Thread: New 12� general purpose Table saw blade - is my thinking on track?

If ripping is the cut causing the problem you'd be better off with something like a 24 tooth blade. Plywood is better with more teeth though.

I have the 10" version of this blade and it's a ripper (pun intended)-- https://www.timbecon.com.au/industri...lar-saw-blades

Thanks Biggus

Hmmm maybe part of the "burning" is that I am pushing long lengths of Plywood through without proper technique as opposed to normal ripping. I assumed the 100t was good for all cuts on plywood.

The reason I am considering a General Purpose is that I'm keen to get started with a good blade that can do both. I'm assuming the 100t is a rather specialised blade. Rather than have two specialised blades I'd like to try a good general purpose blade. I'm quite a simple woodworker and therefore trying to simplify my setup.

When you mentioned ripping I assumed you meant with solid wood rather than ply. I wouldn't use a 24 tooth blade with ply, but a 100 tooth one will likely build a lot of heat in the cut so you may be on the right track.

I think I used the word rip incorrectly, I suppose every cut on plywood is both ripping and cross cutting!

I used to own an SB12, and I always found the fence liable to lock down off square. I tended to measure from the fence to the blade at both ends of the cut to check before cutting. If you're feeding a piece off square across the table using a 100 tooth blade I'd guess it would burn in a jiffy. It wouldn't hurt to have one good quality combo blade. I'm super impressed with my Freud rip blade so I'd be tempted to get the Freud one you're looking at even though I have no experience with that particular item.

I have noticed that with my fence too, and likewise I need to measure each time I’m guessing there is no hack to fix it …

You need more than two specialised blades. There is no one “ general purpose blade “

Originally Posted by riverbuilder

There is no one “ general purpose blade “

Thanks Riverbuilder I do understand this from my reading - particularly given the range of timbers used, projects being made, ways of working and preferences! This is what I love about my newish hobby

What if I am get quite specific about what General Purpose means for me.

A specific case of General Purpose

In my case almost all my "making" is using plywood. Normally between 19-25mm thick. I am breaking down large sheets and looking for edges that are accurate, straight and chip free. I do have a track saw and use it to get the large sheets down but I like the Table from that point forward. This sees me doing cuts from 1600 long down to the little fiddly bits on the Cross Cut sled.

I have found the 1200mm lengths or over seem to caught up on the 100t and my 32t is pretty average to start with.

Is there a blade that would deal with that situation well? This is where I understand the 48T comes in, but happy to hear that I'm wrong ... I haven't spent the money yet

I am also working without a Splitter at the moment and about to remedy that as I understand that could be causing the timber to grab the blade. Thinking the Microjig Splitter might do the trick. But given my current blade selection, thinking a quality blade in the middle would do no harm.

My Contractor SB12 died a few weeks ago, as it happened, shortly after I had the original 36 tooth blade resharpened. I work mainly solid wood and I hand plane to finish so quality of cut was not entirely my obsession. Even so the sharpened 36 tooth always performed pretty good as a rip blade, for the rest of the time I was mainly using a 40 tooth Bosch Optiline blade that seemed pretty good in solid wood. It would probably benefit from a sharpen now. Given the general quality limitations of my contractor saw I never felt spending hundreds more on a blade was going to improve the cuts as much as sharpening a blade did.

The other option is to use cheaper 10" blades on the machine. I had a few 10" Optiline blades and an aluminium blade for laminate board that all worked well and could be swapped easily to match the job at hand.

I have all three brands, and they are all good when used correctly.
In general I agree with the order you listed them.
Good luck with your choice.

Thinking more about working only with manufactured boards consider if you really need that 12" blade. Seriously, are you going to miss the extra depth of cut from 63mm to 75mm? You will save about 1/3 on the cost of each new blade buying 10". In fact the aluminium speced blade I used for whiteboard was only a 7 1/4" blade.

Since you need to make a splitter to use presumably with your own zero clearance insert then you can easily make up several inserts at the same time to match the blade diameter in use.

I think its one of those things where to get good results you need to use the right blade for the right cut and just swap them out.

If you're ripping use a dedicated rip blade
Cross cutting, fine tooth cross cut blade

The general purpose blades will do both jobs but neither of them well.

A high ATBblade might be a good all-round but not excel in one area. They do require regular sharpening though.

May I suggest no matter how good the blade is correct alignment is key and critical to quality of cut

Some really helpful info thanks all.

Considering a 10" blade instead of 12"

I have been considering going the 10" route to save some $$$ and therefore maybe get more blades! I will keep this in mind. I have found a local saw specialist and will be using him for the purchase. Saw CIty in Cardiff NSW.


Go the two blade route.

As far as separate blades for ripping and cross cutting. Is this still the case for plywood? Is it because the surface of Plywood does have grain?


Getting everything straight is important

Now - alignment ... I am doing everything I can do ensure this is right. the SB12 seems best reviewed as entry level and contractor which I assume means - rough and ready. The fence sometimes seems to lock out of alignment is one example.

I have been checking the mitre slots to the blade. My reading says the variation was about 0.25 of a mm - I took this as acceptable. Qould that be fair to say?

Also I am in the process of adding a splitter - for both safety and quality.