any advice on table saw blades?

[RichardL]

Having finally got my new table saw/jointer running true, I'd like to fit a good quality 235 mm combination blade as the one supplied is pretty horrible (I wish it had been designed for a 250 mm blade as there are heaps of them available).

There must be lots of good advice out there as to which combo blades perform well. It is mainly used for hardwood joinery - boxes, clocks and the like, mainly cross-cut, with the occasional ripping.

I was thinking along the lines of either a CMT fine cut-off blade (48 tooth, 3 mm kerf), or (a more expensive) Dimar blade. Generally, I suspect, you get what you pay for but there may be cheaper alternatives that do a good job too. I have a small Makita blade that is very nice but too narrow a kerf.

I couldn't find any threads in a brief search on this topic. A table saw is only as good as the blade I guess.

Any suggestions?

[craigb]

I have a 60th CMT combo in my TSC-10HB.

Works well as a general purpose blade.

If I was going to be doing a lot of ripping, I'd buy a dedicated ripping blade though.

[Gumby]

I agree with Craig. I had a 48 tooth which came with the Triton as standard but went to a 60 tooth combination blade. It's a bit slower when ripping but if you watch the feed rate it's fine. Excellent for crosscuts and fine cuts. A good all rounder.

Ideally, you'd want a 24 tooth ripping blade, 48 or 60 intermediate and an 80 tooth for fine work. The 60 is a good compromise.

[BobR]

I'll go with the above. Along with the combination blade that came with the Delta saw, I have a CMT ripping blade and an 80TPI blade for other work.

[RichardL]

Thanks guys. I can't find a 60 tooth CMT blade on the Caba-tec web site that is 235 mm diameter (9 1/4 inch) so I have asked our local saw doctor to see what he can find in his catalogues. Linbide do one, so that is a possibility.

[IanW]

Richard - I've got a similar problem - an old Canadian-made Rockwell-Beaver that can't quite accomodate a 10 inch blade. For the last 15 years I've been very happy with a couple of Freud thin-kerf blades. I think they're called LU88, but wouldn't trust my memory - have to check. Anyway, a good multi-purpose, with very tolerable cross-cut quality (much better than the new CMT I recently acquired) and doesn't cause my underpowered saw to grunt quite as hard as 'standard' kerf blades.
Cheers,

[RichardL]

Hi Ian

Thanks for the suggestion. My new table has a 1.5 hp motor so not short on grunt. One other restriction is the riving knife is 3 mm thick so I can't install a thin kerf blade unless I grind the knife thinner or make a new one. I was told by the table supplier that they are thick to comply with new regulations on rigidity or something. I have had a bit of a look for Freud in NZ, can't find a supplier yet but will keep looking.

[Stubchain]

I have about 6 blades at present, 4 x 10" and 2 x 8" for different applications, ripping and crosscut and veenered boards.

The one blade that is very useful is an 8". I had it reground so that the tips cut a true flat bottom. This is very usefull for tenons and small "nibbling" work, it also makes very good hlaf lap joints.

Funny thing is I could not find too much reference to squaring the cutting tips anywhere on the net or this forum. I would have thought it would be a common application.

[RichardL]

Hi again

I'm still struggling to find a blade. Seems the combination of 235 mm diameter, fine(ish) tooth and 3 mm kerf, is rather rare in good quality blades. CMT do a 48 tooth como blade as mentioned with a 2.8 mm kerf. Dimar and a number of other makers don't import 235 mm blades into NZ (as they can't compete with the cheepies intended for circular saws...apparently). Even the local Linbide blades are 2.8 kerf in this diameter. Most others are a finer kerf still.

Question

how important is it to have the kerf of the blade and the splitter thickness exactly the same? The splitter is 3 mm. Can I use a 2.8 mm blade with this? Is 0.2 mm going to make a difference?

If it is advisable to match them exactly, I'll get the splitter ground to 2.8 mm.

My last option is Freud - I'm still trying to find out whether they do a 3mm kerf blade in a 235 mm diameter and whether it is imported into this part of the world.

I wish manufacturers would sort these things out before they settle on a design (he says feeling rather grumpy!:mad: ) (unless I have missed something:o )

[Gumby]

how important is it to have the kerf of the blade and the splitter thickness exactly the same? The splitter is 3 mm. Can I use a 2.8 mm blade with this? Is 0.2 mm going to make a difference?

If it is advisable to match them exactly, I'll get the splitter ground to 2.8 mm.

My last option is Freud - I'm still trying to find out whether they do a 3mm kerf blade in a 235 mm diameter and whether it is imported into this part of the world.

)

The splitter definitely can't be wider. You'd bind the work. If it's narrower, i can't see that as a problem. I would think most of them are, but I'm only a new convert to the TS after being a Triton man for ages. On mine, as long as I can't see the splitter behind the blade, just by eye, and I get no binding, I'm happy.

[Schtoo]

If you can find one, a ripping blade for a circ saw, and a fine tooth blade for a sliding compound mitre saw (SCMS) should be a pretty good deal.

If you get really stuck, Makita should have both types of blade in that size as a stock item to fit their bigger circ saws and smaller SCMS animals.

Just checking the newest cattledog, they don't do a 235mm. They do 216mm then 260mm. The 216 might get you out of trouble, but you will sacrifice 10mm of cutting depth. Might be ok for the most of what you wanna do, I don't know.

Part numbers I have here are A-05767 for a 216 x 30T x 2.0 rip, 7,000 yen. A-37633 for a 216 x 80T x 2.2 crosscut, 6,900 yen. Both have a 1" bore.

Not ideal, but Makita do make good blades, albeit pricy.

Keep looking, but look at other things that use blades, might run into something that will work perfectly. ;)

[zenwood]

Do dedicated ripping blades leave a flat-bottomed kerf?

Are there any crosscut or combination blades that leave a flat-bottomed kerf?

[Stubchain]

Zen, I have not seen any off the shelf flat bottomed blades.

[Studley 2436]

Having finally got my new table saw/jointer running true, I'd like to fit a good quality 235 mm combination blade as the one supplied is pretty horrible (I wish it had been designed for a 250 mm blade as there are heaps of them available).

There must be lots of good advice out there as to which combo blades perform well. It is mainly used for hardwood joinery - boxes, clocks and the like, mainly cross-cut, with the occasional ripping.

Any suggestions?
Carbatec have a nice one at 235 but a 2.8mm kerf. This blade has 48 teeth and it an Alternate Top Bevel so it will cross cut with a minimum of chipping and be a nice finish too. If it is only the splitter stopping you using the narrower kerf blade I would have it ground down to somewhere between 2 and 2.5mm. Give yourself a little bit of clearance make it easier to set up inline with the blade.

Why won't your saw handle a 250mm blade? Why don't you (with the power off) wind it up and down stick your head inside and see how much clearance is there? You only need 7.5mm more on each side of the blade. If it is only the insert that won't handle the bigger blade you can make one out of a piece of timber and just run the blade up through it. Zero clearance and a 250mm blade. See if it might work

Studley

[RichardL]

Thanks for the suggestions people. My saw table is a combination machine called a Dyco Woodworker. http://www.dycointernational.com/prod02.htm

I babbled on about it in another thread, essentially it is a smallish cast iron table with a jointer and some additional bits like a disc sander and router table. It is extremely solid and has the potential to be really good. I have just had a number of teething problems with it.

The way it is made means 235 is the max saw blade it will take without chewing into all sorts of attachments like the disc sander. This attaches to the table top over the blade (you'll need to look at the picture to see what I'm on about), the blade sits inside a casting and the sander is driven by a friction tyre thing on the spindle nut - it is a bit hard to describe! I did ask Dyco about usinga 250 mm blade but they said it wasn't possible. I could take the blade off when using the sander, but I think it would also contact a few other points as well (table insert and splitter at least).

Anyway, as it happens, Dyco have come to my rescue and have agreed to send me a 45 tooth (?) Freud combination blade which should do for most jobs. I'll get a finer tooth blade in the future. The kerf is 2.8 mm so I'm trying to find a large old saw blade with a 2.5 mm thick body from which I can get a new splitter cut. One problem is that the splitter is anchored to the table at the back and so is quite long - about 200 mm I think - it also attaches to the guard. This means that if it isn't thick metal (or rigid high tensile steel) it could bend and cause grief! hence the thought about using an old blade (no I won't hack saw it out - I'll have to get it plasma cut I suppose!)

Thanks again for all the comments

[RichardL]

Ah, just looked underneath - I knew there was another thing the blade would hit...the motor. There is only a few mm clearance with the 235 mm blade.

[HoutBok]

Hi Richard

It may not be of help but the only 235mm blade I remember seeing in South African hardwares was a Triton triple chip - should be available over there.

[RichardL]

Just reporting back the outcome re the saw blade. The 48 tooth Freud blade works very well, giving good cross cut and ripping finish - I was amazed at the rip finish actually. I got a 2.6 mm thick spliter made from an old saw blade which also seems to work well. So, problem solved. Overall, I'm pleased with the Dyco woodworker although there are some quirks and some thinks are not easy to adjust. Having given it a pretty good workout recently it is growing on me! It is a big step up from my Triton, which is what I'd hoped.

The thinner splitter will mean I can get a finer tooth blade in the future if I think I need it, although at this stage, the 48 tooth blade gives a good enough surface for most jobs. Now to get on with the harp I'm making! :)

Thanks for the replies folks.