Q:

I am interested in having a sawblade reground so that I can cut dovetails with my tablesaw. What kind of blade should I start with? Does the number of teeth matter?

Terry Lyon, Brooksville, FL

A:

My first dovetail blade was made from an alternating top bevel (ATB) combination blade. I had it reground so that the tops of all the teeth sloped 10° in one direction. However, regrinding all of the teeth on an ATB blade requires that a lot of material be removed from the teeth, which means fewer resharpenings later. A better option is to begin with a flat-top-grind rip blade, if you have one. In either case, choose a blade with 40 teeth or fewer, because more teeth aren’t necessary for the ripcuts you’ll be making, and they drive up the cost of the regrind.

If you don’t have a spare blade to regrind, you can buy a blade that is already ground to the correct angle. There are several companies that sell blades ground for dovetails.

One quick note: Regardless of whether you are ordering a blade from scratch or having an old one reground, make sure you specify which way your tablesaw tilts. A blade designed for a right-tilt saw won’t work on a left-tilt saw (and vice-versa).

Kelly J. Dunton

Kelly J. Dunton

Most saw-sharpening services can regrind a blade for dovetailing. Custom-ground new blades are available from:
Forrest Manufacturing Co.
Ridge Carbide Tool Co.

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