Table saw blade help

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wolf creek knives

wolf creek knives

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I'm looking for some ideas from others on what brand table saw blades you use. I've bought lots of different brands at prices that range from the mid $50.00's to over $200.00 and really can't find what I would consider a quality blade. Some of the more expensive blades require constant sharpening. I cut a lot of Koa and it seams to dull the blades pretty quickly. I've even tried a pitch remover without any luck. I'm looking for a good quality blade in either a crosscut, rip or combo. 5/8" arbor and a 10" diameter. Thanks for any help in advance.
 
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You mentioned Koa dulling blades quickly. Some woods are prone to do this regardless of the blade you choose. If you think Koa dulls blades quickly, try cutting Ipe or Lignum Vitae. As to your question, I like Diablo also. They perform well at a reasonable price and I've never had any problems with them.
 
Well you can add me to the Freud cheering line also. https://www.amazon.com/Freud-Genera...aWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl&th=1. I would never go to using a 7- 1/4" blade for cutting rough sawn wood. I use that small blade if doing segment work on a small blank. I say this because a 10" blade is safer and has more teeth to go through the wood which means less wear and tear on them. You may think otherwise. The thin line blades work well especially for the underpowered saws. Plus saves material because of thinner kerf. Other than that a full sized blade will work well also. Now there are different tooth configurations as well as makeup of the carbide. On better quality blades you will see more carbide, better grind where carbide meets blade body and that all plays a role. Depending on the type of cut you are doing to the wood will determine tooth configuration and that plays a huge role in quality of cut and wear and tear on the teeth. Each type blade the teeth are design to best perform their duties if used properly. Yes combination blades are made to do both rip and crosscut but again not at max performance because you have to give something up to achieve this. With all that said some materials are just harder on carbide teeth. So we try to keep them clean and free of the resins and this helps for better performance and less heat which can destroy blades too.
 
Okay, Lots of replies so far and they all are Freud fans. I'm going to hit the other side. I do a considerable amount of non-pen work, also. I've tried a fairly good number of blade brands. There are some that I dislike (Ridge) some that I consider "okay" (Freud) and some that I think are head and shoulders above the rest (Forrest). I'm still evaluating the higher end CMT blades. But they look quite promising.

That aside, the one thing that MUST be considered is resharpening. I have 2 thin kerf Forrest WWII blades. They are OLD. But they came with teeth that were great gobs of carbide. Far larger than anything else offered that I saw. I have had them resharpened over and over again (by Forrest) and EVERY time they come back just like new. The blades when new aren't cheap. The resharpening service by Forrest isn't the cheapest around. But, gosh, they are so sweet when they come back. My point is - resharpening is as important or more important than the blade itself.

Buy blades that offer longevity by having bigger teeth (oversimplification but you get my drift) and find a sharpening service that treats the blade with respect. No regrets.
 
Ted iin Michigan said:
Okay, Lots of replies so far and they all are Freud fans. I'm going to hit the other side. I do a considerable amount of non-pen work, also. I've tried a fairly good number of blade brands. There are some that I dislike (Ridge) some that I consider "okay" (Freud) and some that I think are head and shoulders above the rest (Forrest). I'm still evaluating the higher end CMT blades. But they look quite promising.

That aside, the one thing that MUST be considered is resharpening. I have 2 thin kerf Forrest WWII blades. They are OLD. But they came with teeth that were great gobs of carbide. Far larger than anything else offered that I saw. I have had them resharpened over and over again (by Forrest) and EVERY time they come back just like new. The blades when new aren't cheap. The resharpening service by Forrest isn't the cheapest around. But, gosh, they are so sweet when they come back. My point is - resharpening is as important or more important than the blade itself.

Buy blades that offer longevity by having bigger teeth (oversimplification but you get my drift) and find a sharpening service that treats the blade with respect. No regrets.
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This is true and I too have a couple Forrest blades and yet I do not use them unless that real special project. Yes they will resharpen and are not cheap because you ship them. Now with that said A blade such as the Freud line can and does just as well. Yes sharpening is a factor but need to find a reliable place that sharpens blades. Not all companies can sharpen today's blades because of the tooth configurations. When you are talking triple tooth blades they can be troublesome. But use those blades and you will see a difference. Keeping blades clean and well protected mean alot. Using the right tooth count blade as a well as the right tooth configuration will make a world of difference in what you are cutting. Changing blades is probably the one setback for users to lean more toward the combo blades. As I mentioned a good blade will have thicker carbide plus the weld is much cleaner and bottom line safer. Loosing a tooth while cutting can be a change your pants moment for sure. Always treat your tools with the respect the deserve and need. Happy Woodworking.
 
I am with the "buy quality and resharpen" people here. I have a set of blades with different tooth geometries. I have Forrest, Ridge Carbide, Freud, and others. I also keep older blades for rough cutting salvage wood. If you think about it, the high cost of expensive blades plus sharpening (a savings) is roughly comparable to replacing cheaper blades each time.

Some blade geometries are less durable to stay sharp compared with others. I reserve the Freud Fusion with its high-ATB teeth for special projects. Its fancy tooth geometry cuts very clean, but the high-ATB design can dull more quickly. The fancy tooth geometry is hard to resharpen correctly.

So far, I have used the original factories to resharpen my blades, and they come back as good or better than new. The price is high but reasonable. The issue is the shipping cost. It pays when you are an industrial company that can ship 10 blades at a time. Shipping is not economical when you ship blades to be sharpened one by one.

I looked for local blade companies with the same Vollmer brand automatic sharpening system that the major manufacturers use. I found one, but they have a bad reputation amongst local woodworkers. According to others, they grind a new angle on the tooth faces, and move on to the next tooth too soon, leaving each tooth grind incomplete and the blade not as sharp as its potential. I have been reluctant to try them on my good Forrest blades, so I pay the shipping. (I have since found other local sharpeners with the Vollmer sharpening system, but not one that I feel comfortable with yet.)

This entire video is very informative about blade sharpening, but the automated Vollmer sharpening equipment starts a few seconds after the 5 minute mark:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLsRarSwErQ

I am still looking for a local sharpener that I can trust with my Forrest blades.
 
@wolf creek knives ...lots of good info above, but...

Given the amount of wood you cut, and the general value of it, might be worth a call to Carbide Processors in Washington state to discuss with them. Not sure if the owner/founder is still actively working, but he is an expert in different carbides and tooth trajectory/set. We (as woodworkers/turners) tend to simply accept the carbide that comes with the brand we get--but CP is a firm that can talk with a user about what they're cutting and may have a blade suggestion based on the specific need. I've gotten great use out of Popular Tools, Tenryu Gold, and Amana blades for various cross-cutting, and honestly Freud's glue line rip has been a workhorse for ripping soft maple and cherry. But...my experience is meaningless to you, since your primary cutting is a very different wood. You're also cutting knife scales on a regular basis--i picture that as a relatively deep rip. So...you may be better served by blade/blades that are different than most of us.

Just my thoughts, no disrespect to the fine comments above.
earl
 
wolf creek knives said:
I'm looking for some ideas from others on what brand table saw blades you use. I've bought lots of different brands at prices that range from the mid $50.00's to over $200.00 and really can't find what I would consider a quality blade. Some of the more expensive blades require constant sharpening. I cut a lot of Koa and it seams to dull the blades pretty quickly. I've even tried a pitch remover without any luck. I'm looking for a good quality blade in either a crosscut, rip or combo. 5/8" arbor and a 10" diameter. Thanks for any help in advance.
Click to expand...
I love my Ridge Carbide thin kerf ultra blade for my dewalt contractor saw. I also have a ripping blade from them and a flat tooth grind joinery blade that I like as well.

CMT also seem to get good reviews at prices that are tough to beat. But I've never used them.
 
Tom, I've used many of the brands mentioned above with success but I am also a model train enthusiast and build model structures. I cut my own scale lumber and many times using a standard thin kerf blade, I waste more wood to sawdust than I actually get out of a given piece of lumber. Last year I stumbled upon Total Saw Solutions out of Wisconsin. They manufacture their own blades here in the good ol' USA. I bought one of their micro kerf blades for my 10" table saw and I have been impressed. I now get 25-30% more scale lumber from each piece of wood I cut. The blade is super sharp and I've cut a lot of wood with it and it still cuts like butter. I've not cut some of the more exotic woods with it, but it goes through white oak with ease. Now, it's not a cheap blade, but you will get your money's worth, IMHO. They also sharpen blades.

Check them out: Total Saw Solutions.
 
WarEagle90 said:
Tom, I've used many of the brands mentioned above with success but I am also a model train enthusiast and build model structures. I cut my own scale lumber and many times using a standard thin kerf blade, I waste more wood to sawdust than I actually get out of a given piece of lumber. Last year I stumbled upon Total Saw Solutions out of Wisconsin. They manufacture their own blades here in the good ol' USA. I bought one of their micro kerf blades for my 10" table saw and I have been impressed. I now get 25-30% more scale lumber from each piece of wood I cut. The blade is super sharp and I've cut a lot of wood with it and it still cuts like butter. I've not cut some of the more exotic woods with it, but it goes through white oak with ease. Now, it's not a cheap blade, but you will get your money's worth, IMHO. They also sharpen blades.

Check them out: Total Saw Solutions.
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This is interesting. Have to learn more about these blades. Thanks.
 
WarEagle90 said:
Tom, I've used many of the brands mentioned above with success but I am also a model train enthusiast and build model structures. I cut my own scale lumber and many times using a standard thin kerf blade, I waste more wood to sawdust than I actually get out of a given piece of lumber. Last year I stumbled upon Total Saw Solutions out of Wisconsin. They manufacture their own blades here in the good ol' USA. I bought one of their micro kerf blades for my 10" table saw and I have been impressed. I now get 25-30% more scale lumber from each piece of wood I cut. The blade is super sharp and I've cut a lot of wood with it and it still cuts like butter. I've not cut some of the more exotic woods with it, but it goes through white oak with ease. Now, it's not a cheap blade, but you will get your money's worth, IMHO. They also sharpen blades.

Check them out: Total Saw Solutions.
Click to expand...
Wow, those blades look impressive to say the least. Thanks for sharing this with me. These blades just might fit the bill. Thanks again.
 
I see Freud as a good blade for reasonable money but they do not last that long with sharpening. I have several Forrest blades that are over 10 years old now. They are shipped back to Forrest for resharpening and they are practically brand new. Even have had a few teeth replaced on them over the years.
 
After using a few brands, I've found the Diablos work just about as well and are often cheaper.
 
I feel a blades performance is relative thing and can be dependent upon the saw, particularly it's power, and the user's skill and technique.

As I mentioned in a response to Allan Morrison (blank segmenting forum) re cutting very small segment components, I've used many blades from supposed "elcheapos" in the AUD $35 budget price point to name brands costing AUD $250 plus. Brand or price is not a great indicator of how a particular saw blade will perform on your saw with your projects, first up out of the packaging, or after resharpening.

I've had far better results with the elcheapo DeWalt Extreme series (210mm / 216mm blades) on my Woodfast (Record) TS250 (10" / 250mm) psuedo sliding panel / tablesaw, than some very expensive "name brands."

Some very good blades have performed well cut quality wise but are simply not a viable solution due to the turbine like howl they generate under no load conditions on my particular saw. I like to keep our neighbours on side, so not an option. I've discussed the matter with several very experienced "saw doctors" who say yes it happens in some setups and have suggested filling the expansion slots with a heat tolerant RTV gasket silicone. It works, sometimes!

For me a good performing blade gets looked after and used only for precise / accurate work, the not so good do the hack work. Overall I have found Freud / Diablo to be a consistent performer and DeWalt Extreme to be best value for performance - however - they really are a throw away item despite the manufacturers claim that they can be resharpened.
 
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