Thread: Can I use a 180mm saw blade in a table saw designed for 210mm?

Mate a 180mm blade only means that you will be able to make a cut 15mm less in height than the 210mm. If 180mm is all you can find and you are only cutting reasonably thin stuff then go right on ahead. The world won't collapse around you.
Have a Merry Christmas

I use smaller blades quite often with no probs.
Especially if I'm just making relatively unimportant cuts, I save my good blades for the important cuts.
Just as often you have to wind the blade down.
In the case of a smaller blade - not so m,uch.

Good luck

According to Vermont you need to keep your blade speed between 10 000 SFPM (surface feet per minute) and 18 000 SFPM. 10 000 SFPM is 42.33 m/s, and with a 180mm blade spinning at 4500 RPM, you have a tip speed of 42.410 m/s, which is only just within the specs. So yes, you can probably get away with it, but it's not optimal.

http://www.vermontamerican.com/NR/rd...deRPMChart.PDF

Interesting that American Vermont is now owned by Bosch. Anyway, that table is intended for cutting wood, with plastic you problem is going to be that the friction from the blade is going to melt the plastic, which will then gum up the blade (and other bits too if it gets the chance).

So a 180mm (or even smaller) blade in a table saw is not a problem - remember they make 6 inch (150mm) dado sets for the same saws. The smaller blade WILL give you a lower speed at the rim than a larger saw, but with plastics that is A GOOD THING, unless you like chiselling hardened plastic swarf off everything (DAMHIK).

Originally Posted by bsrlee

Interesting that American Vermont is now owned by Bosch.

Yeah, that was news to me too.

Originally Posted by bsrlee

The smaller blade WILL give you a lower speed at the rim than a larger saw, but with plastics that is A GOOD THING, unless you like chiselling hardened plastic swarf off everything (DAMHIK).

Good point

I'm aware of the melting problem but only having read about it in theory, I can't say for sure what's going to happen.

From reading around the place, (this seems to be a very comprehensive plastic cutting site: Learn How to Cut, Drill and Finish the Edges of Plexiglass (acrylic)), I have gotten a TCG TCT negative hook blade (210mm) which will hopefully, if pushed at the right speed, cut it without melting or chipping. I also read that negative hook reduces heat transfer to the rip material, is this in line with people's experiences?