What saw blade do you use and why?

[Ed in Tampa]

Presently I use a the carbide combination blade sold by Shopsmith on my saw.
It has been resharpened so I'm sure the cut quality now reflects the sharpener rather than the manufacture. However I have always been satisfied with the cut.

1. What blade do you commonly use and why?

2. Do you concern yourself with the bigger bore or do you use the common
5/8 bore?

3. At one time Shopsmith claimed the larger bore offered a more stable blade,
I tend to agree, do you?

4. Is there any blade you have been disappointed in?

Ed

[berry]

I'd always used the blades I'd gotten from SS (I have rip and cross cut blades) until a couple years ago. I started reading more and more on forums like this and decided to try a Forrest WWII. (That's they're thin kerf general purpose blade.) I know they are spendy but (for political/social/economic) reasons I spent the bucks. I can say, without a doubt, it was the best money I ever spent on woodworking. My SS performs much better!!!. When ripping cherry or oak the machine doesn't work as hard and the saw edges are so clean on shop projects I don't even sand the cut edge. If I can borrow a camera I try and capture a pic of the same stock cut with a SS blade vs. the Forrest.

Having said all the good stuff, beware they'll rust in a heart beat if you don't coat the blade between uses with Dri Coat of some anti rust.

I'm sure there are other good blades too. I've use Oldham and Freud on my CS and been very pleased.

[dusty]

Whatever blade you chose, care for it and it will serve you better than if you use and abuse it. Keep it sharp, whatever you use. If too inexpensive to justify the cost of sharpening, discard it and buy another. A dull blade in any tool is a dangerous blade...believe me - I know.

If given a choice, I prefer Forrest but the only reason I have experience with a Forrest is because I received one as a gift. If only all gifts could be of that calibre. Otherwise, as a hobbyist I can't afford them. If payback comes as a result of the blade you use..then I say you get what you pay for.. buy Forrest.

I use Shopsmith blades and have been more than just satisfied.

However, I have two blades now that must be replaced because they were neglected over a long period of time while I was laid up for medical reasons and I have not been able to recondition them.

I have one Freud (5/8" arbor) because one of the grandkids bought it for me. It is a thin kerf and I think it performs better than some others but that is just an unscienific opinion.

While they are sharp, they all perform well. How much work can you do before they are no longer sharp enough, that is the controlling factor for me.
That said, I'd recommend Shopsmith blades. They are "tried and proven".

[hops]

I've owned/used just about all the "big names" out there and keep preferring the Forrest. It cuts clean - as the previous poster mentioned - so clean you don't dare mess it up by sanding! With a good blad your saw isn't bogging down near as much.
I've also heard that the difference in the arbor sizes really does matter. I've not ever seen that to be true, but I'm no expert. Now I've got only 5/8" bore in my shop.

bkhop

[mfcarpino]

I use a 80T carbide blade that I purchased at Harbor Freight. I think i paid $14 for it when it was on sale. It works great and it was very inexpensive as compared to the big name blades. I figure when it becomes dull I'll just buy a new one from Harbor Freight. Works great!

[reible]

I have not use any of the newer shopsmith blades... all of the ones I have from them are the old steel ones. (I even have some that are still brand new!)

When the price of carbide came down so most people could buy them (meaning me) I decided to get all carbide blades. They are so much nicer and stay sharp so much longer... no haveing to spend time setting teeth and so on...

I use to get what ever blade was cheapest with as many teeth as I could for crosscutting and comb blades for everything else. That was fine enough for a lot of the projects I was working on and so what if you spent a few more hours sanding on the big project????

I then started spend a few more $$ and got to notice the improvements in the cuts... started to use blade stablizers and keeping two sets of blades. One for general purpose like making a bird house or what have you... and a set for "fine wood working". No use wasting those good blades on just any project right?

OK fast forward to the newer blades like the red series by Freud. I dumped the stablizers as they did not seem to make much of a difference any more... the laser cutting and expansion slots, and anti vibration technology... take one of your blades and hold it on dowel, give it a small wrap with a pencil and listen to the ring... now do it with a Freud or simular blade....... notice anything?

So I still use sears/who-evers blades for common wood working and save some blades for the fine moments in life. I like Freud and I have in the past year or two started to use infinity blades as well. (http://www.infinitytools.com)

I have not yet purchased a Forrest but I might someday, as well as some other big name blades... I'm sure they could well be worth the money.

Blades make a big difference in how your saw works... it is really a simple way to "upgrade" your saw. Don't believe me??? give it a try and you will.

I have only purchased 5/8" blades in carbide.

A diamond in the ruff that I found is in the Garretwade catalog, they are made in China but to industrial standard... A 10" x 80T is less then $40 a very good value in my book.

Ed

[nimrod]

1. What blade do you commonly use and why?

I usually use a 60T "piranha" carbide blade, because I got a bunch of them for $7 (clearance).

2. Do you concern yourself with the bigger bore or do you use the common
5/8 bore?

No, I have an assortment of 5/8" arbors.

3. At one time Shopsmith claimed the larger bore offered a more stable blade,
I tend to agree, do you?

I've never used the 1¼" SS blade or arbor that came with mine, so I can't give you a comparison. However, it seems that "stability" would depend a lot more on the washer diameter than the bore.. is that part bigger?

4. Is there any blade you have been disappointed in?

Irwin