2. Why does tooth strippage occur?

3. What type of blade is the best suited to my specific application?

1. Which tooth pitch should I use?

In order to determine the proper blade pitch you must first consider the dimensions of the material in contact with the blade, from the entry point, to the exit point of the cut.

Other factors that affect tooth selection are the number of pieces cut at a time, and the design of the saw, whether it be vertical, horizontal, or scissors action horizontal.

For solid material, please refer to the "Choosing Blade Teeth" selection chart.

For structural shapes determine the average cut width by dividing the area of the material by the distance the blade must travel to exit the material.

For the average width of round tubing, calculate square inches by taking the OD area, minus the ID area, times the number of pieces being cut, divided by the width of the cut.

Look up this figure in the structural shapes column to get the pitch recommendation.

Note: The selection chart assumes the machine is rigid, hydraulically controlled, and that it has precise feed control. If your machine is a gravity feed model it may be advisable to use the next finer pitch than is recommended by the selection chart.

Teeth may strip from blades because of material movement or vibration, which occurs during the cutting process. This is due to improper clamping, a result of irregularly shaped materials, poor machine conditions, or because of excessive tooth load due to over-feeding.

Over-feeding could occur if there is not sufficient control supplied by the machine design or if the tooth pitch is not properly selected to the dimension of the material.

3. What type of blade is the best suited to my specific application?

The grade best suited generally depends on what material is to be cut.

MVGLB (Matrix) is a general-purpose blade that will handle all grades of carbon steel, angle iron and the occasional piece of tool steel.

SVGLB (M42) has the same geometry as MVGLB, however, it is better suited to cutting tougher materials such as tool steels, alloy steel, or for production cut-off of carbon steels.

SUPER HI-LO and higher grades are more for high production applications or more exotic materials such as stainless steel and titanium alloys. These grades require sophisticated machines to utilize their full capabilities.