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In a fabrication shop almost every job starts at the saw. Beams, channel, tube and flat bar are cut to length and angle before anything is welded, drilled or assembled, so the bandsaw sets the pace for the whole workshop. This guide covers the machine types fabricators rely on, blade choice and the set-up habits that keep cutting costs down.
Why the saw matters in fabrication
An inaccurate cut is paid for twice: once at the saw and again when the fitter has to grind, shim or recut to make parts meet. A square, accurate cut to length lets parts go straight to welding and assembly. Some fabricators also offer cut-to-length services to other manufacturers, where cut quality and turnaround are the product itself.
Choosing the right saw and blade saves time and money compared with slower or less flexible methods such as abrasive cut-off, flame cutting of sections or manual hacksawing. It also reduces the heat-affected edges, dust and sparks that come with those methods.
Three bandsaw types fabricators use
Vertical bandsaw
Blade runs vertically through a table and the operator feeds the work. Easy to position and handle small parts, and the right tool for curves, notches and shaped cuts in thinner plate and sections. Less suited to cutting long stock to length in production.
Horizontal bandsaw
The most widely used type for general fabrication. The saw frame descends through stock clamped in a vice, often with a swivel head for mitres. Reliable, accurate, and available with hydraulic and automatic control to reduce operator effort.
Dual-column bandsaws carry the frame on two columns, giving excellent stability and squareness on large beams and heavy solids, at a higher cost than pivot-frame or single-column machines. Many shops run horizontal single-column saws for the bulk of their work and add a dual-column machine only when large sections are routine.
| Fabrication task | Suitable machine | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cutting beams, channel and angle to length | Horizontal, single or dual column | Vice holds long, heavy stock; straight descent gives square ends |
| Mitres for frames, gates and handrails | Horizontal with swivel head | Angle set on the machine; no second operation |
| Bundles of tube or flat bar | Horizontal semi-automatic or automatic | Several pieces cut per cycle; hydraulic clamping holds the bundle |
| Gussets, notches and plate profiles | Vertical | Work is fed by hand to follow a line or curve |
| Very large beams and solids | Dual column | Rigid frame carries wide blades under high tension |
Cutting beams, channel and angle to length
- Suitable machine
- Horizontal, single or dual column
- Why
- Vice holds long, heavy stock; straight descent gives square ends
Mitres for frames, gates and handrails
- Suitable machine
- Horizontal with swivel head
- Why
- Angle set on the machine; no second operation
Bundles of tube or flat bar
- Suitable machine
- Horizontal semi-automatic or automatic
- Why
- Several pieces cut per cycle; hydraulic clamping holds the bundle
Gussets, notches and plate profiles
- Suitable machine
- Vertical
- Why
- Work is fed by hand to follow a line or curve
Very large beams and solids
- Suitable machine
- Dual column
- Why
- Rigid frame carries wide blades under high tension
Matching the blade to the job
Structural sections cause interrupted cutting. As the blade crosses the flanges and web of a beam, or the walls of a tube, the number of teeth in the cut changes constantly, creating vibration and shock loads on the teeth. Pitch, tooth geometry and set each answer part of that problem.
| Cutting condition | Blade feature that helps |
|---|---|
| Vibration across flanges and web | Variable pitch, mixing tooth sizes in each group |
| Thin walls on tube and RHS | Pitch fine enough to keep at least three teeth in the thinnest wall |
| General mild steel sections | 0 degree rake |
| Work-hardening stainless and alloys | Positive rake, which penetrates more easily |
| Repeated impacts on thin walls | Dedicated tube and profile teeth that resist chipping |
| Bundles and sections with residual stress | Wider tooth set to prevent pinching |
Vibration across flanges and web
- Blade feature that helps
- Variable pitch, mixing tooth sizes in each group
Thin walls on tube and RHS
- Blade feature that helps
- Pitch fine enough to keep at least three teeth in the thinnest wall
General mild steel sections
- Blade feature that helps
- 0 degree rake
Work-hardening stainless and alloys
- Blade feature that helps
- Positive rake, which penetrates more easily
Repeated impacts on thin walls
- Blade feature that helps
- Dedicated tube and profile teeth that resist chipping
Bundles and sections with residual stress
- Blade feature that helps
- Wider tooth set to prevent pinching
TFI Co. M42 bi-metal blades for fabrication
General purpose blade for metals and mild steel: H and I beams, angle and channel bundles, thin pipe.
Structural materials, thick-wall tube, small solids and bundles; recommended for stainless steel.
Difficult materials: super alloys, copper, bronze alloys, stainless and tool steels.
Tube, bent and roll-formed profiles and small bundles; resists tooth breakage and stripping.
General purpose blade for metals and mild steel: H and I beams, angle and channel bundles, thin pipe.
Structural materials, thick-wall tube, small solids and bundles; recommended for stainless steel.
Difficult materials: super alloys, copper, bronze alloys, stainless and tool steels.
Tube, bent and roll-formed profiles and small bundles; resists tooth breakage and stripping.
Setting up for productive cutting
Most short blade lives in fabrication shops come from set-up, not from the blade itself. Before blaming the blade, check these points:
- Tension: set the blade to the machine maker's tension using a gauge where possible. Low tension causes crooked cuts; excessive tension cracks gullets and wears bearings.
- Guides: move the adjustable guide arm close to the work and replace worn guide inserts.
- Break-in: run a new blade at a reduced feed rate, around half of normal, for its first cuts, then raise the feed gradually.
- Speed and feed: lower blade speed for stainless and alloy steels; reduce feed on thin-wall tube to protect the teeth.
- Coolant: keep it clean, at the correct concentration and aimed into the cut so chips are flushed from the gullets.
- Clamping: stack bundles with the fewest gaps and clamp them evenly, ideally with a top clamp near the cut. Round pieces can spin inside a bundle and strip teeth; tack-weld the ends if needed, and limit vice pressure on thin-walled tube.
- Planned replacement: change blades on a schedule set by cutting hours or wear checks, not after a breakage mid-job.
Blade supply for busy fabrication shops
Welded loops
M42 bi-metal blades welded to the length of your machines, ready to fit.
Coils
For workshops that weld their own blades on a welder with annealing. Coils and larger loop orders get good prices.
Standardise on a few blade sizes and keep a small shelf stock, so a broken blade never stops production. We appreciate scheduled orders, and a regular call-off keeps that stock topped up. We also favour planned blade maintenance and help you set the replacement schedule for each saw.
See how to order TFI Co. bandsaw blades for the details we need, and the TFI Co. bandsaw machine range if you are adding cutting capacity.
Questions fabricators ask
Which blade should I use for cutting H and I beams?
A variable pitch M42 bi-metal blade suits beams because it reduces the vibration from cutting across flanges and web. The BAM 0 degree rake blade covers general beam work in mild steel; the Yazd positive rake blade suits heavier structurals and stainless.
Why do my teeth strip when cutting tube?
Usually too coarse a pitch for the wall thickness, too much feed, or tube moving in the vice. Use a finer variable pitch, reduce feed and clamp the tube firmly. The Kish blade is designed for tube and profile cutting.
Is a dual-column bandsaw worth it for a fabrication shop?
Only if large beams and heavy solids are a regular part of the work. A good horizontal single-column machine handles most fabrication sections accurately at lower cost.
Can I cut bundles on a standard horizontal bandsaw?
Yes, if the vice can clamp the bundle securely. Stack pieces tightly with as few gaps as possible, band or tack the ends if needed, and use a variable pitch blade with a wide set.
Do you supply blades to fit machines from other makers?
Yes. TFI Co. blades are welded to the length and width your machine takes. Give us the blade size from your machine plate or your old blade.
Order fabrication bandsaw blades online
Tell us the blade width x thickness, blade length or coil metres, TPI, the sections and material you cut, the quantity and your delivery emirate. Ask about a regular call-off for the sizes you use most.
- Updated
- October 7, 2026
- Reading time
- 6 min read
Order or plan your blade supply
We appreciate scheduled orders, favour planned blade maintenance and offer good prices for bulk orders. Tell us what you need and our team replies by email.
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