Replies

1. 
   forestgirl | Mar 18, 2006 08:10pm | #1

   For starters on the blade, get yourself a good combination blade and a 24-tooth rip blade.  You'll get lots of recommendations for the Forrest Woodworker II blade.  Expensive but excellent combination blade.  You can pick up the rip blade at Home Depot -- Diablo (by Freud), thin or regular kerf.

   Do you have a good tablesaw book?  Important!  for safety and set-up questions.  Kelly Mehler is one author to look for.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 
   

2. 
   PJohn | Mar 18, 2006 08:50pm | #2

   Hi -

   Blade quality DOES make a huge difference. If you're sawing wood and not nails, better carbide lasts longer and costs less in the long run.

   Best 10" blades are "priced" at $150+/-, but you can get a good deal in the range of $100 for most. There are a number of upper-tier manufacturers - perhaps a dozen or so. Most likely, you'll be well-satisfied with the Freuds and others in the $35-60 (see Amazon and EBay) range for a long time, and only be able to identify the need for a few truly "super" blades after years of work.

   The market for saw blades has exploded, and the once *really* pricey carbides have become ho-hum - there are lots, as above, and any known, serious maker will offer nicely usable equipment. My advice would be to start with the mid-range carbides (sale prices typically "$75 reduced to $32.99" or the like.) More below.

   Over the years, you'll discover that a few things you do seem to eat up blades, or that your blades just aren't doing as well as you'd hoped in some settings - *that's* the time to go looking for a targeted "superblade." If you get into commercial production, then they'll all be superblades (industrially, they pay for themselves in accuracy, durability under harsh use, reduced power consumption, and need for minimal followup smoothing.) Most wood-butcherin' doesn't require that good a blade, and many hobbyists won't see the difference.

   Runout (deviation from true, flat plane) affects vibration and noise, as does actual plate and tooth configuration. Nearly every mfgr has charts and explanations and a zillion reasons as to why theirs answers the world's problems. This forum usually will return excellent advice regarding experience with a wide range of blades - I hope you get some good responses. It's where I learned of Tenryu, much to my satisfaction and pleasure.

   BUT - you get what you pay for....

   Blades can be a pretty spendy issue for setup. If you intend to work while one's out for sharpening, then you need not less than 4. At over $100 a pop for best quality, you're looking at $400 or more for 2 each rip and crosscut. Perhaps you would get by well with only one of each plus a lesser-quality backup ... ?

   You'll need additional specialty blades if you're going to cut a lot of one material - e.g., melamine, MDF, plywood, etc. You might tailor your initial blade purchases with an eye to the types of projects you intend to be doing for a while - you don't need every type of blade ever conceived to support your early work. You will probably find that you need the ultra-quality for one or two types of work, and can accommodate the vibration, lesser cut quality, etc., on all the rest.

   If you're on a budget and trying to get up and going, there's nothing wrong with getting quite a few of the "everyman's bargain" blades and acccumulating the good ones at a more affordable pace. Perhaps something like one super-duper crosscut (about $100) and a mid-range narrow-kerf rip (about $65), plus lesser blades ($40-50) for other work (including cheaper crosscut and rip.) Then, *never* use that spendy crosscut until you can see that it's actually needed.

   I'd for years accumulated bargains ($50 and under) in "everyman's" carbide blades. Most cut OK (not superb, but OK), most are a little noisy, none are great. Tried Tenryu. Wow - No going back. My bargain blades are reserved now for everyday use, rough cutting, non-ferrous metals, etc. As you go along, you'll discover that costs will justify a number of blades. I have those "sacred few" that are reserved for fine work, and conscientiously change to lesser blades for less critical work so as to preserve the good'uns.

   Freud's runout standard is +/-0.003". I have SD508 dado set - pretty good, but not perfect. Runs smoothly. Just got the box joint blade (I'm lazy and it's faster than alternate setups) but haven't yet fiddled with it.

   Tenryu's runout spec http://www.tenryu.com is less than 0.002" Their Gold Standard blades are spectacular. I'm sold and not looking anymore (but still open to suggestion for even better blades.)

   Systi-Matic (Simonds) http://www.iksinc.com/ is not an item of personal experience, but I've heard great things about them, and past industrial experience with other tooling from parent Simonds suggests likelihood of superb product.

   If you find a bargain on one of the better middle brands, you'll probably be satisfied with the expenditure, even if it wouldn't be your first choice were all factors equivalent. Do shop EBay and Amazon, and do a Google search for whichever specific you're trying to find - there are some terrific buys "out there" if you've the patience to look for them. Amazon will always bring one up, but there's also a small-print statement about "new and used from $x" - follow that, as it's likely to display a much better bargain. Look for the $35-60 blades, and I'm quite sure you'll come away well-pleased.

   Don't ignore local industrial suppliers. I'd found the Tenryu I wanted for $101 online, then found it at supplier for $92. Actual total with/without shipping and taxes came to virtual dead heat, and I was pleased to be able to support a local merchant.

   Hope that's a little of what you were looking for.

   Regards,

   ---John

   =======================================================
   "What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone
   monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others."
   ---Pericles
3. 
   Knotscott | Mar 22, 2006 02:57pm | #3

   I don't have that saw but everything I've read about it has been positive. 

   I like to use a good general purpose blade and a dedicated rip blade for heavy stuff....I'm a big fan of the Forrest WWII 40T and I like the Freud LM72 for ripping.  The Ridge Carbide TS2000 is at least as good as the Forrest, and Holbren.com has it for $80.  The DeWalt DW7657 is a real darkhorse at this level and goes for ~ $50.  The Freud F410 is said to be comparable to the Forrest also.  If you prefer a dedicated crosscut blade, look into something like the Freud LU85R010.

   Good luck and be safe!