Best Blade?

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Light Keeper's Kid
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Best Blade?

Post by Light Keeper's Kid »

Fixing to start setting up shop to rip strips for my next build :D What brand or type beside just being a rip blade have you found to get the best results and life out of for your table saws :?:

Mike
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gerald
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Re: Best Blade?

Post by gerald »

I've been using a freud tungsten carbide 10" thin kerf rip blade. Sometimes a smaller (7" or 8") may work even better. One problem is that most people haven't checked the runout of the saw arbor. Even with the finest blade you'll get a rough cut. It doesn't make much difference for handymen, but for those who use the tablesaw a lot on fine projects the runout does make a difference.
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Re: Best Blade?

Post by Dogpaddlin »

What is runout?
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Light Keeper's Kid
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Re: Best Blade?

Post by Light Keeper's Kid »

If the shaft of your saw is bent it will cause the blade to wobble which is run out and your saw motor can also have alot of end play causing uneven thickness. Both causing saw marks on the wood cut in those saws with these problems.

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bowgarguide
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Re: Best Blade?

Post by bowgarguide »

I use to build wooden props for my airboats,you had to balanCE THE PROP from the center and then set the runout to less than a 1/6 of an inch,thats pretty straight on a 96 inch prop.
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Re: Best Blade?

Post by Pogo »

I go to the local Ace Hardware and buy a 7.5" Freud Diablo 24-tooth thin kerf carbide rip blade for less than $12, and they last a good long time given steady diet of western red cedar.

Smaller diameter blades - or bits - ALWAYS run smoother than full size ones.

Tuning your table saw is as important as tuning your bandsaw, which is every bit as important as tuning your planer, which is..... well, you get the idea. The internet and - gasp - public library are chock full of information on how to tune your tools for best performance.

Buy, or better yet, make a zero-clearance insert for all your saws.

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ojdidit
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Re: Best Blade?

Post by ojdidit »

gerald wrote:I've been using a freud tungsten carbide 10" thin kerf rip blade. Sometimes a smaller (7" or 8") may work even better. One problem is that most people haven't checked the runout of the saw arbor. Even with the finest blade you'll get a rough cut. It doesn't make much difference for handymen, but for those who use the tablesaw a lot on fine projects the runout does make a difference.
The thin kerf also saves on wood. :D I saw (pun not intended) a set up in the Nick Schade book were he uses two small (circular saw blades) with spacers inbetween the two to rip two strips at once. A nice zero clearance insert makes the cutting of strips (one or two at a time) a much safer process.

All that being said I have been using a woodworker II combination blade and have been getting good results....and a lot of sawdust! It is new and sharp and makes some really clean strips.

Oh yeah, nice long featherboards not only make better cuts, it really adds a lot of safety. With good featherboards my hands never come within a foot and a half of the blade. I stand well to the left to avoid any kick back which can happen and has when I hit a knot. A nice respirator is not bad either, there is a lot of cutting to do.
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