Two questions for Charles M. of Freud
hi charles —
have really appreciated your input here and at sawmill and woodnet. and i really like the freud blades i’ve used.
i have two questions for you.
1. just received a new LU82M from amazon, the uncoated one. i’ve used it in our group shop, and liked it.
since all the other freud blades i’ve bought new have the teflon coating, i am unfamiliar with what the finish on the uncoated plate is supposed to look like — and i don’t have a shop nearby that sells the LU82M, so i can’t compare mine w what it looks like new.
honestly, though it’s clean, this blade looks a little roughed up. the expansion slot gunk is intact on the back, but gone on the front. overall the teeth look sharp — but there are flame/heat marks on every tooth. there are radial and straight scratches on the plate. looks like the plate was dragged across something.
which makes me wonder: could it be that i got a used/tester or reconditioned blade? it was sold as new. or maybe it just sat around for a while?
anyway, the other freud and dewalt blades i bought new did not look like this (esp the teeth).
i hate to waste people’s time, and create return + re-shipping costs, but of course i would like a pristine blade — and no worries, safety or otherwise.
the serial number stamped on the back is 05000664-005701966.
and fwiw, the stamping has small rust discoloration.
your thoughts?
.
2. i have the following 10″ blades — so i am wondering which blade you’d suggest i leave on my 10″ CMS for everyday use.
Freud LU87R TK – 24T FTG
Forrest WW2 TK – 40T
Freud LU84R FK – 50T ATB+R
Freud LU82M FK – 60T TCG
Freud LU88R TK – 60T ATB
Freud LU80R FK – 80T Hi-ATB
Grizzly 8″ dado
FYI: in general i switch out blades on the TS. and i prefer doing xcuts whenever possible on the TS w a sled, etc for accuracy, but i want a good everyday hardworking blade sitting on the CMS.
most of the work i do is furniture, jigs, general utility stuff, and some custom veneer laminate stacks i make for jewelry items. i use a mix of hardwoods and sheet goods, ply and mdf mostly. almost no melamine or chipboard, and no countertops/solid surface.
all of what i do is hobbyist one-off stuff, and thus no production cutting. i will be making a few torsion boxes soon, but those are mdf + ply.
SO — can i put the LU84 on the CMS (because it’s 50T + full kerf) — or would it be better to leave the LU82M on it all the time, and switch to the LU80 for fine cuts?
i’m also wondering about using the LU88 on the CMS — good or bad idea? will it deflect because of the thin kerf? i haven’t tried it yet.
i have a walnut project coming up with 8/4 to cut.
thanks a million, charles!
cheers,
philip
Replies
Hi Philip,
Thank you for the kind words. The currently shipping LU82M010 has our new Silver I.C.E. Coating (almost mirror-like) and should be wrapped in shrink film protection inside the cardboard octagon package. The filler is applied from the back in a process similar to screen printing so it will not be visible from the front. The serial numbers are laser etched and this can sometimes cause a slight browning of the coating around the numbers. Scratches could be caused by handling in the factory but that's unusual. Your blade just doesn't sound quite right on many levels so I recommend returning it for a replacement. You ordered and paid for a pristine blade so don't worry about causing anyone a problem.
Of the list you gave I think you are best served by using the LU82 as the primary blade for the CMS and switching to the LU80 for super critical cuts. You may also find the cuts to be so good that you never have to switch them.
Here's more info on the Silver I.C.E. Coating if you are interested:
http://www.freudtools.com/news.aspx?showarticle=8
Freud America, Inc.
thanks for the reply and the link, charles --fwiw, the LU82 came in a bag, not shrink-wrapped. and it is not mirror-coated in appearance, not at all -- the surface is scratched/ground concentrically, with the other scratches i mentioned. after reading the link, it seems like this is an older blade. but my biggest concern was the teeth, which have discoloration that i have not seen on the other new dewalt and freud blades. in jewelry working that's usually a sign of overheating the joint but i am not educated enough about the brazing process to judge for myself, hence this letter. regardless, i will get a replacement from amazon.re: the CMS, that sounds good, and i will take your advice. out of curiosity though, would it be a mistake, in a pinch, to put the LU84 combo on a CMS? if so, please explain. thanks again.
cheers,
philip
Edited 9/24/2007 4:56 pm ET by flipstuff
It's hard to say about the discoloration without seeing it but I doubt if it would cause any problem. I don't recommend combination blades for miter saws because the large gullet is not necessary (it's for ejecting the large chips produced in ripping applications).
Charles M
Freud America, Inc.
It really sounds like Amazon shipped you a blade that was used and returned by a previous customer. I'd definitely complain to them about that (but still send the blade back to Freud, Inc.) If the blade came in a bag of all things, somebody screwed up!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
thanks charles and forestgirl.
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