Need table saw blade advice!!!

Ninh Shepherd

Member
Messages
73
Location
Northwest Georgia U.S
Ok well I have a home made table saw and I'm using a craftsman 10in 13or maybe 15 amp motor and the blade I have now is way to hard to push threw the wood now it is a little dull but I think it's because I bought the incorrect type for what I need because it's hard to cut threw even regular pine. I think it's a finishing blade type not high finish but the tooth count is up there. My question is what type style brand whatever should I get I don't need a ridiculous clean chip free finish. Plus it's just to much work on my little table saw.
I found this one on Amazon CMT 215.050.10 Industrial Combination Blade, 10-Inch x 50 Teeth 4ATB+1TCG Grind with 5/8-Inch Bore, PTFE Coating by CMT http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000P4JPAM/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_geK.sb0PNTVS2
And I THINK that's what in looking for something in between and also still be able to cut threw wood fairly easily

And I understand the science behind the tooth count and what not and less teeth =more room for chips whilst in the cut. But I just need something that easily cuts threw the wood and a name brand that's not retardely hard to find.


~Ninja~
 
Ninh,
For your saw, I'd recommend a thin kerf 40 tooth combination blade. The thin kerf really does help a lower powered saw to work well, and the fewer teeth cuts down on its workload, too. Something like this would be good, although it's a bit pricey.

If you can afford two blades, the one above, and a 24 or 30 tooth thin kerf rip blade would be a good combination.

The higher tooth count blades are really finishing blades, intended for cleaner cuts when crosscutting plywood, etc.
 
If you're really unconcerned about it and " don't need a ridiculous clean chip free finish" then I'd suggest you just use a thin kerf 24T rip blade.
 
But how BAD of a finish are we talking here with a 24 th blade ? Is it that bad?


~Ninja~

Not bad at all.

As Jim mentioned, ideally you would have two blades: One for cutting across the gran (crosscuts) and one for cutting in the same direction as the grain (ripping). I use a 24 tooth thin kerf blade for ripping and a 40 tooth thin kerf blade for crosscuts. Both blades produce very smooth cuts when used in the right direction, and the 24 tooth even does a presentable job on crosscuts. (The 40 tooth blade can do rip cuts, but it's harder to feed the wood through the blade, and it runs the risk of burning the wood.)

Also as Jim suggested, go with a thin kerf blade. Your saw will thank you for it. ;)
 
The CMT blade you linked to is 1/8" full kerf, which will be harder for your saw to spin than an equivalent 3/32" thin kerf. A good 24T rip blade will be the easiest on your saw and it should give glue ready edges, though they'll be more borderline than those from a decent 40T or 50T TK blade. A 24T ripper and a good 60T crosscut blade would be close to ideal. In that same price range as the CMT, I like the Infinity blades a lot. The Freud Diablo line and Irwin Marples offer a great bang for the buck....HD or Lowes should have those.
 
Ninh i have a Craftsman table saw and it dont have a huge motor so to get the best power i use thin kerf blades. To get a really good cut and incedible bang for my buck i use the Freud Diablo 50 tooth combination blade most of the time. At the US home depot they only $38. They very good value for money. I dont bother sharpening them even though they claim that can be. When i get to be a way better woodworker i will graduate to the higher priced blades. These blades are construction grade intended so maybe the carbide aint what the $80 or so ones are.

Then for rip cuts i purchased the equivalent 24 inch blade and its excellent for ripping. For the price of one of what most buy i can have both of these.

Again what we need to take into account here is where we are on the learning level. I am a weekend warrior, were i retired and had more time to devote to woodworking then i would be looking to buy higher end blades take more time doing my projects and attain better results. Someday i hope this happens. But at that time i will also upgrade my table saw. Right now these blades do amazing things.

The other issue is what you cutting. Some woods kill blades. Laminate kills blades sharpness. But when you cutting ply, if you an idiot like i was and forget to change your insert on the table saw and then cut ply expect to have tearout no matter the blade.

That brings me to a point that i wanted to mention to you and your table saw design. I dont recall seeing any splitter behind your blade on your saw. I realize you have upgraded the surface from a cast iron top etc but consider then adding some basic safety feature like a splitter.

Here is the one that many of us use on our table saws because it works. This is the micro jig splitter. What i have done is installed the inserts for the splitter on the zero clearance insert that i replace depending on the blade i am using.

You have seen how safety orientated us old geysers can be but believe me we have many posts here were you can witness mistakes on the saw that resulted in injury even with guys who know better. The splitter keeps wood from closing on itself after it has gone through the cut. It also helps to keep the wood against the fence if you are cutting something like sheet goods and if you do this (ROB!!!! talking to myself here too :rofl:) you are more likely to have a parallel cut piece of wood after.

Now if i recall correctly you do not have provision in your table for an insert. Do you have plans to change that or do you never have the intention of using a dado blade or blades of varying thickness? Normally we have many to cater for varying thickness of blade setup. What you can also do is given you have access to precision is to make your own splitter like you can see in the picture below.
Table-Saw-Zero-Clearance-inserts-005-e1287602124793.jpg



What the insert is going to do is support the wood under the edge thats getting cut and prevent tearout. The splitter will stop a board from binding on the blade and possibly getting thrown back in your face or worse.
 
Well that settles it on the blade guys! I am going to the Home Depot today and getting two new blades Freud 24 tooth ct and a 40 or maybe a 50 combo blade
And answer I would like to use one blade for both cross cutting and ripping but I mainly rip on the will the ripping do """O.K""" at cross cuts ? TS and I would love to have the splitters rob because a home made TS is way more likely to have misalignment with the fence to the blade causing kick back and I'll post pics of my table saw inserts haha it's comical but fast and works lol
And I will probly purchase a dado blade as well
Any recommendation on that guys I mainly want a dado for just cutting box joints I do all of my dados and rabbits on my router table but box joints if rather do on the TS
and type of wood mainly pine I try to stay away from oak and the hard stuff because it puts too much strain on my TS and I don't need to go have to buy another lol but I would love too haha don't tell the misses lol


~Ninja~
 
...And I will probly purchase a dado blade as well
Any recommendation on that guys I mainly want a dado for just cutting box joints I do all of my dados and rabbits on my router table but box joints if rather do on the TS
and type of wood mainly pine I try to stay away from oak and the hard stuff because it puts too much strain on my TS and I don't need to go have to buy another lol but I would love too haha don't tell the misses lol


~Ninja~

Your saw will have the easiest time with a 6" dado set, but Vaughn's suggestion for a box joint set is right on the money if you'll mainly be doing box joints with it. HD will most likely only have the Diablo and Avanti dado sets....doubt they'd have a box joint set. Your local Sears might have an Oshlun Box Joint Set ($60). The Diablo set is a solid dado choice if you want to buy it from HD, but I'd advise against waisting $50 for the Avanti set. (Avanti used to be by Freud, but no more..... now they're just run of the mill cheap junk blades). You might find a nice deal on an Oshlun or Avenger set online, or a better price on a Freud, CMT, or Marples set.
 
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Well went to HD with the intent of getting three things. Well we know how that went haha
my3ytuta.jpg

I found 2 of the 3 things. At least rotfl!
But I was going to get a dado set and before I checked out I checked back with the forum and I'm glad I stayed away from the diablo dado for 100$!!! Blasphemy !!!
aryjy3us.jpg


So I got the blade above and I'm glad I only got one because upon investigating my TS blade further when replacing turns out I HAD a thin kerf combo Freud 50 th ct !!! Lol I guess it was just duller than I thought lol
And also bought some VERY CHEAP chisels. Only because I absolutely needed them for my project
y7utyvyn.jpg


Hey 10$ is better than this
ry4a5ezu.jpg


Yeah kinda makes you tense up just looking at that old chisel!! Which was my dads that he probly used as a stake to drive in the ground lol

Hey Rob
You asked about my table saw inserts well here's a step by step if how I change my ghetto inserts. I only have 2.
90&45
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Not bad fir a home maid TS
And as you can see it's rather dido is tho change a blade so most of thie time I use this crazy jig I that I came up with.
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And you guys were every bit right 25 t ct cuts like butter and leaves and slick finish too!!
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1.125 thick red oak
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And just for giggles I ran it threw my miter sled as well for a kinda cross cut !
6eduruqu.jpg




~Ninja~
 
Looks like you were due for a new blade. One thing I'd suggest is making a plate insert for that top rather than cutting through the laminate flooring material, use some thin mdf or plywood instead. That laminate will dull that blade much quicker than using a softer material. Even with the blade already protruding through you're probably getting wear with the blade flexing and touching the laminate as it spins.
 
Ninh i have a Craftsman table saw and it dont have a huge motor so to get the best power i use thin kerf blades. To get a really good cut and incedible bang for my buck i use the Freud Diablo 50 tooth combination blade most of the time. At the US home depot they only $38. They very good value for money. I dont bother sharpening them even though they claim that can be. When i get to be a way better woodworker i will graduate to the higher priced blades. These blades are construction grade intended so maybe the carbide aint what the $80 or so ones are.

Then for rip cuts i purchased the equivalent 24 inch blade and its excellent for ripping. For the price of one of what most buy i can have both of these.

Again what we need to take into account here is where we are on the learning level. I am a weekend warrior, were i retired and had more time to devote to woodworking then i would be looking to buy higher end blades take more time doing my projects and attain better results. Someday i hope this happens. But at that time i will also upgrade my table saw. Right now these blades do amazing things.

The other issue is what you cutting. Some woods kill blades. Laminate kills blades sharpness. But when you cutting ply, if you an idiot like i was and forget to change your insert on the table saw and then cut ply expect to have tearout no matter the blade.

That brings me to a point that i wanted to mention to you and your table saw design. I dont recall seeing any splitter behind your blade on your saw. I realize you have upgraded the surface from a cast iron top etc but consider then adding some basic safety feature like a splitter.

Here is the one that many of us use on our table saws because it works. This is the micro jig splitter. What i have done is installed the inserts for the splitter on the zero clearance insert that i replace depending on the blade i am using.

You have seen how safety orientated us old geysers can be but believe me we have many posts here were you can witness mistakes on the saw that resulted in injury even with guys who know better. The splitter keeps wood from closing on itself after it has gone through the cut. It also helps to keep the wood against the fence if you are cutting something like sheet goods and if you do this (ROB!!!! talking to myself here too :rofl:) you are more likely to have a parallel cut piece of wood after.

Now if i recall correctly you do not have provision in your table for an insert. Do you have plans to change that or do you never have the intention of using a dado blade or blades of varying thickness? Normally we have many to cater for varying thickness of blade setup. What you can also do is given you have access to precision is to make your own splitter like you can see in the picture below.
Table-Saw-Zero-Clearance-inserts-005-e1287602124793.jpg



What the insert is going to do is support the wood under the edge thats getting cut and prevent tearout. The splitter will stop a board from binding on the blade and possibly getting thrown back in your face or worse.


Wow Rob that sure is a lot of inserts! I only have three. The original that came with my saw, the zero clearance that I made for my saw when I got it in 2005 along with the dado insert I made back then. Never found a need to make any more than that.
 
First off so sorry I have been ignoring y'all I've had a crazy weekend (tree fell on part of the house) birthday party so the misses wanted me to make a gift for the child's birthday blah blah but anyways

What if I made the zero clearance insert out of metal ? Would that be ok or plastic? Would that be ok as well ?
Also another random question what's your opinion on a metal or aluminum cross cut sled? I kinda want to make one just because I have such easy access to thin (.100) aka 10 gauge aluminum sheets. And the one I want to make wouldn't be big ! Just like 16in wide 14in back to front and would cross as a panel cut bed as well. Like this one
http://youtu.be/m4ImoPkHaMc

But without the front 2x4
Opinions in this anyone?






~Ninja~
 
To confirm the "squareness" of the cut, you could try the "5-cut" method.

If you intend to use aluminum, be sure to keep the sliding surface(s) waxed, otherwise the aluminum will want to gaul up & stick. Also, if you are anal (as I sometimes tend to be) about fussy work and decide to crosscut using a thin kerf saw blade one time & a full thickness blade another time, then the width of the slot in both the bottom & rear boards will be a "touch" loose for the thinner blade. With this in mind, you might want to dedicate yourself to using one thickness blade, or the other, to retain the zero clearance benefit both at the bottom & when the saw blade emerges higher up on the work piece. It may only be 1/32 or so, but on fussy small work that could make a difference on tear out.

PS In a couple of the pictures above it seems to me that your thumb is vulnerable even with the dowel. You could glue a block in line & behind the saw cut to prevent a possible mishap. You could place your thumb behind that if necessary, or simply clamp the work piece to the miter board.
 
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Ninh i dunno hope some others chime i here.

Thing is much of what you doing makes me uncomfortable from a safety point of view.
Seeing that picture of your sled with your fingers that close to the blade makes me very uncomfortable.

The inserts we mostly use are made of mdf ,baltic birch,maybe uhmw low friction plastic.
Yet my table saw insert supplied with the saw is cast aluminum. Thing is the cast metal one supplied has such clearance on it with regards to the blade that there is no support of the wood at the cutting edge which results in tear out.
So when i make an insert typically the blade is going to cut through the insert itself to have it hug the blade.
But for that reason we want a material that is going to not wear the blade edges excesively.
Thats why Darren and I have pointed out the negative of using floor laminate. The composite laminate material is really hard on a blade. You dont want that stuff rubbing up against the edges of the carbide on your blades.

At home depot you can buy 2x4 sheets of baltic birch. Its a ply with many layers. Start with something like 3/8 or half inch and cut some out.
What you may want to do is get a piece of metal and machine a oval that can be put in your table and be used to hold and secure your inserts you make from ply.




sent from s4
 
i hurriedly read threw your posts ninh and for one reason, to tell you that your sled is un safe!!! what i did to fix mine was put a stop on it so i couldnt push it to far threw the sled and i also have a THICK block to capture the blade. that pic of you sliding a piece threw with your thumb hooked around the dowel is a accident waiting to happen.. you need to keep your digits further away. also that old chisel that belonged to your dad is a good chisel and probally better steel than the ones you just got. you need to learn how to sharpen it and then you will have two things a sharp tool that works and something from dad that he can be part of when he is gone and you can have him helping you make the next project in spirit
 
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