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Dave -- Cutting speed will depend on what you are cutting; the rule of thumb cutting speed for high-carbon steel is 40-50 ft/min, for low-carbon steel or gray cast iron is 80-100 ft/min, and for aluminum is 250-300 ft/min when using a blade with teeth made from "high speed steel". If you're going to stick with a carbon-steel blade, cut those speeds in half. As others have mentioned, you need to keep 3 teeth "in the work" at all times to avoid stripping the teeth off of the blade. If you are cutting aluminum or other soft, free-cutting metals you can use a "hook tooth" blade, but steel and iron want a conventional not-hooked tooth profile. If you cut both materials with the same blade, stick with the conventional tooth. A bi-metal blade -- one with a high-speed-steel teeth welded to a soft steel body -- is preferred for probably 95% of normal bandsaw cutting. A number of different companies make this type of blade, and they are generally comparable in quality and price. Morse, Starrett, American Saw (Lenox brand), Do-All, Simonds, Sandvik, and probably several others whose names escape me now are all good. John
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