Blade Questions

3952 Views 16 Replies 10 Participants Last post by RustyW, Dec 30, 2006

RustyW

Discussion Starter · Nov 5, 2006

Just less than a year ago I purchased a 10" Freud diadlo 24 tooth blade(D1024x) for my tablesaw. First task was cutting some 3/4" oak for a mantle clock and it worked great. Since then I've used it for a couple shop projects (router table,planer stand) using mdf and some pine cabinet door frames. Today I cut some more 3/4" oak and allmost had to force it thru with lots of burning. I use a Diablo blade on my 8 1/4" sliding miter saw with great results so I dont doubt the quality. But could it be the wrong blade choice? Is there an "all purpase" blade? Or should I have different blades for hardwoods and mdf?

Thanks, Rusty

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Mike

· #2 · Nov 5, 2006 (Edited)

The 24 tooth blade is made just for ripping wood. You can buy a Diablo 50 tooth combo blade if you dont cut that much hardwood or since you have the rip blade you may want to buy a cross cut or finish blade with 80 teeth. I have used the 50 tooth blade for over a year(for general cutting) and am pleased with it's performance. Mind you I change to a 24 tooth blade for extended ripping jobs, and an 80 tooth blade for cutting plywood, particle board, plastic or laminate. More teeth = a finer cut. Send your Diablo blade to a saw sharpening service and they will restore it's performance for a reasonable price. One other thing, depending on where you buy your Freud blade it will be red and may be labeled Diablo or Industrial. Either way is fine. Buying one of the tools to assist in blade changing takes most of the struggle out of the process and reduces the chance of blade damage or personal injury.(I bought the Bench Dog)
Perhaps Charles M.will tell us of any difference between these blades and the standard chrome steel blades?

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pmspirito

· #3 · Nov 12, 2006

A couple of thoughts on blade sharpening. There is a difference in sharpening shops. My experience is it is worth the extra bucks to send my blades to Forrest Mfg, the saw blade folks, to have my blades resharpened. Yes they will resharpen all brands. A blade stabilizer (from Forrest) makes a big difference. A clean blade is important. I use 409 and a scrub brush. (remove the blade from the saw please)

ATLAS 2556

· #4 · Nov 12, 2006

Hello Rusty. To be honest with u i paid as much as 125.00 bux for a blade,, no more i get mine from harbor freight there great and for 10.00 bux for an 80 tooth carbide blde u cant go wrong ........try one u cant go wrong......Yom

Mike

· #5 · Nov 13, 2006

Forrest Blades is a company with a very different view on how saw blades should work from Freud. They use different methods to achieve great results such as different rake angles, different materials in their saw bodies, different engineering. By all reports Forrest Blades make the finest quality blades available, starting out at around $100. I have never used their products. Compare this to the $40 price of the Freud Diablo or industrial blades. Since I get great results using the Diablo I never "saw" a reason to spend more on a blade. Perhaps if I owned a better quality cabinet saw I would? In the wisdom of a former co-worker: "It's good enough for the kind of girls we go with."

Charles M

· #6 · Nov 13, 2006

18243015 said:
Just less than a year ago I purchased a 10" Freud diadlo 24 tooth blade(D1024x) for my tablesaw. First task was cutting some 3/4" oak for a mantle clock and it worked great. Since then I've used it for a couple shop projects (router table,planer stand) using mdf and some pine cabinet door frames. Today I cut some more 3/4" oak and allmost had to force it thru with lots of burning. I use a Diablo blade on my 8 1/4" sliding miter saw with great results so I dont doubt the quality. But could it be the wrong blade choice? Is there an "all purpase" blade? Or should I have different blades for hardwoods and mdf?

Thanks, Rusty

Rusty,

The D1024X is a rip blade so if you need a blade for crosscut you will need one with more teeth, either a combination or general purpose or a dedicated crosscut blade. The primary reasons for increased feed pressure and burning can be the result of dulling or of saw alignment. MDF is tough on cutters and can contain foreign objects that will chip the teeth so that is a distinct possibility but I think you should begin by verifying the alignment of the saw.

RustyW

Discussion Starter · #7 · Nov 14, 2006

Thanks Charles.

I was hoping to get your input. I got the D1024X as an alternative to a $10 HF 80 tooth blade that cut very clean but slow with MDF. And I was ripping 3/4" oak when I had the burning issue.

But since posting, the saw in question has started to whine loudly for about 20 seconds at start up. So I think a bad bearing is causing my cutting problems. And I am probably in the market for a new saw a little sooner than I'd planned.

Rusty

bobj3

· #8 · Nov 14, 2006 (Edited)

Hi Rusty

Here's a SMALL tip I use when I rip OAK,(hardwood) Oak can be nasty when you rip it because it will sometimes burn and put on that nasty burn marks that are hard to get off.

I take a good 8" or 9" rip blade and put on sand paper on both sides of the blade (150grit the norm) I use #77 3M spray glue to put the sand paper .
It will sand and cut at the same time so to speak

and the parts will come out clean without burn marks or rip marks.
You will need to replace the sand paper in time but that's not a big deal with a sharp putty knife.

Just a small note***you should not use the 80 tooth blade to rip with

It will take on the MDF but MDF is hard on blades use your cheap blade to cut MDF with a bit of sand paper

it works great, just add a 1/32" to the stock when you make the cut.

Bj

challagan

· #9 · Nov 15, 2006

Bob, never heard that before on the sand paper trick. Arent good 8 and 9 inch blades kind of hard to find? Thanks for the tip!

Corey

bobj3

· #10 · Nov 15, 2006 (Edited)

Hi Corey

You're Welcome, 8" and the 9" blades can be had at just about any HD or Ace Hardware but you can use 10" but the sand paper is a bit hard to find but you can use the big sanding disks but they are not cheap like a pack of 8 1/2" x 11" sanding paper.
Plus the 8" blades cost less than the 10" ones and the 8" blades will rip just about all you will need to rip down for cabinet work.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/g4252
http://www.grizzly.com/products/g1219
http://www.grizzly.com/products/g1213

Bj

Mike

· #11 · Nov 16, 2006

The sandpaper trick will work on any size blade where the teeth extend far enough out to provide clearance. You could use it on a guided circular saw with a 6-1/2" blade, but blades smaller than that tend to be steel as opposed to having carbide tips.

bobj3

· #12 · Nov 16, 2006

I use the sand paper trick on my power hand saw ( 6 1/2", 1/16" wide carb.tip) and my
4" battery powered hand saw with a 1/16" wide carb.tip blade to cut plywood out of the 4' x 8' and I also put down masking tape to help with the rip out, masking tape is cheap unlike the plywood now days.

the cuts come out real clean plus it saves me a trip to the table saw for a recut,

plus I always use a drywall T to line up the cuts on 4' x 8' plywood and sometimes I use the drywall T as a saw guide to keep the saw running true to the mark.

(clamped to the plywood with some hand clamps)
Just a NOTE*** they make drywall T bars in 1/8" thick and a hvy.duty one that about 1/4" thick and it works the best, most are true but sometimes a little tweak is needed to get them sq. and a small sheet metal screws (2ea.) for a lock device.
For long cuts I use a 8ft. long Alum. T bar 1/4" thick also.

Bj

RustyW

Discussion Starter · #13 · Dec 28, 2006

Well guys tonight I decided the saw is no longer safe to use. As there is all of a sudden way to much slop at the arbor. I'm posting a pic so you know what type of saw I'm talking about. As with most small saws I've never been happy with the fence. And when trying to rip a 2'x4' piece of mdf, I have to hold my foot against the stand to keep it from falling over.

I really want a contractor saw.. But my "shop" is about half of a single car garage so theres not alot of room for one. I went to HD and looked at the ridged jobsite saw. It looked good and was more stable then thier contractor saw but takes allmost as much room.

With tax time coming up I will have the funds to buy a saw. So I'm looking for recommendations on smaller saws. Or should I just get the saw I want when I have the money. And just make more room.

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fibertech

· #14 · Dec 28, 2006

Rusty, I believe that your assessment is correct for safety reasons. I was afraid of my old Shopsmith Mark 5 setup until I bought the 520 upgrade. I am now able to expect square and safety. I also have about the same amount of space as you. We are all here because of our routers. I think that most hobbyists will agree that a good table saw is essential. Good luck with finding the machine that fits your needs. -Derek

del schisler

· #15 · Dec 28, 2006

good blade to use

here is the best blade i have used It cuts like nothing else i have used
http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DW76...6/ref=sr_1_1/002-8745334-9176021?ie=UTF8&s=hi

kp91

· #16 · Dec 28, 2006

Rusty,
My first saw back when I had just half a garage was a RYOBI BT3000. It was a surprisingly capable saw (just a bit loud- almost as loud as a router). It was light enough that when the Mrs. wanted it out of the way I could easily set it on a shelf.

I was able to build a couple of large furniture pieces on it, but it was a little light for big pieces at first.

The key to great cuts with it was a shelf added between the legs with an 80 lb bag of cement on it to give it a steady foundation.

I don't know what the current version of the BT3000 is, but you could try BT3central.com

RustyW

Discussion Starter · #17 · Dec 30, 2006

I could wait no longer. I checked the Lowes website to look at one of the saws I'd had my eyes on. And discovered they had dropped the price on several Delta items. The 36-979 saw was now $404 and the T2 fence was $135. I rearranged the family budget(kids like beans anyway), begged a little, borrowed a little, and went and got it.

At this point it's pretty late, saw is about half way put together. I'm pleased with most of it but, seems like product may have been updated a few times while manual stayed the same. When I get it done I will post a review of how the assembly went and some pics.

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