How to Determine Tooth Size of a Porta-Band

A porta-band is a portable band saw that you hold in your hand to cut through wood and other materials such as plastic. It works similarly to a vertical or horizontal band saw, as it uses a large, flexible blade with multiple teeth on it that is soldered at one end to create a loop. Choosing the correct blade for your portable band saw requires two important measurements: the overall thickness of the blade from the tip of the tooth to the back of the blade, and the number of teeth per inch.

Dial calipers
Precision ruler

Instructions

- 1
  Grip the blade between the jaws of your dial calipers with one jaw resting over the tip of one tooth and the other end resting over the back edge of the blade.
- 2
  Inspect the dial for the exact measurement. This tells you the overall thickness of the band saw blade. The thicker the blade, the thicker the material you can cut through without deflecting the blade when cutting.
- 3
  Place the end of a precision ruler over the center of one tooth.
- 4
  Count the amount of teeth from the end of the ruler to the marker for the first inch. For example, on larger blades, you might count only four teeth per inch, or TPI. The fewer the teeth, the rougher the cut and the faster the saw blade will cut.

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