The Importance of Bandsaw Chip Brushes

What are Chip Brushes?

Bandsaw Chip brushes are essential to the longevity and cost-effectiveness of band saws and sawing machines. The chip brush, a round wire brush, is responsible for knocking metal chips out of the teeth on the blade. This action will extend the life of your blade by getting rid of the chips before they can travel around the wheels of the band saw. “If the chips are able to get stuck in the wheels of the bearing, or back into the carbide guides it will harm the cutting ability of the blade. Since chip brushes are located where the blade exits the housing, they’re often forgotten — until something goes wrong.

There are three types of chip brushes:

  • Brushes that only use the blade’s passing to move
  • Brushes powered by a tiny wheel that rides along the band wheel, allowing the brush to spin alongside.
  • Brushes powered by hydraulics

Chip brushes are a very cost effective method of extending the blade life. Chip brushes are the unsung heroes of the cutting process. They are like Seal Team 6. Not many people know about them, but they are one of the most important parts of the saw.

Chip Brush Troubleshooting

A worn or poorly adjusted chip brush will greatly reduce the life of a bandsaw blade and the quality of the cut. The main issues caused by faulty chip brushes include;

  • Chip stays in tooth gullet
  • Teeth breaking off
  • Teeth cracking
  • Blade cracking from teeth up
  • Loss of tooth set

Chip Brush Maintenance

Chip brushes endure a lot of use, but it can be tough to tell when they need to be replaced. It can be very difficult to know when a chip brush needs replacing without comparing a brand new chip brush with your used one. Sometimes the bristles can melt due to over use, or can be worn down so much that they no longer touch the blade. Chip brushes should be checked periodically to ensure they’re in good shape.

Adjust chip brushes to fully engage saw blade teeth to ensure proper chip removal.

It’s also important that your chip brush isn’t too rigid. If it’s not flexible enough, the brush will wear on your band saw blade, eliminating any benefit that the chip brush may have offered. It can even hinder the band saw operation.

The right chip brush can improve your operation and help you save money over the long term. If you need to learn more about chip brushes, have your saw serviced, or learn about replacement parts, please visit www.addler.com.au or call 1300 90 50 75

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