Replies

1. 
   BarryR | Sep 03, 2004 04:25am | #1

   I'm very happy with my Freud SD508.  No tearout in crossgrain ply dados, but some minor blowout at the exit in solid wood.  Easy to prevent by using a backer.

2. 
   forestgirl | Sep 04, 2004 12:28am | #2

   I'll second the Freud suggestion -- it'd be easy to pay more $$ and get less quality than with the Freud Safety Dado set.  I use a 6" set and am more than satisfied. 

   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" .... :>) 

3. 
   Michmesquite | Sep 04, 2004 01:21am | #3

   I have the CMT 8" set and have gooten execellent results in both sheet and stick.

   _________________________________

   Michael in San Jose

   "In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted." Bertrand Russell 

1. 
   lwj2 | Sep 05, 2004 07:12pm | #4

   Systematic (sp) has a good set. U.S. made, too.

   Leon Jester, Roanoke VA

2. 
   Scarecrow | Sep 07, 2004 03:16pm | #7

   Same here!  CMT 8" with very nice results.

   "in the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king..."

4. 
   RickL | Sep 06, 2004 01:11pm | #5

   Best is subjective. Some good ones already mentioned. You might also check out the one offered by Ridge Carbide.

5. 
   Fingrs | Sep 07, 2004 05:16am | #6

   Why not the Forest set?  Is it because they're made in New Jersey? 

   I have it and am thrilled.  For me, having a re-sharpening option from the original manufacturer was important, although the blades show no need for sharpening so far.   

   If you plan to use the dado set only once or twice a year, buy a Woodworker II and make multiple passes to create your dados, or use your router.
1. 
   forestgirl | Sep 21, 2004 08:22pm | #8

   "Why not the For(r)est set?"  Price, for one.  Forrest blades seem to be consistently more expensive than comparable blades from other quality manufacturers (Freud being my company of choice).  I've yet to be convinced that the price difference is justified by a significant increase in quality of cut.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" .... :>) 

1. 
   Fingrs | Sep 22, 2004 12:04am | #9

   I understand your point, except for one aspect.  I have several Freud blades that need sharpening (your earlier advice about cleaning blades was invaluable, by the way).  I asked the owner of the local Woodcraft store who he would recommend for sharpening these blades, and he had no suggestions other than to wait until the Freud rep was throught the next time to see if they now offer sharpening service.

   I think there are really two issues here, other than cost:  quality of the cut, and length of time between sharpenings.  I do not know when it will be necessary, but when my Forrest (thanks for the spelling correction) blades require sharpening I'll send them to Forrest and expect to receive back blades that are as good as they day they were bought.  Time will tell, however.

   If you have a sharpening service you can recommend for my Freud blades, I would be most appreciative

   . 

1. 
   bobJackson | Sep 22, 2004 01:13am | #10

   Look in the phone book. Almost every town has a sharpener in it.  Or call a local shop as to where they send their blades to    Bob

1. 
   bakesale1 | Sep 22, 2004 03:32am | #11

   Bob:

   Not all sharpeners are equal.  I've found some better at certain types of sharpening - routers bits - while others a bit better at saw blades.  I've spoken to the owners and in this age, it's impossible to keep trained workers around. 

2. 
   Fingrs | Sep 22, 2004 05:59am | #15

   I seem to recall ads in the back of Popular Mechanics magazine:

   "Make big $$$!!!  Learn to sharpen knives, saw blades and screw drivers using our proven method!  Send $5 for a brochure about our no-risk, money back guaranteed training program!"

   C'mon people.  We complain about Delta's high prices and such; everyone on this Forum seems to love Grizzly.  Maybe the "G" is good for the hobbyist, but they'll never make it in a production world.  The day one of those green machines shows up in my shop I'll start voting Republican.     

   I'm trying to make money at this business, and saving a couple of dollars on a tool (cabinet saw, saw blade, whatever) is, in the end, going to take me longer to make an inferior product.  I've bought good tools and I've bought bargains, and believe me, if you are in the trade, good is the only way to go.  

   Freud makes goood products...I own a lot of them and plan to own more in the future.  But when it comes to a tool that I expect to use on a daily basis for years to come, I refuse to go cheap.  So I now buy Forrest saw blades.  Neither I nor my customers deserve less than the best.

   Frankly, unless the manufacturer offers a sharpening service, I'll avoid them except for throw-away items.   

3. 
   forestgirl | Sep 22, 2004 06:49am | #16

   Yep, you definitely want to stay away from those magazine-responders, LOL.  Easy now, we're not trying to get you to "go cheap."

   I have a couple of comments related to your last post:

   IMO, manufacturer-sharpening isn't necessarily any better than a skilled sharpening company using state-of-the-art equipment.  There's no secret configuration with Forrest or any other blade that precludes it from being sharpened properly by someone other than a Forrest employee.  However, it very well may take some trial and error to find a reliable "local" source.  Kent (#14 above) had an excellent suggestion -- if you judge Forrest sharpening to be top-notch, then send your Freud blades to them. 

   The "I refuse to go cheap" comment sounded like a slam at Freud, notwithstanding your earlier positive comment about their quality.   A closer reading seems to indicate that you simply mean that, in your opinion, the Freud blades aren't as good in the long run as the Forrest blades are. 

   I have no disagreement with you over the priority of quality over false-economy when you're running a professional shop.  I'm certainly hoping that no Grizzly products sneak into your shop between now and November 2nd!!  :-Dforestgirl -- 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" .... :>) 

4. 
   Fingrs | Sep 22, 2004 02:56pm | #17

   Then again, maybe it's because I was using a Freud blade when I trimmed off my finger tips a couple of months ago...(they've grown back, by the way...fingerprints and all)

   Jamie, I like Freud.  CharlesM has been very helpful and all of the products I've bought from them have been fine.  I believe the difference in price between Forrest and Freud is due to the carbide used, as well as the sales volumes. 

   I'll take the advice and send a couple of Freud blades to Forrest for sharpening...

5. 
   forestgirl | Sep 22, 2004 06:59pm | #18

   Ouch!  Pretty amazing (and wonderful) that they grew back, though.  No bank robberies for you, eh?

   Let us know how the sharpening works out (I'm serious here).  The sharpening question comes up regularly.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" .... :>) 

6. 
   KesslerCraftsman | Sep 27, 2004 02:04am | #21

   As one that did/does buy Forrest (3 WWIIs and the dado set) I've had Forrest sharpen and I've had Leitz sharpen...both are excellent.  Leitz, in Dallas, is part of a national chain of 24 (I think) shops that sharpen blades, router bits, shaper cutters, etc.  I think they also sell bits/blades. I pay around $10-$12 per 40-tooth Forrest blade and think they do as good a job as Forrest.

   Good luck!

   lp

7. 
   forestgirl | Sep 27, 2004 08:22am | #22

   I'll take the "good luck" as a general thing, Larry, as I'm far away from needing sharpening right now (Fingrs was lookin' though). 

   Request:  Could you post the contact number for Leitz in Dallas??  When I do need sharpening, that would be alot closer than Forrest if I don't find a local outfit that does a good job.  Thanks!!!  I'll give Fingrs a heads-up on it too.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" .... :>) 

8. 
   charlesm | Sep 23, 2004 06:59pm | #19

   Fingrs,

   The differences between Forrest and Freud are many. Here's the two major ones:

   Carbide: Forrest buys carbide in standard grades. Freud formulates our own carbide specific to the application. We have 7 grades from C2 to harder than C4 and we have our own quality control.

   Manufacturing: Forrest manufactures each blade by hand while Freud uses extermely precise computerized machinery to produce in large quantities. There are advantages to each approach but consistency could possibly be an issue with a hand made product.

   In regards to sharpening, Forrest does offer an excellent service. To find a local sharpener that does good work you can inquire at cabinet shops in your area to find who does theirs. Often they have done the legwork and use the best one.Charles M

   Freud America, Inc.

9. 
   SRToolguy | Sep 26, 2004 02:27am | #20

   Charles, too bad we can't do the Freud vibration demo here... Sincerely;

   The Tool Guy

10. 
    shake_n_stir | Sep 27, 2004 05:41pm | #23

    Sorry to get off topic, but are you really going to vote for MR. "I will do it better, regardless of whether I know what it is or not, and the fact that I have been in the Senate for twenty years and never proposed one fix to any of the problems I keep rambling about"?  LOL

    As for me my Freud SD208 works great!

2. 
   Kent_F | Sep 22, 2004 05:50am | #13

   You can always send your Freud blades to Forrest for sharpening. Best of both worlds!

3. 
   forestgirl | Sep 22, 2004 05:56am | #14

   Sorry I can't make any recommendations for sharpening, at least east of the Mississippi, LOL!  When I come to needing sharpening, I will contact a couple of highly skilled WWers I know in the Seattle area and ask them where they send their blades.  As mentioned above, all sharpeners are not equal, so I'd recommend getting a couple of recommendations.  If there are any shows (gallery-type) in your area, just ask a few of the WWers that are exhibiting.  There should be at least one high-quality sharpener in your general geographical area.

   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" .... :>) 

6. 
   SRToolguy | Sep 22, 2004 05:44am | #12

   I have to go with the Freud as being the best medium priced dado set on the market today. The Forrest quality is probably less prominent in this type of saw blade configuration. None of the dado blade sets are ever going to produce a perfect dado in every circumstance. Only a router will give you consistently great machined dado's and then only if you are experienced in proper routing techniques which includes proper bit selection by the way.

   On a good day, with the wind at your back and your sails full, a wobble dado should produce a dado near the quality of a router. But, we all know that the drawback is the wear and tear on your saw?

   Sincerely;

   The Tool Guy