Thread: High dollar saw blades

I've got several 10" blades for my Delta miter/chop saw. For back yard jobs, I use a combo construction blade. The woods are spruce/pine/cedar.
For indoor things (no way to smooth the cut ends), I have a 72t TC blade (1985) which cuts silky smooth, even after resharpening (2004). Oak, ash, apple, spruce, pine, fir, Dougfir, birch, red & yellow cedar. Probably spent $100, I'd do it again in the blink of an eye. With some care, I think that the blade lifespan is far greater than the cheaper blades that I have. The good blade would clean up with thinner if you get a lot of sap/resin cooked into the surface. Not much that a 3M scrub pad can do to a TC saw tooth.

Only ever used reasonably good blades, get them resharpened when necessary. I clean resin off them with non-caustic oven cleaner - really does make a difference.

Yes they do. I dont think theres anything else in woodworking where its worth spending a bit more money. I use Freud and Flai blades (about $150) and have various cheap blades ( about $50) like Irwin. The good blades cut cleaner, quieter and quicker, but most importantly they (well the Flai does) leave a clean edge that looks like its been planed. Cut, give it a light sand and you're done - skipping a whole stage in the process.

I keep the cheap blades for gnarly timber or abrasive man made boards like mdf.

As for the resin, you've got to keep either blade clean. Before using the blade, give it a shot of oven cleaner, let it sit a few minutes then wipe clean then Silverglide it.

Cheers
Arron