Hello All,
I wanted to get a general opinion on a 10″ saw blade for a new craftsman table saw. It is one of their cabinet saws and I am building general furniture and boxes. What is a good brand blade. Is the Forrest blades as good as it advertises?
Thanks in advance.
Steve
Replies
I've been using them for years and I think they really hold a edge. For my skill level I have better tools than I deserve and for what I do they make things really look nice. Nice smooth surfaces. I never plane a edge after it's cut on a Forrest. Worth the money.
I have the ww II and it cuts great.
There are more old drunkards than old doctors. Ben Franklin
Although I am partial to Freud blades, everything I've read here, especially from the pros, seems to indicate that yes, the Forrest blades are great. The Woodworker II has a nearly rabid following. Keep in mind though, one blade does not do it all. You should, IMHO, have a combination blade such as the WWerII or Freud LU84 and a 24-tooth rip blade at the very least. No sense in wearing out an expensive combo blade on basic rips in thick hard stock.
One of the questions you'll want to ask yourself is how important longevity is for your blades. Some blades (usually the more expensive ones) will stay sharp much longer than others, and will also survive many more sharpenings.
A couple of other brands to consider are CMT, Tenryu, and Diablo (by Freud). The Diablo blades are available at Home Depot and probably Lowe's. Diablo blades might not be as long-lived as Freud's industrial line, or some of the others that the super-pros use, but when $$ is thin, they're a good way to go.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
I agree with your first two blades (all-purpose, then rip). For me, the next good purchase was a good ply/melamine blade (80 teeth).My goal is for my work to outlast me. Expect my joinery to get simpler as time goes by.
Yep, that 3rd blade choice really depends on what kind of work you're doing. I was working on some stuff that needed shiney, polished end-grain cuts, so I got the Freud Ultimate Cut-off Blade with what little money I had left ;-) Then along came the 12" miter saw, so had to drop some dough on a good blade for it. Next on my list would be that dedicated plywood blade you speak of.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Fair enough -- my cms isn't much and I hardly use it. A good blade would cost more than the saw did!My goal is for my work to outlast me. Expect my joinery to get simpler as time goes by.
"A good blade would cost more than the saw did!" Ahhhh, that brings back memories. The first saw I bought was an Ace bench-top 10" "table saw" that was on sale for $89. I actually bought a blade that cost about $70 for it many months down the road. Couldn't believe how good that saw cut after that!
Still, though, it was a bench-top, and found a new home via a garage sale.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Once read that Forrest blades must be sharpened only by Forrest. Is this true?
A bad day woodworking is better than a good day working -- yes, I'm retired!
I just decided to buy the infinitytools.com "cabinet makers ultimate blade package". It is a combination, laminate, and dado package after reading rave reviews on another forum. It was rated "Best Value" by FWW. use rebate code "REBATE15" for 15% off of $150 or "REBATE20" for 20% off of $300 order if you decide to go this route.Enjoy!
It's not that they must be sharpened by Forrest but some sharpening shops don't use the same methods/equivalent grit. Forrest goes to 600 grit and some only go to 400, or so. The carbide Forrest uses is micro crystalline. Carbide cutters are basically particles in a binder. The finer the particles, the sharper the edge can be. A good analogy would be trying to make a block out of concrete. If you use large aggregate, the corners won't be very crisp. If you use really fine aggregate, they will. Totally different scale but the same concept.Some sharpening shops are really good, some aren't. If you check near you, there will probably be someone who can do it. I sent mine to Forrest and it cuts great again. I have been taking my other stuff to someone local and he's familiar with most brands of consumer and industrial blades. I asked if he uses 600 grit (equivalent) and said he does.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Forest blades are not the only microcrystalline carbide blades. And, almost every sharpener has diamond wheels that will sharpen at 600 grit or higher. This type of information is portrayed by the advertiser as proof that his product is superior because this is what he uses, when in fact it is used by almost all of the medium to higher priced blades. Inexpensive blades are, for lack of a better term, cheap. They will perform poorly for a short period of time.
Forest blades are, as most sharpeners wll tell you, overpriced. They can be sharpened by any competent sharpener. Forest charges considerably more than the job should cost. But, why buy them? The are hyped beyond belief, as are Freud and other national companies.
Your local sharpener is a better source of info. You can get in his face if he steers you wrong. The remark about buying Tenryu, Diablo, CMT when money is tight is a mistake. They will not last and then you get the junk sharpened and it still won't perform as well as quality, and before you know it you have a pile of old blades that "sorta work" if you are careful. That is throwing good money after bad.Also, you can buy a combo blade from many manufacturers, but a dedicated ripping blade and a dedicated crosscut is the way to go. I can change out the blades on my Jet within two minutes without hurrying.
Saw setup also, as has been mentioned, is pivotal. If you set your saw fence properly, and use a high quality blade, you will have excellent results in ripping cherry and maple, two woods notorious for burning. That is why the combo blade is a mistake. It will invariably burn some wood, on the facing edge, and you will spend more time jointing or sanding it clean, than you would have if you had changed from the combo to the rip.
Some of you mentioned sharpeners you know as being reliable. I know that Scott Whiting has an excellent reputation amongst sharpeners, and so does Bull. Many of them sell blades you have never heard of but are the best buy for the money. Popular tools is a brand we sell, as do many others across the country. I, as well as Scott, also dabble in woodworking, so we have some knowledge. I also read FWW and almost all of the other magazines devoted to woodworkng. Read the ads with a bit of skepticism. As far as the tools/blades/ etc being tested they are generally well done, but they consistently only use national brands of blades to test, and therein lies the problem.
At the risk of being redundant, buy a rip and a crosscut. They each do the job they were engineered to do. You will not regret it. Sort of like now sharpening a screwdriver to do the job of a chisel. And finally, the sharpener will sharpen your planes, chisels, turning tools, lawnmower blades, and some also do knives, etc. (S)he will appreciate your business and you will have a one stop shop.
Sorry for the length
Harry
Harry
I know Forrest isn't the only micro-crystalline carbide user, but I bought mine in 1994 and there were less then. I got it at the WoodWorking Show, so IIRC, it was about $90. I hemmed and hawed for a couple of years before I actually pulled the trigger and while I should have had it sharpened sooner, I have only sent it in once in the whole time. I pay close attention to how much force I need to use and if/how much it binds. I would never tell anyone to use only one saw for everything. That would just be irresponsible and foolish. I have a Freud 60T blade and a dado set, too. The 60T is fine, but not as good as the Forrest, although it's not their best blade. The dado set has been replaced once and after cutting birch ply for my kitchen cabinets, some of the inserts are chipped again. I'm going to call the company about this soon. I have talked with my sharpener about alternatives to Forrest and he does sell industrial brands. He also replaces carbide inserts, if needed. If he goes belly up, I'm gonna be PO'd because I'll need to search for someone who does these things all over again. I also bought my bandsaw glades from him and they are great, at a low price.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Harry, I agree with much of what you said above, but must take issue with your comment "The remark about buying Tenryu, Diablo, CMT when money is tight is a mistake. They will not last and then you get the junk sharpened and it still won't perform as well as quality...."
First of all, my comment referred to Diablo blades only, not the other brands you mentioned. Second of all, none of those brands is "junk." And last, but not least, how much money any given woodworker "should" spend on a saw blade purchase depends on a long list of factors. One of these factors is how much $$ s/he has to spend on woodworking in general. Another is what s/he needs in the immediate future (how the $$ must be spread). Yet another is the rate (BF/year or whatever) s/he'll be cutting at.
To say that someone absolutely should buy the best industrial blade, with the thickest and best carbide, which can be re-sharpened the most times before being tossed is ignoring the possibility that said person might not really need such longevity, or be able to afford it at the moment. In theory, s/he would save money "in the long run" but the trade-off may not be acceptable to certain people in certain situations. I don't think we know enough about this particular poster's situation to say, one way or the other. Therefore offering options for them to choose from is a valid approach. As per my paragraph:
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) Do unto others as you tell them they should do unto you....
FG
To say that someone absolutely should buy the best industrial blade, with the thickest and best carbide, which can be re-sharpened the most times before being tossed is ignoring the possibility that said person might not really need such longevity, or be able to afford it at the moment. ......
We've had a discussion or two on blade selection and your comment above is right on.
Over at Breaktime the majority of the people insist that anyone that buys Ryobi is a fool!
I always make the argument that if that's all the money you have to spend and you need it now then what else you going to do.
I have a good friend, he's raising 4 kids on his own, he has limited skills and works in a cabinet shop that does medium quality work. In Austin TX that translates to maybe 12 an hour. This guy has to buy Ryobi tools because that's all that he can afford, he cant wait until he has the money to step up to a better tool, he needs it now. What's he to do.
When I see a question about tool/blade choice I give an answer based on what I think is the best available, I don't factor in the money thing. I do however factor the money thing in when I buy!
Circumstances dictate what we can do, hell does everybody on here own a Mercedes, live in the best house...... No, we, or most of us, are limited in some way by the circumstances that surround us. That's just the way it is. I don't like it but the guy down at the Mercedes dealership wont give me one of those cars just because I need to have the best, and I cant wait to save up for one, I need to get to work now!
Doug
Well said, Doug. Permit me to continue the illustration <g>. I bought a cheap bandsaw, maybe 4 years ago. Grizzly 1019Z, on sale for...hmmmm.....$350 I think? Now, I could have saved up for another year and a half (or more -- $$ was extremely tight then), gotten a $1200 bandsaw and perhaps had a better, probably a "longer lived" saw, a little less finicky to operate. However, in the meantime, I would not have been able to buy the Delta planer or Jet jointer, PC routers and various clamps, accurate measurement tools, etc.
So, what would be in my "stable" right now, had I held out for a much better bandsaw? A very, very good bandsaw (as 14"ers go), 2 crappy Craftsman routers, no planer, no jointer, no dust collector....etc., etc. I'd be happier, perhaps, when using the bandsaw, but pretty sad most of the rest of the time, LOL. This saw does what I need it to do, for 1/3 the price of the comprable Jet or Delta.
The smaller economic arena of blades? Same thing. If you don't have alot of money to spend, and you're just cutting wood on the weekends, maybe evenings, trying to save up for various tools, and not running thousands of BF through the saw every year, a well-made but perhaps not quite as long-lived blade will fit the bill just perfectly.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) Do unto others as you tell them they should do unto you....
The one prominent point that I glean from Doug's well written response is that everyone's needs and circumstances are different. The old saying, "buy the best you can afford" is good advice but is different for each of us.
When I started out, the idea of spending $100 on a blade for my $250 saw seemed ludicrous, so I used the 36T blade that came on my Delta 36-600 until I learned a little more about blades. Then I went out and spent $20 on an Oldham 60T Industrial Finishing blade from my local BORG...at that time I knew that carbide was good, 60T was supposed to cut smoother than 36T, and Oldham was a respected brand name. It turns out that the blade was terrible and I was very disappointed. Then I learned that I should have a ripping blade for cutting woods like thick hard maple, so I went to another local big box and bought a $19 28T ripping blade from Vermont American. It did do a better job on heavy stock....for about 2 months, then it dulled quickly and burned even when clean. Some months later I managed to score a great deal on a Freud LU84R011 50T combo for $20 at Sears....huge improvement. At this point I've invested ~ $60 (with some incredible luck) to obtain a good blade, but I didn't know how to do any better at the time. It's likely that I would have been better off buying a $30 Freud Diablo blade as opposed to the contractor grade Oldham or Vermont American blades. After two years with my first saw and a few months with the LU84, I had a new saw and received a Forrest WWII as a gift for my new saw....what a terrific blade. The idea of spending $100 on a blade still seemed like a lot of money, but I could now see more justification because of the results I was witnessing. It did a great job on just about everything, but I still wanted a ripping blade for the bull work to save my WWII for more critical cuts. I ended up replacing the VA 28T with a Freud 24T LM72 which did a much nicer job on the thick stuff and it stayed sharp. About a year later I found a quality rip blade from another manufacturer (DeWalt) that offered a very similar tooth configuration to the LM72 (FTG) but in a thin kerf which would allow faster ripping on my saw. I bought it cheap on Ebay for $20, sold my used LM72 for about $20 and now had the ripping blade that best suited my needs. I've since swapped out and tried many different blades out of curiosity and opportunity, since because of the power of the internet, I've learned to recognize the amazing bargains that come along, and have learned about the different models and quality levels that many of the manufacturers offer. It's my opinion that the better 40T general purpose blades like a WWII, Freud F410, DeWalt 7657, Ridge Carbide TS2000, or Tenryu Gold Medal (plus others), will do a better job overall than something like an entry level dedicated Freud Diablo 60T or 80T crosscut blade and a dedicated ripper, and the total cost won't be significantly different if you shop wisely. You can still add a ripper at a later time as need and money allow.
The folks with the smallest budget are the ones in most need of the incredible bargains that are available to maximize their dollars. The information can be confusing because of the dozens of choices and infinite opinions out there, but it is possible to sift out good information. Running to the local store when you need a blade is convenient, but is not usually the best way to maximize the value of a particular expenditure. My advice is to research as much as possible first and learn to recognize when the deals appear....and they will, then you seize the opportunity. For example - a few weeks ago there was a Leitz distributer offering closeout prices on a wide variety of German made Leitz blades, Ebay often has great bargains on Oldham's Signature line, Freud, Forrest, Everlast, Systimatic, Amana or DeWalt blades. Sears has offered some deep discounts over the past few weeks. Over the past couple of weeks I've found deals through Amazon on the DeWalt DW7657 and Forrest WWII's for about 35% off the going street price. A local homecenter is going out of business and is offering 25% off all blades in stock, and even those prices aren't as good as some of the other deals going. Patience usually pays off.
Edited 2/2/2006 9:26 am ET by scotty
"the idea of spending $100 on a blade for my $250 saw seemed ludicrous" Scotty, that makes me feel so brave. I put a $79 blade on my $90 Ace Hardware benchtop saw years ago. That one impulsive move made me realize "What a difference a blade makes" ..... ("24 little hours" ... you know the song?.....)forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) Do unto others as you tell them they should do unto you....
I was also in the market for new blades after picking up a used rockwell unisaw and read through these forums to pick up as much info as I could. Found a lot of positives for Forrest in particular. I then went to our local, and very well respected and knowledgeable sharpening shop. They carried a whole wall full of Freud, CMT and FS. When I mentions Forrest, they said, yep, very good blades, recommended. But in general weren't too impressed with combo blades as you would need one for thinner stock and another for thicker stock so why not just get a dedicated rip and crosscut blade for less, that can handle all thicknesses and which would out perform the combos as well (I will be cutting everything up to 3" thick). Seemed like a logical argument to me. Downside being that you would have to do more blade changes while working, but since this is a hobby the extra time changing blades isn't a big deal. For crosscutting, the FS was considered the best but at about $130 CAN, too rich for me. For considerably less was another FS which was similar but lazer cut instead of having copper inserts. Fine with me, as a hobbyist I won't be running the blade that long to get significant overheating. CMTs top blade was the same price and very good, but clearly not made to the same standard as the FS which was thicker with beefer carbide. As for a rip blade, I was advised, to get the Freud. Less expensive then the others, and as good or better then any of them. I think the advice I got was fair, coming from someone who has handled a lot of different blades. Last night I got the table mounted and aligned on the cabinet and made my first test cuts with the FS. Looking good! Still need to install the left wing and make a new right extension table, but first have to fix the uneven shop floor so the roller base works. Too many things to do...
Not familiar with the "FS" brand -- does it stand for something? Thanks!My goal is for my work to outlast me. Expect my joinery to get simpler as time goes by.
The company is FS Tools Corporations. They are a Canadian company that make blades mainly for industry. The only place to really find then are saw sharpening shops. They do next to no advertising, but seem to have an excellent reputation. They have a web site, but not much info there at all.
http://www.fstoolcorp.com/
I have a lot of FS Tools blades, between the school shop and my shop......depending on the configuration, some blades can be expensive, but generally, apples to apples, FS Tools are much less expensive through my suppliers and IMO better quality than Freud or some of the other brands. I put a lot of that down to the absence of glitzy ad campaigns.
I do find there is a range in pricing though; for reference, an FS Tools 10" combo costs me $59 Cdn through my main people. Freuds are a lot more than that.Cabinetmaker/college woodworking instructor. Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.
Ok, so I'm a bit lost. I'm a landscape gardener and have a portable table saw ($200 Ryobi) which works well for what I do (fences, decks) but is probably considered close to junk by many of you. However, it's what I have at this moment and I'd like to teach myself more about woodworking so I'm starting by upgrading and tuning my equipment to get better cuts and accuracy. So here's the question: which blades?The defects in the table saw probably mean it's not worth a top of the line blade is my thinking but I'm not sure where to go with this. I have a 12" Dewalt miter saw and a solution for cutting plywood that uses a guide and a skilsaw (EZ Guide system) so for the table saw I *think* all I need at this point is a rip blade. To sum up, I *think* I need:7 1/4 thin kerf blade for guided skilsaw for cutting plywood
10" thin kerf rip blade for table saw
12" crosscut blade for miter sawThis is my first foray into trying to build 'nicer stuff' so I'm trying to outfit myself with good quality, serviceable set of solutions without breaking the bank. That said, I'll spend the money I need to to get started.(and feel free to school me if I'm off course here...)
You are right in your assessment that you need a rip and a crossscut, and a plywood blade that you mentioned will suffice, for the time being. Tuning your saw as you realize is as major step in the right direction.
If you have ever been to a major woodworking show you will see all kinds of saws, from what you own to $2,000 powermatics to $6000 Lagunas, and up. You will also see many saw blade manufacturer's selling their wares. Notice that most of them only use a small benchtop saw to "prove" how great their saw is. W hat you have to realize is that the saw has been meticulously tuned. The belt frequently is linked, and the fences are perfectly aligned. Many of them also use stabilizers on their blades. And, they will frequently change the blade to show that it will rip and crossscut. What you may not have noticed also is that they only use the blade for a few dozen cuts at most. So, you have a brand new blade, perfectly tuned saw, and a gift of gab and hype.
My point is that if they can do it with an inexpensive saw then so can you. But, and here is the catch, you will have to frequently tune your saw and the fence, and make sure your blades are always sharp. For those who question my assumption that an expensive blade is something you can't live without and is the most important part of the equation I still disagree. If you can't afford a floor model machine that is something I understand. But if you put a bottom of the barrel blade on it then you will have wasted the value of the saw. Conversely, if you put a medium to upper end blade on a low end saw which you have tuned you will get good results and more bang for you overall buck.
I still hesitate to use this forum to push the blade I prefer and one we, as sharpeners, sell to our clients. However, many of the responders have advised you where to buy, at a good or reduced price, many of the brand name blades. So, without mentioning the name of my manufacturer--who only sells to sharpeners and some distributors- I will give some prices. My crosscut blade is a 100 tooth ten inch LRLRS with 15 degree face bevel, and I retail it for $100.00, more or less. The 120 tooth blade is $120.00 I also sell a 100 tooth triple chip for $90.00 All of these blades are C-4 carbide. Call your local sharpener and see what he sells. Also ask him how much he charges to sharpen his blade or the ones I mentioned above. Then compare that with what you spend to ship, sharpen, and return you Forrest blade. How long were you without it? Will your sharpener loan you a blade in the interim, or rent it to you for a nominal sum? Will he sell you and and/or sharpen your router bits? How about your planer blades? Chisels? Hand planes? Jointer knives? KItchen knives? Lawn mower and chainsaw blades? Scissors? Axes? ETc? When you establish a business relationship with your sharpener you will soon realize that he is a better place to put your trust and money than a company in some distant state who will only do one thing, at a generally higher price, and take more time to do it. And if they make a mistake, or your local sharpener makes a mistake, who would you rather have to talk to, in person or on the phone?
I realize that there is more here than you originally asked, and I hope I do not upset too many people. There is more to what you do than the bottom line. Remember that the bitterness of poor quality lingers much longer than the sweetness of low price.
Harry
I have to agree that it's worthwhile using a good blade regardless of the saw. Another benefit is, if you ever decide to upgrade the saw, you'll have your collection of excellent blades ready to go.My goal is for my work to outlast me. Expect my joinery to get simpler as time goes by.
Again, I have to second your advice. And it reinforces a message I try to get across in a second-year course I teach on tooling (not that I am an expert on tooling).....you need to have a basic understanding of tooth configuration and geometry to choose the best blade for the job, and a basic understanding of the materials used in tooling, to navigate the catalogues and through the hype. I often see the wrong blade being used in shops and sometimes the bigger plants; using the right blade is a cheap and easy way to get better results. And, I agree with you, putting an excellent blade on a mediocre saw is the best way to get improved performance....tuning up the saw is a given.
Also, as you say, use your sharpener as an important resource, for information, sharpening services, and supply. If your sharpener can direct you to what the local industrial shops are using with good results, you will certainly get good results in a home shop.....and my bet is it will cost you less, certainly less over the long run, than if you went the retail route.Cabinetmaker/college woodworking instructor. Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.
I am glad you had a good experience with your sharpener. He gave the adivce I did. Buy a dedicated rip and a dedicated crosscut. You can change the blade faster than you can sand or joint the edges.
Inadvertently I lumped Diablo, CMT, Tenryu together and called them junk. The diablo is closest to junk, and the Tenryu isn't much better. I reserve judgment on the CMT. I still stand by my conclusion. Buying an inexpensive blade because that's all you have is a mistake. Did you buy Yugo because they were cheap? Do you buy used tires and put them on your $10,000 truck? Both rhetorical.
I have owned Tenryu, Diablo(only for rough cutting on a construction site ) and Forest, among many others. For a rip blade I have had my best success with a 24 tooth, and for years on my Inca Table saw consistently ripped three inch think material witha steel blade. However, since I can sharpen my own blades I don't recommend steel for anyone else. It WILL sharpen to a sharper edge than carbide, but it won't hold it for very long. As an analogy take any single edge razor blade. VERY sharp, but if you start to carve wood with it it will lose its edge quickly.
Re Forest I still have two of them. They are/were expensive and they are/were good blades. But, they are not the best dollar for dollar buy on the market. I do not want to use this forum to sell any one particular blade as the best. However, I use a 100 tooth blade on both my 3hp Jet and my Hitachi 10 Sliding miter. The cut is phenomenol. IT NEVER NEEDS TO BE SANDED. Tearout is almost non-existent, and is non-existent when I use a backer board. Yes, I can sharpen it when ever I need to, but it holds the edge better than any other blade I have, including the Forrest.
My father was poor as a church mouse and always had junk to work with. He told me to never buy junk. Wait and buy quality. I didn't listen at first but he was right. Quality pays off in the long run in dollars, any your product will actually be better.
There are of course other blades you will need for plywood, melamine, plastic, metal, or whatever your medium, but the rip and the crosscut are essential, and no Combo blade can equal either one of them on its own. Period.
Finally, I did not intend to upset Forest Girl, and if I offended I apologize, but when I spend $6-10 a board foot for lumber, and need 50-100 board feet for the project, the cost of a quality blade is really minimal. And even if you only use that much lumber in a year or two the investment in the proper blade is still a better buy.
Excuse the length.
Harry
Ditto to that....I've been saying that on this board for years....Forrest are over-priced and over-hyped. They're a decent blade, but you will get equal performance at a much lower price than Forrest form good industrial brands like FS Tool, Leuco, Gladu etc....but those blades are usually available from industrial houses or sharpeners. Those brands don't have the advertising campaigns, and they usually don't sell through the hobbyist supply places, but they are good. All the good industrial blades use the appropriate grade of carbide...Forrest didn't invent C4, all the good brands use the appropriate grade for the purpose (which may or may not be C4).
And any good sharpener can sharpen Forrest just fine. It's not magic.Cabinetmaker/college woodworking instructor. Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.
The only negative I've heard about Forrest is that the clearance angle on the teeth is such that the blade picks up pitch when used with softwoods such as pine. This is easily fixed with a good blade cleaner, and is best done BEFORE the heat buildup caused by the pitch effectively dulls the blade.I have a Systematic 24-tooth rip blade which is at least 20 years old, and it's only been resharpened three times. My other blades are a Systematic combo for general work, and finishing cuts are done by either a Ridge Carbide or Freud Ultimate Cut-off, depending on my mood. It might be worth noting that I cut most joints which require square edges eg., tenons with my rip blade because the teeth are ground flat and square.Regards,Ron
Forest, I think on a weeker saw, Maybe he should use a thin kerf. They glide through material and they have developed stiffer steel for these blades, What do you think?
-LOU
I haven't used a thin kerf enough to really develop an opinion. I have a pretty "weak" saw myself -- 1.5HP Jet -- and the primary thing I did to improve performance was to put a link belt on it.
The thin vs. standard kerf thing is almost as contentious an issue and Ford vs. Chevy, Forrest vs. anythingelse, but it doesn't seem like opinions are based on actual problems with current thin kerf blades. I think you're probably correct that they've improved considerably since first introduced.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
I haven't tried a thin kerf blade for one reason: my saw manufacturer doesn't recommend using one with the factory guard/splitter. If I can't use the guard/splitter for normal cuts, I won't use the blade.
FG.
I would like to remind our readers,that no matter what the cost or configuration of the blade,proper alignment of the saw and it`s components,will in a great measure,determine the quality of the cut.Work safely
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬PAT¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬
Your right on with that one Pat! Alignment will as much good as a new motor or blade! BTW - The Forrest WWII 40T TK is currently on sale for $70.84 delivered through Amazon! Upon checking out, a $10 accessory discount will automaticaly be applied. Select free s/h and your good to go:Forrest WW10407100 Woodworker II 10", 40-Tooth Blade for Table Saws (3/32" Thin Kerf).
Items: $80.84
Shipping & Handling: $9.99
Super Saver Discount: -$9.99
Acc Savings, $75: -$10.00
Total Before Tax: $70.84
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Order Total: $70.84
Jamie, as always a very balanced acccurate assessment of the subject. I mean, you coulda started a fight over it but didnt (dern!).......thanks. 8-)aloha, mike
Hi Steve - I highly recommend the Forrest WWII..."yes" it delivers as advertised IMHO. I also have a Ridge Carbide TS2000 that's similar to the WWII, and a Ridgid 60T that's good but not quite in the same league. None of my other blades have cut as well as the Forrest either, and some of those were pretty good.
I agree with forestgirl about getting a ripper... I also have a 24T DeWalt TK ripper for really heavy stuff.
Ya know forestgirl...with a name like that you really should get a WWII! ;-)
http://www.epinions.com/content_145552674436
What blade came with the saw? I had heard that the cabinet saws came with a pretty good blade.
As others have said, you'll want to get your saw dialed in as well as you can. No blade will give good cuts if it's misaligned.
For my money, the Forrest is even better than the advertising. I have pretty much left my jointer under the cover since I started using these guys. Also, I send them back to Forrest for sharpening when they need it. I've also had them replace missing teeth that fell victim to an errant piece of steel or a really hard knot. Comes back like new. Great product. Great service.
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
I have a Unisaw annd bought 2 Everlast AGP 1040 blades. I found they're nice all-around blades and selected that model based on a FWW review (I recall) about 2 years ago. I should tell you that I bought them though a local professional sharpener who knows steel quality - I'd say ask your local sharpener who services commercial accounts. BTW, I'm just a weekend woodworker.
Geeze Dave, I thought I was the only person who saw how good the Everlast blades are. I bought a couple of them on sale early last summer, a 10-80 T.C.G. and a 10-40 T.C.G., and I use them almost exclusively now. Good clean, crisp, no-jointing-needed cuts in both crosscut and rip. I also bought them at my sharpener's place of business...Tim
The WW 11 will do everything. Especially good with plywood.
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