Question - How do you know when your table saw blade is dull?

Brent Dowell

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Reno NV
You take a nice new one out of the package and put it on and marvel at the lack of noise as it glides through the wood like butter, instead of chewing through it like an angry gopher... :D
 
when the light reflects of the cutting edge, if you can see a definite edge or flat its dull.. it should be a very fine line that wont reflect light for us to see.
 
when you have to lean into the board to get it to burn its way through all the while tripping the smoke detectors in the house:rofl::rofl::rofl:

'member the days before carbide tips? when you could just break out a number 10 mill file and touch up the edge of the stamped steel blade?
(of course that was every third board but... what the hay?)
 
I'm going to wait to see if dad tells about his bandsaw blade that was "just fine" till he put a new one on . . .

Thanks to many of the fine folks here I have learned that using dull cutters of any kind (that includes sandpaper) is a false economy. Your not saving a dime but trying to stretch the usefulness of your abrasives or delaying a trip to the sharpening shop. Wood is expensive. Treat it to sharp cutters.
 
allen levine "I know when its dull because it jams and trips the circuit breaker."

If my Unisaw did that, I would be hanging on for dear life. :eek:

I have also found that a clean blade (removing the residue on the carbide tips)can make a big difference in cuts too. :thumb:

Aloha, Tony :wave:
 
When there's so much smoke in the room, you can't tell the breaker tripped and shut off all the lights. Again! ;)

When it screeches so loud all the varmints come crawling out of the cutoff bin and high tail it for the next county! :doh:

Thanks,

Bill
 
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