Round in circles

[PerranOak]

I want a nice, cheapish circular saw.

I've looked at Bosch and DeWalt.

They seem to have very slightly different blade diameters, 160mm vs 165mm.

Is this a marketing trick to ensure mutual incompatibility a la Betamax/VHS?

 

[wizer]

No

 

[PerranOak]

Oh

 

[Degas]

I want a nice, cheapish circular saw.

I've looked at Bosch and DeWalt.

They seem to have very slightly different blade diameters, 160mm vs 165mm.

Is this a marketing trick to ensure mutual incompatibility a la Betamax/VHS?

Are you seeking advice on choosing a CS or do you just want to know about why Bosch and Dewalt have different blade sizes :?

David

 

[PerranOak]

Well, since you mention it!

I wanted a CS for occasional use and fancied:

http://www.buckandryan.co.uk/product.php?sn=DEWD23550&site=SUMMER09-1

Looking around for a blade with finer cut, I noticed that there were loads of slightly different sizes. What a pain!

 

[Degas]

Well, since you mention it!

I wanted a CS for occasional use and fancied:

http://www.buckandryan.co.uk/product.php?sn=DEWD23550&site=SUMMER09-1

Looks good to me - you could save a few quid by buying here:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Dewalt-D23550-Cir ... 7C294%3A50

Trouble is, a genuine DeWalt blade might cost you as much as a CS.

I bought a couple of fine blades for my Bosch but they weren'y made by Bosch and came on a two for one offer.

David

 

[OPJ]

I presume you're only wanting to cut sheet materials with this one?

 

[PerranOak]

Thanks Degas.

OPJ, no, also I get bit's and pieces from the off-cut bin. They're hardwood usually about 100mmx70mmmx1500mm and I want to rip/size these.

 

[OPJ]

...In which case then, you'll need to up your budget closer to £200 if you require a say that'll cut 3in. thick! :shock:

 

[Degas]

Thanks Degas.

OPJ, no, also I get bit's and pieces from the off-cut bin. They're hardwood usually about 100mmx70mmmx1500mm and I want to rip/size these.

Depending upon how many and how often you deal with these monsters, have you considered a bandsaw? Much more expensive of course, but very difficult to rip the size you've quoted with a hand held CS.

David

 

[PerranOak]

Doesn't it work to rip, say, half way, turn it over and rip the rest?

 

[Degas]

Doesn't it work to rip, say, half way, turn it over and rip the rest?

In theory yes, but in practise I think such a method would be inaccurate and leave you with a lot of cleaning up, ie. planing / sanding of the pieces.

If you really intend to do the job that way, a table saw would be better than a handheld CS.

As I rarely if ever rip such thick pieces though, wait and see what the experts recommend.

David

 

[OPJ]

Now that it's been mentioned, a bandsaw does sound like the better (safer!) bet for cutting solid timber. The finish won't be as good as a circular saw but, if you're only going to plane the timber after, that won't matter...?

Circular saws are still very handy for cutting large sheet materials.

Another issue with "deeping" (cutting from both opposing faces) is that there's an increased risk of the blade binding and jamming in the cut, as stresses are released from within the wood. Thicker timbers generally contain a lot of stress within and that could lead to kickback! :?

At least, if you do it on a bandsaw, there's no danger of kickback (the blade runs vertically) and you can always drive a wedge in to keep the sawn kerf apart, so that the remaining cut progresses smoothly.

 

[PerranOak]

Oh blimey!

Any recommendations for a reasonable (size and price) bandsaw?

Ta.

 

[Degas]

Oh blimey!

Any recommendations for a reasonable (size and price) bandsaw?

Ta.

After reading OPJ's comments regarding safety, I'm glad you're considering a bandsaw

It simply isn't worth risking accidents and none of us want to find out the hard way.

David

 

[OPJ]

For bandsaws, Axminster's own range is pretty good for the money. My advice is to buy something slightly bigger than what you think you need - if you think a 12" saw will do the, buy a 14"! :wink:

I've had a 12" SIP bandsaw (01486) that I bought from a seller via. eBay, about two-and-a-half years ago (a lot of the cheaper brands like this sell near-identical kit, bar the badge and colour). I've been pleased with it. Most important thing is to fit good quality blades - bin the one that comes fitted with the saw! :x Again, Axminster's own brand is supposed to be quite good.

 

[FatFreddysCat]

Another issue with "deeping" (cutting from both opposing faces) is that there's an increased risk of the blade binding and jamming in the cut, as stresses are released from within the wood. Thicker timbers generally contain a lot of stress within and that could lead to kickback! :?

I wholly agree with you on that point, especially on low-powered saws which are more prone to stalling and kick backs when deeping IMHO. There is also the issue of guarding. Our rip saw has a 20in blade and accommodate 7in under the crown guard when making a deep cut of 6in material. The rip fence is about 5-1/2in high. It rarely kicks back, but you may need to allow a good 5mm of waste for cleaning up if starting with rough sawn timbers. Band saws might be slower but they are a bit less scary to use

 

[big soft moose]

I'm quite happy with my little rexon bandsaw that i bought off blister last year

we've also got the axminster awbs 2 at work and although i'm sure its a good saw in theory we are having serious trouble getting it to cut straight in big stock - it works fine in 1" stuff but i was trying to rip some 4" oak yesterday and the blade was wandering all over the place

I'm fairly sure its down to us not setting it up right but its driving us nuts - I'm on the verge of sticking it on our pick up truck and taking it down to axminster high wycombe and saying WTF are we doing wrong.

 

[FatFreddysCat]

WTF are we doing wrong.

Probably using the wrong blade. You need a widish blade (3/4in or so) and very coarse tooth blade (2 to 3 tpi) to rip deeper hardwoods quickly.

 

[OPJ]

It could be one of several things, Pete... It may be simply that the fence needs adjusting to compensate for the drift of the blade. Otherwise, how old is the blade? I wouldn't trying to make that kind of cut in oak without a sharp, brand new blade! Unlike circular saw blades, bandsaw blades are made to be considered 'disposable'. You could also try cranking up the tension on the drive belt, if it struggles in the cut.