# Band Saw Blade Direction



## radroy92 (Jan 25, 2012)

Hi Guys,

I'm collecting parts for my band saw mills and watching several videos on You tube. I notice some turn clockwise and some turn counter clockwise. So are blades made up to run in one direction or another? 

Roy


----------



## chaikwa (Jan 25, 2012)

radroy92 said:


> Hi Guys,
> 
> I'm collecting parts for my band saw mills and watching several videos on You tube. I notice some turn clockwise and some turn counter clockwise. So are blades made up to run in one direction or another?
> 
> Roy



The blades can be turned 'inside-out' and run in either direction. It mostly is determined by the way the motor is mounted on the mill. The main things to remember are you want to be pulling the blade thru the wood, not pushing it, and ideally you want the discharge of sawdust on the side of the mill that is away from you.


----------



## M.R. (Jan 25, 2012)

The Bands can be turned / inverted / flipped inside out ........easy enough to run in the proper direction.


----------



## dumbarky (Jan 25, 2012)

Band direction is up to u. Blades are reversible, turn inside out (carefully). If you are designing the mill, blade discharge is up to you. Usually and I have built two mills to date, blades are pulled by a drive wheel thru the log and not pushed. My mills you stand on the left rear of the mill head. The blade turns clock wise, looking forward from back of mill head. Saw dust is discharged to the left but if the blade comes off it always goes to the right. With proper guards this is not as big a problem but it does happen. I would suggest orientation of your equipment to your desires, but I caution you to pull the blade thru the wood.


----------



## radroy92 (Jan 25, 2012)

*Blade direction*



dumbarky said:


> Band direction is up to u. Blades are reversible, turn inside out (carefully). If you are designing the mill, blade discharge is up to you. Usually and I have built two mills to date, blades are pulled by a drive wheel thru the log and not pushed. My mills you stand on the left rear of the mill head. The blade turns clock wise, looking forward from back of mill head. Saw dust is discharged to the left but if the blade comes off it always goes to the right. With proper guards this is not as big a problem but it does happen. I would suggest orientation of your equipment to your desires, but I caution you to pull the blade thru the wood.




Thanks Dumbarky and others for the very good advice which I will use. Anybody weld their own blades?


----------



## qbilder (Jan 25, 2012)

Mine runs counter clockwise. They come clockwise when I buy them, and have to be ran clockwise for sharpening, but on the mill they get flipped & ran counter. Never had any issues.


----------

