Blade selection - circular

Chris Hatfield

Former Member (by the member's request)
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I'm at the point in my hobby that along with making my workspace more efficient, I'm looking for better results. I'm very excited to be at this stage. One point of confusion I have is selecting the right blade for the job.

I have a Hitachi C10FCE2 miter saw, a 10" non-slider compound miter saw. Along with that I use my Craftsman 21829 10" table saw a lot. For blade selection, I have the following:

The stock chinese blade for both the MS and the TS - the table saw is a 40T, and I don't use it unless I'm cutting pine. The tooth count on the MS is 24T. For dadoes, I rock an Oshlun 6" stack. The rest of my collection is Freud: D1060X 60T Fine Finish, which I've been using exclusively in the table saw for every cut. I was given a 40T (D1040A, I 'think' - still in package), and a 24T (D1024X) for Christmas.

Now, I've read the generic guides I've seen and I'm still confused. Other than to extend the life of the blade, is there any reason to take the 60T out of the TS? Should I replace the MS blade with the 24T Freud? Any advice would be appreciated.
 
The 60 tooth blade is very likely to burn the wood if you're ripping with it. The 24 tooth blades are typically better for ripping than crosscutting. The 40 to 60 tooth blades are better for crosscutting than ripping. I use both, depending on the cuts I'm making. Sure, I'll crosscut something with the 24 tooth blade in a pinch, but the cut's not as smooth as with my 40 tooth blades. Likewise, I'll rip a short board with the 40 tooth blade, but it's slower and more likely to burn the wood.

My recommendation would be to use both, and swap them out based on the types of cuts you're doing. Changing saw blades only takes a minute or two.
 
I wonder if that's the reason I was getting burning on the hardwood for my cutting boards.
 
I wonder if that's the reason I was getting burning on the hardwood for my cutting boards.

Try a few rip cuts with your new 24 tooth blade and see if that makes a difference. If not, then I'd look into how well your fence is aligned with the blade. That's a very critical point, in my opinion, and one of the few adjustments that I make in the shop where I'm using thousandths of an inch for measuring. If the saw's set up right, you can get rip cuts like this with no burning, and they're ready for glue-up straight off the saw:

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The eight strips in the foreground are 1/32" thick. The four in back are 1/16".
 

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As stated; 24T for ripping, 60T - 80T for cross cutting and 40T for don't-really-care general cutting to rough size. I have a Freud and Lietz for 24T, Forrest and Lietz for 40T and Freud for 80T. If you have been running the 60T for everything, try your task appropriate blades. You'll see why the 60 seconds it takes to change a blade is worth it where it counts. ;-)
 
Chris I use about the same as everyone else mentioned, a 24 in the TS, 60 for cross cuts in the miter, 40 for general cross cutting. I think craftsman sells zero clearance throat plates for your TS. I'd recommend those when cutting veneer plywoods to help prevent chip-out.

Using the 80 tooth in the TS will cause a lot of burning and make using it un-enjoyable. Give the 24 a go in it and you'll be a lot happier, probably wouldn't recommend anything much higher than a 40 when ripping and would probably only use it on plywood if you do.
 
I use a Thin Kerf Combination, Freud LU83R, for my general purpose blade. I keep it clean and it does a very acceptable job on the majority of my cuts. I use this for ripping, for cross cutting etc. When I need a finished edge that is basically glue ready then I will use a specific blade for the task, but for general start the saw and dimension lumber, this is my favorite blade.
 
I used to swap alot, but since I tried the new freud fusion blade it really does a good job. P410T I think. Does great on plywood with a 0-clearance fence and cross cutting, but only a 40 tooth blade. It's also ok ripping. But, there is more to blades than just the tooth count. Hook angle, bevel type/angle are also important. It is much easier to rip oak with my 24t blade though, and if i'm ripping more than a cut or two I still swap because it's less work pushing the wood through the saw. Both a combination of high hook angle and fewer teeth help to pull the wood into the blade.

As long as I don't stop a cut, I don't get any burn from the 40 tooth fusion blade on a rip cut. The burn is caused by heat - friction from the teeth passing by. What I've found is it's harder to cut a longer board without stopping on a 40 tooth fusion, and even a second pause can start darkening the wood a little. With a 24 tooth rip blade it's easier to keep the wood moving through and not get any burn. If you have any misalignment and the exit of the blade is closer to the fence than the entry area, of course any blade will cause burn.

Edit - I was just talking about table saw use. IMHO for a miter saw, the 24 tooth blade is mostly for 2x4 and such. The miter saw is a cross cut, and a higher tooth blade with lower hook angles and alternating bevel is going to have a much finer finish. Generally anything marked for crosscutting should be good though. You definitely don't want a rip blade in a miter saw.
 
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I have several freude as well, 80 tooth for finish cutting ply wood, beatufiul cut.

The one I use by far the most is a thin kerf, Irwain Marathon. It would work in a 10" table saw and most likely the miter saw as well. The thin kerf really reduces the power load especially when your tool is not over powered to begin with.

I use to have a Ryobi BT3000 10" table saw, probably the most under powered saw they ever made and I could rip 2" hard maple with ease with the Irwin blades. The combination blade is an inexpensive blade available at Menards
 
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