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General Category => General Scroll Saw Talk => Topic started by: GrayBeard on March 24, 2011, 01:57:17 pm
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We all have our own idea of what the 'best' blade is for a particular project on the scrollsaw.
Now I am asking what those of you who use as your blade of choice on your TABLE SAW when cutting your various woods to size for your projects.
I have a low end Skil table saw because I could not justify the cost of anything more 'exotic' for the few things I need it for.
~~~GrayBeard~~~
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Allot of my saws are Dewalt and came with their blades. I have had good luck with Dewalt blades and they can be sharpened several times before they wear out. :)
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MY interest is in what 'type' blade...i.e. Crosscut, plywood, thin kerf, carbide tipped, etc.
Number of teeth?
~~~GB~~~
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What is the size of the blade...ie 10" ?
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Assuming you saw uses a 10" blade (altho it doesn't matter) I recommend a thin kerf (less than 1/8" thick but, a bit more than 1/16" lets just say about 3/32") and as many teeth as you can get. Mine is an 80 tooth "plywood blade" made by Freud.
Also you want to be sure and use a 0 clearance insert on the saw. You can make your own insert out of plywood. Make sure that the thickness of the ply will make the top of the insert flush with the table. (You can glue shims on the bottom if necessary.) Leave the insert blank, crank the blade all the way down and install the insert in the table and move your fence over to hold the insert down but making sure it doesn't cover over the blade. (You also can cover the insert with a board long enough to reach clear across the table top and use clamps to hold it down.) Now turn on the saw and SLOWLY crank the blade up to cut through the insert. It will guarantee that you have 0 clearance on each side of the blade. If the insert won't lay down flat because the blade won't go down far enough, you can cut a shallow grove on the bottom of the insert with a dado blade in the right position or you can use a router to thin the insert where the blade is hitting the bottom of the insert.
I recommend a thin kerf blade just because there is less wasted material with it. I recommend ALOT of teeth because it cuts plywood smoother and cleaner and also give you an almost "finished" edge on solid wood even tho it can burn when ripping (especially cherry and other hard woods) You are suppose to use a blade with fewer teeth (40) for ripping solid wood and more teeth (60) for cross cutting but, no more than a scroller cuts on a table saw (and the saw doesn't care) you won't hurt anything.
As far as brand of blade, again long life on a TS blade for a scroller isn't as important as it is for some wood workers.
You can spend as little as $25.00 or as much as $120 on a good 10" table saw blade.
Hope that helps.
Rog
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I think RapidRoger is right on about the blades. I also use Frued primarily. Only difference is I use a 60 on my table saw and 80 or up on my radial arm. There isn't really a lot of need for a full kerf blade on a table saw anymore as the technological advances in blades make the thin kerfs much more stable. There are many good brands out there, but Frued is on of the best. There is a local sharpening outfit near me who only charges $9.25 to properly sharpen a 10X60 carbide blade.
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I keep a 60 tooth on my table saw and an 80 tooth on my miter saw. The reason I go with a 60 on the table saw is that if I use a tighter toothed blade, the wood tends to burn. The space in between the teeth is provided for air to circulate and to allow the sawdust to escape. If it packs in or does not have the opportunity to escape, the blade overheats and burns the wood.
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I use the Forrest 40 tooth blade. I don?t use the thin kerf though. I use the .125 and love it. The blade was about $110 dollars but has done me real good. I use an 80 tooth on my miter saw. It is a thin kerf Irwin blade and I have no complaints about that blade as well. It is good for a $25 blade. With any blade you go with I would stick with a 40 tooth or so for your table saw. It is a good all around cutting blade for rip cuts and crosscuts.
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Wow. I am amazed at how the knowledge base of the forum has grown. It is really great to see everyone chime in and post so much information.
All I can say is I agree on the information provided by Rog, thin kerf and more teeth make a finer cut. Oh, yes one more, needs to be carbide tipped. :)
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OK...Here's what I can get with no shipping charges...
Freud D1050X Diablo 10-Inch 50-tooth ATB Combination Saw Blade with 5/8-Inch Arbor and PermaShield Coating... .098 kerf - $35
Looks to be a good combination for my meager and general use.
~~~GB~~~
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Hey GB, save the shipping - Home depot carries the diablo blades.
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julie...Home Depot doesn't show this blade...similar blade is $5.00 more but I get FREE shipping and here on Monday. With gas at $3.69 I just as soon let UPS deliver it for me. Not in any hurry, just 'gearing up' for my Cutting Season.
Lots to do now that I can get out in the shop!
Working on a deal with the River City Rascals baseball team to display and sell some stuff at the stadium gift shop! May be a busy spring and summer.
~~~GB~~~
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Hey GB, I know you have received allot of information, But here is my input. I have a 3 hp. Delta unisaw, so a full kerf blade is in order for it. I like a good combination blade for general use which includes Ripping and crosscutting of most woods including all hardwood and Baltic birch. If I am going do allot of ripping, I have a dedicated ripping blade, however if I am only ripping a single board, I wont change over. I also have a plywood blade to use when I am cutting a large panel down to size.
for 95% of my cutting I use a Forrest Woodworker II Full kerf. This blade has 40 carbide tipped teeth. It is expensive but well worth it to me.
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I am sure, Dan, that you do more cutting in a week than I do in a year.
The one selected seems to be a good general purpose blade for my use...IF I start doing a lot more things i will upgrade saw!
~~~GB~~~
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Man, I wanted to chime in, but I'm too late it seems. Diablo, 60 t.
Bill
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It's never to late Bill! Just adds to the confusion! :D
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Then my job here is done. ;D
Bill
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I buy my blades at Home Depot and sometimes you can get 2 for 1 in a package. They are 10" carbide tipped. They are not as good as the Diablo blades, but 2 for 1 make it up. Use a zero clearance insert and make sure your fence is parallel to the blade and the miter is square. When I start a new project that will require a lot of table saw cuts I triple check my TS alignments and make sure everything is perfect. 1/64" will add up after numerous cuts. The time spent calibrating your saw will be worth it in the long run. I havent sharpened a blade in years. A blade will appear dull a lot of times when it is really just dirty with pitch build up.
The easy way to clean a blade is get the lid from a 5 gallon plastic bucket and pour in some cleaner. You can use water and baking soda, 1qt water 1C baking soda and soak the blade for 2 hours and then clean it up with a brass bristle brush. Dry the blade thouroughly and spray with DW-40 and then wipe clean to prevent rust. I use a cleaner called Lestoil you can get at Ace and it works after just a few minutes of soaking. You can reuse the Lestoil so it will last a long time for the $7 investment.
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A little off the subject GB, but it might be an idea for you. You mentioned the baseball team. I used to know a guy who made a deal with the local team/stadium and got all the broken bats for free. He would rip the bats in half on his tablesaw, install cup pegs on them and sell them as coat racks. He also sold wooden racks to hold a baseball and a bat through the stadium. The only tools in his shop were a tablesaw, a drill press, and a stationary belt sander but he stayed pretty busy in retirement. Maybe you could work something out there.
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Great Ideas...will be meeting with team rep next week and feel them out!
Thanks
~~~GB~~~
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Great Ideas...will be meeting with team rep next week and feel them out!
Thanks
~~~GB~~~
I hope it's a woman! ::)
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And that's why Dan is a hero member! :D
Bill
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She is ALL woman and a real looker...Lindsey is also a former all star college softball player with 'great hands'!
~~~GB~~~
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Hey chief,
I clean my table saw blades with Windex, an old tooth brush and paper towels. I wipe them down with a light machine oil on a paper towel to prevent rust. It takes me about ten minutes to clean the pitch off of a 60t blade and she's ready to go!
Rog
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Personally i use whatever blade is on the table saw.
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thanks for the idea of cleaning the blades for the table saw. When cutting common pine it is not hard on the saw but with hard woods especially ebony, the blade can take a toll.
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Information when deciding which blade to use:
http://www.woodcraft.com/Articles/Articles.aspx?articleid=691
Tink
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The only cut I ever make on my table saw is rip cut... so I have a 40 tooth ripping blade. I do all my crosscuts on my 12" sliding miter saw and re-saw with my band saw.
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Freud the hole way in my shop they are awsome they are thin kerf there is realy not one blade that can do it all but most of yhr time i have a 80 or more tooth
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I use a 60 in the table saw and a 80 in the Radial arm and get them both professionally sharpened whenever they don't feel new. $10 to sharpen a 10" carbide blade is a great investment in my book.