Suitable blade for a dewalt RAS

[flytrapman]

Hi I am new to the forum and have recently bought a Dewalt 110 RAS without a blade
I have bought the saw to build parts for my Beehives and will be a light user
Although I will mainly be crosscutting I will be doing some ripping
Could someone please confirm what size and type of blade I should buy and recommend any outlets to buy from
Thanks in advance Phil

 

[Steve Maskery]

Talk to Doug Perry at Cutting Solutions, he will sort you out.
I should point out that ripping on a RAS, whilst possible, is very risky and is not to be recommended.
S

 

[flytrapman]

Thanks Steve

 

[Tom K]

Talk to Doug Perry at Cutting Solutions, he will sort you out.
I should point out that ripping on a RAS, whilst possible, is very risky and is not to be recommended.
S

Why do you feel its so risky Steve the are only a circular saw held suspended after all.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Using a CC you are applying pressure downwards and the workpiece is being pulled up against the saw itself.
On a RAS the blade is trying to lift the wood up and there is nothing holding it down. Coupled with the fact that many RASs don't have a riving knife or anti-kickback pawls, that adds up to a recipe for disaster.
S

 

[Tom K]

Ah I see. Luckily mine has both the anti kick back pawls and the riving knife I find the motor a little underpowered and just tends to bog and stop. This is based on just having ripped 36m of 2 x 4 into firrings (and having done similar several times) the only real worry being the risk of burning the motor out when it bogs down. RAS not the scary monsters some believe them to be.

 

[Rhossydd]

Can I add another caution to ripping with RASs.
The only time DIY has put me into A&E was as a novice user of a RAS trying to rip a bit of timber too small.
The timber caught before it had reached the anti-kickback pawls and hit back hard into my hand punching a small hole through it <ouch a lot>.
In hindsight; The piece of timber was too short and I didn't have full control of it on the feed side before it had reached the comparative safety of the anti-kick back device.

A painful lesson to learn at the time, but it did give me great respect of stationary tools and their ability to do damage without actually maiming me.
Be careful.

Paul