Thread: FLAI U FINISH 10in BLADE BURNING

Hi Ian,
I used to get a very clean, smooth finish with a CMT Universal blade on a 10" table saw. It was very quiet too.

Regards,

Rob

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Thanks for the reply LGS

Its looking likely that I can,t persist much longer with such a let down..the CMT could be the answer.

Ian

Hi Ian, I have the same blade and it works fine( smooth as ). It sounds as though it is either binding or blunt. ( not in back to front is it?) Cheers jazzy69

Try cutting a couple of mm oversize then re-cutting to size

Originally Posted by jazzy69

Hi Ian, I have the same blade and it works fine( smooth as ). It sounds as though it is either binding or blunt. ( not in back to front is it?) Cheers jazzy69

Hi mate, had it sharpened by a pro. Not binding, been installing blades for many years ..would have no head if it was back to front ! But I still open to suggestions. It was burning from new. Maybe its a lemon

Hi Ian,
I guess all you can do is try another blade. But like I said my blade works fine. Cheers jazzy69

Is it on the right way?

Did you have the same problem before you had it sharpened if not there is your answer, I have never had a problem with 4 I have

I've been using them for a couple of years and struggling with the same issue. I've started to think that the reason why the Flai blades often burn is because they are ground so flat they create a kerf which is exactly the same thickness as the blade. Middle-market blades like CMT (of which I have several and end up using most of the time) are not very flat and always have a few teeth a tiny bit out of alignment, so they create a kerf a tiny bit wider then the blade. Given a perfectly set up tablesaw, the Flai blade wont burn because it is aligned perfectly within its narrow kerf. Given a saw of less then perfect setup, the Flai blade is slightly skewed within the kerf and rubbing against the sides. The middle-market blade is running inside a wider kerf so is not troubled by a slight misalignment.

I think this is why they work fine for some people but not for others.

All this suggests to me that the Flai blade is a good choice for a very high-quality saw like a Felder or a Hammer, but on my middle market saw (Woodman 10/12) I find it will work well for a month or two, then its back to burning. I think this is because my saw is not high enough quality - I cant really set it up as accurately as the Flai demands, and it doesn't stay set up for long when subject to a bit of abuse.

As I'm not really looking to buy a high-end tablesaw at the moment, I've sidelined the Flais until I have purchased a good dial gauge and put aside the time to do the work to improve my tablesaw - jobs like grinding the flanges flat etc. I'd like to use them again because I think they are worth their money and a whole lot more as well. When they work properly they give a finish like glass straight off the saw and make blades like my CMTs look positively agricultural.

cheers
Arron

Originally Posted by China

Did you have the same problem before you had it sharpened if not there is your answer, I have never had a problem with 4 I have

thanks China...the problem has been there since new .

I think Arron is getting very close to the problem..I also had to bush down to One inch arbour size which would not help with alignment, plus I am using it on a $1500 table saw compared to the top market machines.Horses for courses..I do agree they are an excellent saw blade..thus the frustration.... Many thanks Arron for your contribution.

I know this is an old'ish thread, but thought it was worth putting my two cents worth in, as I've recently had to deal with this issue.

When I first fitted a Flai U to my old Carbatec Saw, and more recently to my Laguna Fusion, I always got burnt edges on all cuts done against the Rip Fence. Any cuts done using the cross-cut sled never had burnt edges. I found that for whatever reason, the Flai U and some of the other thin kerf combo blades that I've tried, are very sensitive to fence alignment. I used to use a combination square to align the the Rip Fence to the T Slots, and saw blade to T-Slots, and have not had a problem when using normal 1/8" kerf blades.

Unfortunately, the combination square technique does not seem to be accurate enough for these thin kerf blades. I've now invested in a Dial Indicator Kit and using that tool I'm able to align the Rip Fence far more accurately. And - no more burnt edges on cut guided by the Rip Fence. The fence old Carbatec saw needs frequent re-adjustment to remain sufficiently accurately aligned to use the thin kerf blades. However, the rip fence on the Laguna Fusion must be a better design, as I've adjusted it once only in the last three months use, and it has remained accurately adjusted each time I've re-check it.

That's my two cents worth...

Roy