Bandsaw TPI Selection Chart

What it is

Teeth per inch (TPI) is how many teeth sit in one inch of blade. The right TPI depends mostly on how much material the blade is cutting at once. Two limits apply:

• At least 3 teeth in the cut. Fewer and the teeth straddle the work, snag and strip.
• Not too many teeth. In thick stock, fine teeth fill their gullets with chips before leaving the cut, which slows cutting and overloads the blade.

Variable-pitch blades (such as 10/14 or 4/6) mix tooth spacings to reduce vibration and cover a wider thickness range.

How to use it

Measure the length of cut, which is the distance each tooth travels through the work. For a flat bar cut across its thin side, that is the thickness. For round bar, use the diameter. For tube, structural shapes and pipe, use the wall thickness and lean finer.

Chart for solid stock

Key points

• The minimum TPI is 3 ÷ length of cut. A 1/2 in bar needs at least 6 TPI.
• For tube, pipe and angle, choose from the wall thickness and use the finer end of the range.
• Bundles of tube or bar behave like solid stock of the bundle's width.
• Blade width, tooth form (regular, hook, skip) and blade material are separate choices. Bimetal blades are the general choice for metal cutting.
• Blade makers publish selection charts for each product line; use them when available.

Common mistakes

• Cutting thin tube with a coarse blade, which strips teeth.
• Cutting thick solid bar with a fine blade, which packs gullets and leaves a crooked cut.
• Ignoring blade break-in. A new blade run at full feed loses its sharp tips early.

Governing standards: None. Blade manufacturer's selection data governs.

Reference only. Verify against the current governing code or standard, the manufacturer's data and the project documents before use. Apps for Distributors disclaims liability arising from reliance on this reference.