder to flow through. I use a very small flame oxy acetalene torch. It has always worked well for me. Preparation and cleanliness are very important.

[@Watchanycrap]

Great I get this in my recommendations today ...... after I’ve just chucked away 4 snapped bands 🤔.. good video

[@alcocklake]

yuk yuk... me too ;(

[@MrUbiquitousTech]

Nicely done, thanks for sharing!

[@NMranchhand]

Score! I’m pleasantly shocked that solder could hold those forces. I thought for sure it would have required a braze, but never argue with success. (I notice some comment confusion over the fact that we braze with something called “silver solder” as one of our fillers materials and that causes some confusion. Brazing happens over 850F and causes an electrochemical bond whereas soldering, which Colin did, is cooler and just glued metal together when the liquified metal cools and freezes again as in plumbing copper joints. )

[@markkeating2941]

Hello, thank you for this, it will help me out of a difficult spot.

[@Bramsshed1913]

Brilliant fix Colin! Cheers Bram

[@OldJoe212]

I have a 40 year old Craftsman 12 inch that uses an 80" blade. 80's are a little hard to find so I just welded a broken one today and it seems to be working fine. Because of the thinness of a bandsaw blade, welding is kinda tough. I think I'll be making a better jig and try soldering. I'm thinking of buying 92 1/2" blades and cutting them down. We'll see how that works. Thanks for posting.

[@ColinBarling]

Excellent job Col another great video mate.

[@hassanal-mosawi4235]

Thanks for sharing those tips and the make, I have 2 blades brocken, I try glue did not work, I try the soldering electric did not work, I will try your method.

[@jlang8213]

I propose you do daily videos. I am sure I speak for all when I say they'd be appreciated!

[@hansdegroot8549]

Imho I guess that you have never made a KZbin video on woodworking! Do you know how much time is involved for making such a video? It takes hours and hours for making good content and good quality. So 2 videos per week is nearly a maximum. I prefer quality above quantity.

[@jlang8213]

Hans de Groot : I am aware. I was joking in a manner that indicated that I love these videos (or so I thought...)

[@hansdegroot8549]

OK. I like these videos too very much. They are straight to the point, very comprehensive and informative.

[@joaquimmachado1474]

Boa noite estou a ver o teu vídeo aqui em Portugal tenho umas fitas de serra que preciso reparar gostaria de saber qual o fio ou eletrodo que usas para fazer a reparação.obrigado abraço.

[@saddle1940]

Thanks for the video. I was wondering about information or a video followup on how successful the soldering was on the blade longterm.

[@richardgrier4721]

I agree with the other comments. Silver solder will give you a joint with better strength. And, you can dress the "wound" with gentle application of a stone or file after the solder joint has cooled.

[@rc3d490]

Richard Grier the flux for silver solder, is the same as used in this video?

[@richardgrier4721]

Each time that I have purchased silver solder, it came with a tube of flux. IMO, it (probably) is exactly the same!

[@oldsloane]

I used silver solder and from everything I have read it works better than a welded blade. I have one in my saw right now that was my first ever attempt at silver soldering and it has been running for weeks now. I brazed another blade as an experiment and started snapping off sections close to the joint. One section snapped off less than an eighth of an inch away from the joint with no apparent damage to the joint itself.

[@cspann831]

Something I never thought of- Thanks Colin! I should give it a whir. l am inclined to agree with the silver brazing guys. I'm stuck for now with my old Delta 3 wheel that takes odd 82" blades fortunately available locally at Lowes. 3 wheels are notorious for breaking blades. I will try to eke out a bit more life from them and with the money I save buy a REAL bandsaw. Or for even more fun- build one

[@dalesampson6994]

great job. that is how its done

[@jimmylovesbikes]

Great job Colin! I'm about to repair my broken blade, but really curious to know - how has your blade held up using just regular solder?

[@stellabelikiewicz1523]

Even for a first attempt, you made it look so easy! I’ll be interested to hear how the joint holds up over time, though really, every single cut with a fixed blade is a tiny little triumph!

[@alexusartcrafts5881]

Do you recommend welding broken bandsaw blade?

[@elikemohammed7181]

Good video! Did that solder joint hold up over the life of the blade? I always heard you had to use silver solder..

[@johnhealy9231]

You need to use HARD SILVER SOLDER the type used by jewellers , the more silver in it easer to melt ,so use less heat

[@silvergrizzly316]

Hey Colin, I really had my doubts but thank you for proving me wrong. Lolol!! GREAT JOB and it works very well. New Subscriber, my friend. ☆Jay. 👍👍

[@knecht105]

I had my doubts, too :) Thanks for watching and subbing!

[@hectorgerco2963]

Hi. Will it work if I use a mig gas welder?? Thank you

[@jdog4534]

Is that regular soft solder? ..I think the blades are soldered with silver solder or brazed . I'm surprised it held through the cut. That's interesting. Thanks for posting

[@soosaisteven3984]

What solder did u used? Common 60/40 st/pb electronic solder?

[@gwater12345]

pb/sn solder does not look very strong. Is there any practical durability?

[@GeorgeCooper_LoneWolf]

Great test, and it seems to work very well, But evetime I cut a peace of wood, I would be thinking ( is it going to snap ) and I think it would take my mind of the job. Now that being said what a bloody good idea if you cant get hold of a new blade straight away

[@knecht105]

It was really just a test to see if it would work. I prefer to replace that blade also, if possible, but this method should get you out of a bind.

[@johnthompson3462]

Good job.I have the kit from Lee Valley. Used it once and worked fine - using silver solder - Don't know where you are in Canada.I am in Oshawa Ont. if it is any use to you you are welcome to it.Or any of your subscribers

[@sapelesteve]

I must admit that I was very skeptical about this but you proved me wrong Colin! Now let's see how long it holds up? :)

[@drickard67]

As I'm watching you wrestle with the reciprocating saw on that angle I'm thinking "he could really use an angle grinder" ... but then you pop out an angle grinder to feather the blade. I think that sometimes we try to show all of our tools some love...

[@kevsbuild2807]

I expect that the solder will eventually give way after a bit of use, Brazing would have done a decent job too I think.

[@WoodUCreate]

I think the metal is too thin to braze, but yes, solder is very soft and brazing is much stronger if it were possible.

[@kevsbuild2807]

I used to braze to some very thin metal James, but after more thought, & although it would work for Colins task, the heat needs to me more sustained, so it would take some of the spring out of the blade, however it would still cut wood, and would save it from the scrap bin. I hope Colin does a follow up on this as it is a very interesting idea.

[@knecht105]

I agree that a braze or spot weld should be better, but I was really just testing this repair option out, to see if it would work. Maybe in the future, I'll borrow some oxy acetylene and do a brazing test also.

[@mildyproductive9726]

​@@kevsbuild2807 When brazing with 50% silver brazing alloy, the temp is a couple hundred degrees lower than using brass filler. This is right around the critical temp for steel,* so this indeed heat treats the steel. But the band cools so fast in air that it re-hardens. I'm not privvy to the inner circle of band manufacturing, but I bet the blades are air cooled to begin with, with the band running through a furnace with a small opening on either end, and when it comes out the other side there is perhaps either passive air cooling or perhaps compressed air is shot over the teeth to speed the quench. But that's a guess. Any rate, you can't tell the difference in hardness after a proper silver brazing. After the passive air cooilng, the joint has just about exactly the same resistance to bend/flex and springiness as before. But any time you harden steel, you should temper it after. In this case the proper temper is about when the steel turns blue. If you overdo the temper, the area of the joint will indeed be softer and will tend to yield/bend and take a set at that spot. Many people don't temper, at all, after brazing. And such a blade will for sure work 100% fine with no temper for at least a "good while." But it might break, prematurely at a seemingly completely random interval of use. Same thing will happen to a homemade wound music wire spring. It will work, it will compress/stretch, it will spring back. It will act like a spring. But even kept within the demonstrated operating specs, it can fail via an out-of-the-blue breakage where it snaps clean in two, if you don't temper it after forming it. The tempered spring (or blade) will not suffer this sort of failure. The hardening (or the bend-forming of hardened steel) step leaves internal stress risers that can lead to tiny internal cracks, which over many bend cycles will tend to grow. Tempering takes this edge off so that these internal microcracks don't form to begin with. *One advantage of silver brazing over brass is this lower melting temp. When you heat treat, you want to bring the steel just barely to the critical temperature, where you can just barely detect a dull red glow in indoor lighting. If you used brass filler, you would have to get the metal bright red, maybe even orange. This would produce the same problem you have when resistance or TIG welding a band. It introduces large grain defects when the blade passively air-quenches. You would have to re-harden the metal to just cherry, after. (Some people call this step annealing, but I think it's more sensible to call it re-hardening in this context).

[@68pishta68]

silver solder is the preferred method and a little grind of the lap weld for a seamless blade, good show! Nice to buy cheap common sized blades that are too long than to pay $$ for a 2nd tier length.

[@thisoldman7142]

Nice video, wish you would have tried a few tight curve cuts, put a bit of stress on the joint.

[@johnmichaeltoimoy9084]

Great job grandpaa

[@knecht105]

Thank You!

[@kongmao1683]

Very nice...thank so much

[@heylar2]

Will the blade still fit bandsaw after it has been shortened by about 1/2" or more ?

[@bryanstanley25]

Years ago I had purchased a kit from woodcraft to weld my own blades from coil stock. It came with flux and silver solder. My question it now I'm out of the thin solder..can I use the same stuff for sweating pipes or is it too thick ?

[@jaqledesma]

nice one. my bandsaw blade just cracked and i plan to repair it. what soldering material did you use to weld it?

[@Alex-lc5nq]

Nice job. Good idea! I didn't know that... Tks

[@knecht105]

You're Welcome!

[@anthonymiller6315]

Thanks

[@jt9498]

Nice job. What kind of solder did you use? Electrical solder? Plumbing solder? You didn't mention that. :)

[@dennissmall2062]

I think silver solder may be a good alternative. A bit stronger than regular solder.

[@jimthode]

A silver brazing alloy would be the filler of choice. It can be brazed with a common propane torch and is much stronger then standard solder. Silver solder is commonly used in jewelry, copper and brass. It is weaker than a silver braze.

[@myenjoyablehobbies]

Collin is that plumbing pipe solder?

[@cobberpete1]

A great Job Colin, but I would worry it would part when under stress / tension.

[@knecht105]

Agreed, replacing the blade is preferred, but this repair should get you out of a bind if you don't have spare blade kicking around. Thanks for watching.

[@112669gene]

I bought a jig years ago and have soldered several over the years. You have to use silver solder though

[@brycer985]

Silver solder is used to hold down 5ton hydrallic jacks.

[@johnhammond5314]

Thank you Colin for yet another informative video. I would use silver solder and not sure if bronze would work? I've been a subscriber for some months now and have just this minute rung your little bell. Wishing you good health and more success.John in Australia

[@knecht105]

Yes, I think silver is a better choice if you have some kicking around. Brazing it with bronze should also work well, but I've never tested it. Thanks for watching!

[@liriovinuya1630]

what kind of solder did you use sir? im tryin to fix my blades as well i broke 2 blades already and my boss will kill me for it

[@a71ea]

Good job Colin to learn from you, I thing if you use aluminum angle in the future it would be much better. All the best. Khalid

[@dwightl5863]

Aluminum is a better conductor of heat than iron. Seems it would take longer to heat the blade before the solder would run. Or perhaps you are thinking that the aluminum would draw away the heat so the blade doesn't lose its temper. Looks like it is a horse apiece. Can go either way. I'm not an expert. Perhaps you have more expertise in this area than I.

[@oredyvictor1562]

i get you! how you can joint by using acetrene and oxgen gas with solder

[@rayg436]

Grind the weld smooth but use silver solder instead

[@okdadi]

Hi Colin, what about it now? still working?

[@mateopresenta4999]

Colin, the heat generated is enough to make the solder run through the union? I meant...you put 2 or 3 times the flame into the union, the flux ran, the solder too but....the blade was hot to get solder yet? Thks you Colin. Matt

[@cdouglas1942]

Another guy who did this heated the blade red hot. Doesn't take much heat to melt solder me thinks.

[@TonatiuhMellado]

Increible!, gracias por compartir

[@knecht105]

Thank You!

[@graphegraph8385]

Se il metallo usato per saldare è stagno, la saldatura avrà vita breve. Con la stessa torcia del video ho saldato la lama a nastro con ottone e borace come flussante. Il risultato è eccezionale e duraturo

[@melmyers4329]

Okay Colin, it's been a month now since you soldered your band saw blade. Have you used it very much yet and if so is it still holding?

[@craigmonteforte1478]

Nice easy fix using. Tools and techniques. Most people. Would have in their basic shop or handyman kits i know very little about metal characteristics and. Qualities but i wondered if. That fix. Since it looks like. It was. A fix they used in the past. If it would work best. With the old time leaded solder ? After my Grand dad passed my Grandmother. Asked me to. Go thru his shop and take whatever i wanted or could use I found several rolls of leaded solder he. Had stashed at one point i had the oppurtunity to. Work. On. A antique Steam engine and boiler that ran on Map Gas when rerouting the gas lines(copper). I. Found. The leaded solder to. Hold up and work the best ? The conclusion we had was. The engine had a lot of vibration when it was ran and the lead somehow survived the vibration the steam engine was actually inside a toy boat so it was a safe place that didn't risk the dangers of lead being used ! My guess was that the house my Grandfather built in the 50s had all of the plumbing soldered with the lead solder since i found it in all of his plumbing fittings and tools !

[@louishayworth9023]

Hi, did you use regular solder or a silver solder.

[@knecht105]

Regular. Silver Solder a good choice if you have it though. Thanks for watching.

[@fabriziofabrizi5524]

Ciao Colins. Ma è Stagno? 😱 Fantastico 🤩 Fabrizio 🇮🇹

[@knecht105]

Thank You!

[@smoothbore4377]

The only problem I have Silver Soldering blades is getting the joint hot enough to flow, using a propane torch.

[@JusBidniss]

I can see using this in a pinch if I had a deadline and no way to get a replacement in time. But otherwise, not sure I'd trust the solder in that joint (which is much softer than the blade's metal) flexing around the wheels at high rpm, or cutting its way through a piece of hardwood. My luck, it would give way just as my wrist was reaching past.

[@tomahoks]

JusBidniss Ain't gonna happen. The blade just stops, after it snaps.

[@michaelcoceski5442]

Tom Ahoks - spot on. The sound is a bit scary...but never has it been dangerous. I have broken about a dozen over 20 yrs or so.

[@mc4kvb]

Well you never know what will work and what won’t. I’m sure it will work for awhile and who,knows maybe a long time. Just be careful as you well know. Anything is worth trying once for sure!

[@hamzehmomani6682]

Great content. However these are normally resistance welded not spot welded and they are butt jointed not lap

[@frank_texas7400]

Thats cool I am always scared about the band breaking on me and chopping a finger off that I never re-saw on it

[@leonardpearlman4017]

On most band saws the blade is mostly enclosed. If the blade breaks it might make a loud noise, but it doesn't go anywhere, partly because it instantly loses tension, so there's no drive and it just stops. The saw motor is still running but the blade isn't moving, you see?

[@flemingcourt]

You need silver solder to hold.

[@intelligenceservices]

all i could find was 3% silver solder and I'm going to give it a try. Anybody know if 3% silver solder is any good for this? guess I'll see!

[@leonardpearlman4017]

That's soft solder! Mostly TIN. Hard solder might be half or one quarter silver, flows at a red heat.

[@zzubuzz]

I would not take it just any place that welds, bandsaw blade places only, they are unique, if done like a normal weld they'll snap again.

[@washingtonruben]

Es estaño 🤔

[@skyguy12345]

blend your joint with that angle grinder u got there and that blade will be complete

[@craigjohnson2851]

First let. me say that I like your videos. Second, don’t use a reciprocating saw to make those cuts, use the angle grinder that I know you have. That angle grinder could cut a square inside corner on the angle iron, and this is the point where I take umbrage, if you are using a substantial source of heat, do not introduce a flammable substance (the wood). Your angle grinder with a cut off wheel will do a great job of removing the inside radius from the angle iron🐠

[@cabman86]

It doesn't seem like standard solder would be strong enough.

[@africancichlids3011]

good luck

[@GregWallis]

OK, this may sound like a silly question, but would it be possible to epoxy the join?

[@canonmanmart]

No, Definitely not strong enough. there wouldn't be enough surface area for epoxy to work plus the heat generated when cutting would break down the epoxy.

[@GregWallis]

@@canonmanmart Ah. OK, thanks.

[@leonardpearlman4017]

Silver solder (and steel) might be five to ten times stronger than epoxy!

[@jameshester3831]

Everything look the same except for we used to get a sheet of silver solder and silver solder flux heated and we was done

[@jameshester3831]

The point is the flux would be borax

[@billffromnh]

Solder lumps can be sanded or filed flatter if they should bother you. Silver solder is stronger, but it requires more heat & isn't as flexible as 60/40 or 63/37 solder.

[@knecht105]

Thanks for the tip and thanks for watching!

[@leonardpearlman4017]

Silver solder might be ten times stronger than electrical solder! Roughly as strong as mild steel, maybe more under ideal conditions.

[@MrHerczegkaroly]

What material is soldered?

[@rc3d490]

Károly Herczeg is for weld electronic components.

[@johne7100]

Who dares wins!

[@hansdegroot8549]

That‘s a very informative video. Thanks for sharing. My life with a bandsaw is slightly more than one year but I already „managed“ to break two blades. I did not throw them away. They were waiting for your video. I must give this a try. Once the jig has been made it the repair itself does not take so much time. Over here bandsaw blades (1400 mm) cost from 12 USD up. So for sure it‘s worth trying/experimenting it. I have some questions: What kind of solder did you use? And what minimum and/or maximum temperature is necessary? I hoped to find these answers in the article you wrote on this topic Maybe the answers are really there but the link in the description seems to be not correct: it leads again to the video and not to the article. I went to your website and found the article. This should be the link to it: www.woodworkweb.com/woodworking-videos-1/woodworking-tools-videos/727-repairing-a-broken-bandsaw-blade.html But I could not find the answer to my questions there :-(

[@knecht105]

Thanks, I've fixed the article link. I used regular solder and typical use a torch, so I'm not sure with the min and max temps would be. I would suggest using silver solder if you have access to it.

[@hansdegroot8549]

You're welcome. I have only very few experience with soldering (only some wires) so I have been searching on the internet for more information. I know there is "soft soldering" till 450 C and "hard soldering" (brazing?) with temperatures till 1200 C or even higher. Torches (burners) for soft soldering can cost as little as 25 USD but torches for hard soldering can cost ten times more, 250 USD. Could you please mention the brand and type of burner you used for this particular project?

[@thomasdoherty6876]

Disc sanders do a poor job on tapers its to do with fpm on the outside of the disc it moves much faster than the centre a belt sander would do a much better job

[@Khether0001]

I have no idea, how dangerous is having one of these snapping on you? as dangerous as kick back?

[@gitarplayer229]

Nelson Baietti no it’s not that serious. It always makes me jump and gets the blood pumping but because it’s incased in the saw it doesn’t do any real damage.

[@knecht105]

As Morgan mentioned, the noise and action of it snapping is the scariest part in my experience. Thanks for watching.

[@thomasdoherty6876]

It tends to just tangle up a bit on the bottom wheel i did work with a guy that claims he was injured by a snapping blade but i doubt it there isn't enough space for the blade to escape through the guard

[@leonardpearlman4017]

NO! It usually makes a loud noise, but the blade is shrouded in the machine, and in most cases when a blade snaps it loses tension instantly and stops. The machine has a lot of momentum, but the blades might not. Especially thin light blades as used in home woodworking as we see here. I have some blades that only weigh an ounce or two, when they hit the casing of the saw they stop right away.

[@Chris-fl6fx]

Soldering a gun barrel

[@joesabal1212]

Wrong soldier, u need silver solder which is much stronger than pluming solder that u used in ur video.

[@affromma]

Who wudda thunk ? At the very least, it could get you out of a bind short-term.

[@jjtjp5761]

to bad you dont know anyone with some sandpaper.............. to sand the bump down..... oh well!!! :}

[@merihkalender1389]

I dont belived different metal different soldiring

[@jmjaxson]

What type solder were you using?