circular saw blades

[beechboy]

Hi All
I'm new here. I have just bought a Charnwood W650 (had it as a great deal, ex demo) Everything is working well and it performs really well. I don't think the blade supplied is so great though.
I would really like some advise on decent blades. I will mostly be using oak and beech for small projects and want to get a glue ready finish.
This is my first table saw.
Thank you

 

[krashbandikoot]

The thing with table saws is while the blade is new it can offer a finish ready to glue up but after maybe 30 or 40 cuts the blade does dull meaning you still have to run the ripped piece through a jointer or plane it to a decent finish.

When gluing up to make boards in my experience a rough(ish) finish is slightly better than a smooth one as it offers the glue something to bind to.

A lot of people remove the guards to table saws which isn't a bad idea until you stick your thumb on the blade as I did a few months ago, (pic at the bottom of this post)

That was carelessness, working in poor lighting and not paying attention to the blade. It's not a good idea to have the blade too high, it only needs to be a couple of mm above the stock.

Using a feather board on the fence will keep the work flat to the table, using another feather board and clamp will keep the stock tight to the fence though it doesn't need to be too tight as you don't want it jamming.

I removed my guards because I often run rabbits rather than using a router as setting up the router for repetitive cuts can be a real pain unless you have a router table. So for straight forward ripping I'd keep the guards in place. Also using a wooden push stick to run the ends through is far better than using a plastic one though if the blade does cut into the push stick simply press it down hard against the bed of the table and shut the saw down, DO NOT attempt to pull the push stick out with the blade still spinning.

Table saws are fun and incredibly useful when they're used properly, but abuse them and they're not forgiving at all. Also spray a bit of WD40 or other lube over the bed and blade to help with smooth cuts. Alternatively, polish the table bed and blade with bees wax if you're not keen on using an oil. For hard wood work slowly and progressively, don't force it through the blade, let the blade do all the work for you.


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[MARK.B.]

Ouch !!! :-& looks as though its healing ok an thats good for you , Flesh Vs Machine = Machine wins every time .

beechboy , one of members will be along soon to give you the name or names of the best suppliers ,oh yeah an welcome to the site.

 

[krashbandikoot]

That was it after about 10 days Mark, it's all healed now with a lovely scar though some of the feeling isn't quite as it was and it can get a bit tender at times.

It was my own stupid fault really, I'd already routed a couple of pieces on the wrong edge and was running through the final pieces to size. Instead of using a push stick I put my hand over the top of the blade and used my thumb to pull it through. All was going fine until the 2nd to last piece where I just touched the blade.

It's a very odd buzzing sensation having a blade rip into a thumb, not remotely pleasant at all I can tell you.

Needless to say now I always use a push stick and my eyes do not come off the blade no matter what AND I've always got really good light so I can see exactly where the blade is in relation to the piece I'm running through.

Right! Time to get into the workshop for me and start clearing down the backlog of bikes we have stacked up waiting to be serviced.

 

[carlb40]

Try freud blades. I have never had a problem with them.

 

[Bradshaw Joinery]

Give doug a call.

http://www.cutting-solutions.co.uk/

great blades, will transform a machine going from a manufacturer supplied blade...

 

[beechboy]

Thanks a bunch guys, I will certainly be looking at the link. I agree totally, since using Tuff saw blades in the bandsaw... magic! That looks like a pretty nasty piece of bladework too... bit rough on the edges, better get a new blade!! Sorry crashbandikoot couldn't help me self. Hope it clears up quickly.

 

[krashbandikoot]

The thumb these days is fine

Personally I think it's mended remarkably well considering what it went through. I'm just pleased I had the blade only a couple of mill above the stock I was running through or it could have been much worse!

Back to saw blades, I've found that every blade that comes with any saw is often very poor and it's always better to put a new one in. The only exception to this is planers and biscuit slot cutters for the proper biscuit joiner, those blades seem pretty decent. But when it comes to saw tables and circular saws the blades don't last very long.

 

[n0legs]

I second the Freud blades, they are quite excellent. I've got 2 Trend Craftpro blades also and they are also very good.
Now I know I'm going to get shot down on this one,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, but for just rough ripping, and I mean rough, I bought a couple of Screwfix Titan blades in their clearance section. 250mm with 24 teeth for £5.99 ea.
I've got to be fair they really cut well. They've got a decent lump of tungsten for the teeth, seem to be flat and true and they are disposable.
I see you are in Monmouthshire so it may be worth a visit to Hamilton Beverstock in Cwmbran. Stuart Hamilton is a proper saw doctor. He and Steve, his business partner, are full of knowledge and are always happy to advise.

 

[pcb1962]

I just bought a new blade from Wealden http://www.wealdentool.com/acatalog/Circular_Sawblades_120.html
Went for the 42 tooth general purpose blade, only tried it on plywood but very pleased with it so far.
When funds permit I'll probably add the 72 tooth fine crosscut blade from them to my collection.