Shopsmith Forums

Which brand of blade do you prefer and why. I need to find a good all purpose blade that can last awhile. Price under $100 preferred.

I need to rip a bunch of 2X4's down.

http://cgi.ebay.com/SHOPSMITH-5-8-ARBOR-9-CRAFTSMAN-COMBO-BLADE-/200622998925?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2eb610058d

I have one of these that I find myself reaching for most times to rip. It cuts very smoothly. It is carbide tipped teeth and when it gets gummed up, soak for about 24 hours in straight ammonia. Cleans up like a new one. The difference in the posted one and mine is 1". The one I have is 10". Of course, you could use the steel blade that should have come with your machine for ripping.

I'm partial to Tenryu. Cuts well. Doesn't seem to bog down the SS in 2" oak. Recommended by the Scotts Sharpening. Meets your pricing criteria...barely.

THOMRIDER wrote:Which brand of blade do you prefer and why. I need to find a good all purpose blade that can last awhile. Price under $100 preferred.

I need to rip a bunch of 2X4's down.

I have a Freud that works well but I really can not say that it is any better than the Shopsmith blades that I use most of the time.

I send mine off to Forrest for resharpening and I don't know how they could be any better. Is there anything to consider other than balance and sharpness?

As for ripping 2x4s, I would not be using my best blade though sharp is still very important for safe ripping. I believe a dull blade contributes significantly to the propensity for kickback.

I'd much rather pay for a sharp saw blade than to catch a 2x4 in the chest.

I like Shopsmith blades and have found they only get better with age (resharpening)

To me the most important criteria is that it be a rip blade(as opposed to a combination blade) .Then comes sharpness followed by durability(how long it remains sharp under use).

Sorry I cannot recommend a specific model etc.

I only have Shopsmith blades and love them! Like Ed in Tampa, they last a long time. My 1/8" multipurpose blade is 12 years old and only got its first machine sharpening last week. After the sharpening, I think it works even better than new.

Although, I don't saw much pine, I have found that dish soap is a very good agent to clean up pitch on saw blades.

It's hard to beat a Forrest Woodworker II blade. Even though a combination blade, they do an excellent job at both ripping and crosscutting. When it needs resharpening, sent it back to Forrest and it comes back like new. They are not inexpensive however. Another outstanding combination blade is made by Ridge Carbide, model TS 2000. Ridge also resharpens blades to like new condition. It's on sale for $88 at http://www.woodpeck.com/ts2000blade.html

Either of these blades would make a good choice in either standard 1/8" kerf or the narrower 3/32" version. I'd expect the thin kerf would be the better choise for use on the Shopsmith.

pennview wrote:It's hard to beat a Forrest Woodworker II blade. Even though a combination blade, they do an excellent job at both ripping and crosscutting. When it needs resharpening, sent it back to Forrest and it comes back like new. They are not inexpensive however. Another outstanding combination blade is made by Ridge Carbide, model TS 2000. Ridge also resharpens blades to like new condition. It's on sale for $88 at http://www.woodpeck.com/ts2000blade.html

Either of these blades would make a good choice in either standard 1/8" kerf or the narrower 3/32" version. I'd expect the thin kerf would be the better choise for use on the Shopsmith.

I must agree with Art regarding Forrest blades. Then again I also have excellent luck with the Higher quality Shopsmith blades. fjimp

I have a Ridge Carbide TS2000 standard kerf and a Freud thin kerf.
The Ridge performs better than the Freud, it makes a smoother cut and holds an edge longer. If you order one from Ridge's web site you can get about any size arbor for $19 more.
I like the Ridge so well I just bought their 6" stacked dado set.