Weld blades with this low-cost jig

Bandsaw users can save a lot of money by welding their own blades from a bulk roll of blade material. To do this, you need to create a jig that holds the blade material straight and true while you braze it. My inexpensive design, shown above, holds both the back and sides in perfect alignment.

A pair of patio-door thumb locks (I picked them up at a local hardware store for less than $2 each) secure ³⁄₈ " and ¹⁄₂ " blades. Adding ¹⁄₈ " spacer blocks adapts the jig for ¹⁄₄ " blades. A notch in the middle keeps the torch from burning the wood.
—John St. Pierre, Pinckney, Mich.