https://www.protoolreviews.com/tools/best-miter-saw-blades/4535/So as I use my shop more and more I find myself using the Dewalt DWS779 sliding compound miter saw more and more for cutting my wood down to finished sizes. A prime example is while building the workshop stands and needing to cut the maple boards to finished length. What is questionable is the quality of cut the blade is giving. What is a good blade to use that's reasonable in price and quality to use on this 12" saw? I've been looking at a zero clearance plate for this saw as well to help. Suggestions?
I have one of those in 10" for the RA saw and a 12" for the TS they are great blades, give almost glass smooth finish .Almost all blades (the decent ones anyways) have a lot of info printed on the blades now. Specifically whether they're appropriate for SCMS and radial arm saws.
Tom if you are using a rip blade on a miter saw then you need to be exceptionally careful because the high positive hook angle wants to grab and lift the work piece when the teeth make contact. If you read the blade brochures like Freud puts out you'll see that any blade with lots of positive hook are not recommended for use of miter saws.Had that 12 inch model and had a lot of blade deflection. Switched to full kerf blades and it helped some. Got rid of the saw and went with a 10 inch bosch instead. Currently keep a full kerf glue line blade on it. Baby behind smooth cuts. Also learned to pull the blade toward me to make a shallow first cut, then push it back for the full cutoff. This gives the sawdust a channel to fly out of so sawdust doesn't just go flying every which way. I have also used in the past an 80 tooth full kerf on the saw and got excellent results. The Glue line blade is really a rip blade at heart, but man, does it do a nice clean, smooth cut!
If you can manage it, a stiffener also helps keep the blade from deflecting. The problem showed up when trying to make angled cuts, eg: 45 degree miters for picture frames. Showed up on the 12 inch blade, no problem with the 10 inch. I tend to use Freud blades, the industrial models. Last forever and many sharpenings because the tips are thicker than the cheap models. Lots of good advice here.
Thanks. I am very careful on hold down with that saw. I think the habit of making that first pass toward me helps this. I just did several days of cutting to exact length for the platform frames using that method without a hitch.Tom if you are using a rip blade on a miter saw then you need to be exceptionally careful because the high positive hook angle wants to grab and lift the work piece when the teeth make contact. If you read the blade brochures like Freud puts out you'll see that any blade with lots of positive hook are not recommended for use of miter saws.