Forrest Woodworker II

[Brian Riley]

Which way would you go.......

The standard 1/8" kerf or the 3/32" thin kerf?

Why (other than the use on lower powered saws)?



Thanks again,
Brian

[Gary Whitt]

Thinner kerf wastes less wood per cut.
Thinner kerf equals less mass spinning equals more "felt" power.
That being said, my WWII is a thin kerf. I do not use it very often.
My Freud blades are every bit as good (or better) and cost half as much.
I have two Freud thin kerf blades.
I have two regular kerf Freud blades.
My saw is a PM64A.

No, I don't work for Freud, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express one time! :D

[Ed Hardin]

I seldom use thin kerf blades. All of mine are 1/8. I know the questions about deflections may be over rated but my blades are stable and cut where I want them to cut. My Forrest WWII is a treat.

[Brian Riley]

Well.....

I was placing an online order for some tools / materials and it wasn't untill after I looked at the email receipt that I noticed the Woodworker II was the thin kerf (it was the only one offered so I didn't think to look at the kerf size - just assumed it was the standard). I have a full-sized cabinet saw and it's rare that I cut anything more than 1" thick so hopefully I'll be ok. I've heard the same things in regards to blade deflection with thin kerf blades.....that's what bothered me.


Brian

[Bob Reda]

I bought my WW2 at a woodworker show and was told that if my saw was 3hp or larger I should get the regular blade not the thin kerf. Having said that I use a CMT thin keerf blade to resaw a lot of walnut on the tablesaw and I think it gives a better cut than the Forrest.

[Jim Becker]

In all but a situation that one has the most minimal of powered saws, I'd recomend the 1/8" "full" kerf bade. They cut just as well on almost any saw, especially when it's the Forrest blade. You also have more carbide for more sharpenings and don't need a "stablizer" to keep them running true under load.

[Brian Riley]

Great.....

Hey, anyone want to by a Woodworker II thin kerf blade?? - excellent condition - :eek:

Guess I'll just order the 1/8" kerf now.


Brian

[Ken Salisbury]

In all but a situation that one has the most minimal of powered saws, I'd recomend the 1/8" "full" kerf bade. They cut just as well on almost any saw, especially when it's the Forrest blade. You also have more carbide for more sharpenings and don't need a "stablizer" to keep them running true under load.Right on Jim - my sentiments exactly ! Wouldn't use anything other than Forrest - have been doing so for 15 years. I only have 5 of them though :). (2ea WWII 1 ea WWI and 2ea Chopmasters)

[Jim Becker]

Ken, I also use the Forrest WW-II 20t custom ripping blade as well as the Dado King. I'm very pleased with all of them as well as the service I've received from the company.

[Kent Cori]

I have the regular kerf WWII 40T for my 3hp Griz 1023SL and wouldn't trade it for anything. I also have a Freud glue line rip. The WWII consistently cuts better than the Freud when ripping any thickness of wood even when the Freud was brand new and the WWII well used. Of course, the WWII works great on cross cuts that the Freud can't do.

Buy the WWII, you won't be disappointed. You didn't say what type of saw and size motor you have so i can't comment on the kerf size you should buy.

[Earl Reid]

Brian, I have 5 WW11 blades, 3 thin and 2 reg. They are the only blades I use. I have a PM 64A saw with 1 1/2 HP. been using them for many years. Years ago I tried other kinds trying to save money,but none cut as good as WW11. I send them back to Forrest for sharpen. The one I'm using now( Thin kerf) has been on the saw at least 2 yrs.
Earl

[Dave Avery]

While I'm not as enamored with Forrest products as some of the others here, they are good, if expensive, products.

One other thing to think about. With my thin kerf WW2, I need to adjust my splitter PERFECTLY. With my 30T Leitz 1/8" kerf ripping blade, there's much more room for error where splitter adjustment is concerned.

Finally, I'm running a 15a 110V 1 3/4hp motor on my Dewalt DW746 (a slightly underpowered unit) and I can't tell any difference between thin and normal kerf blades.

Cheers, Dave.

[Brian Riley]

I have the Jet 3hp Left-Tilt cabinet saw. I had already decided to buy the WWII. I had added it to the shopping cart along with other stuff and it wasn't until I received the invoice email that I noticed it was the thin kerf model. The item page of the vendor only displayed one option and it was my own fault for not noticing it was the 3/32" model.

So.....should I jump through the hoops and try to return it and get a credit or just keep it and buy the 1/8" kerf model?

Thanks for the replies.

Brian

[Jim Becker]

Brian, ultimately, you'll likely be happier with the standard kerf blade on that saw, so either returning it, selling it or giving it away to a worthy cause is probably something to think about! (Somehow, I think one of the first two choices are what you are likely to pick from... :D )

Now, I still have a TK Forrest WW-II in my blade stack but very rarely use it. I bought it originally for my previous saw, a 1.5hp contractors' style saw, before I knew more about things. I could have sold it, but kept it around for the rare time that a thinner cut might be useful or for a spare when the regular blade has to go out for sharpening.

[John Olson]

Jim what do you use to resaw wood? I guess I am assuming that you need to resaw or may be you have a healthy band saw. I use a thin kerf blade for my resawing. I don't have the room for a big band saw. Also on long island we have energy problems. Too many people too close togeather.

[Carole Valentine]

When I ordered my WWII, I had a long chat with a very nice gentleman at Forrest.When I told him what saw I had (Unisaw) he said I should get the 1/8" blade. Apparently the thin kerf ones are more suitable for lower powered saws. Personally, the thing about wasting wood with a standard kerf never swayed me since I already turn far more wood into kindling through my own screwups!:o A 1/32 of an inch or so is certainly not going to make or break me. Besides, if I use a thin kerf blade, I can't switch to my throat plate with the MJ splitter without changing blades since they cannot be used with thin kerf.

[Dave Hammelef]

So.....should I jump through the hoops and try to return it and get a credit or just keep it and buy the 1/8" kerf model?

Thanks for the replies.

Brian

I had a thin kerf blade, It was bent sent it Forrest to look at they said they would replace, I asked if I could get a full size and they did it. You may be able to exchange it through Forrest, especially if its a new blade.

Dave

[Brian Riley]

Thanks Dave.....

I'll try contacting Forrest and see what they might be able to do for me. If all else fails I'll see if I can return it to the online store for an "in-store" credit and then just buy the 1/8" kerf through Forrest. They are running a special on the WWII blades right now.


Brian

[Mike Palmer]

I have used the Forrest WWII in the past but I have a new favorite. It is the Prestige Blade made by Amana. $49 bucks and has almost no deflection. To me, it is a heavier blade. See link for details:

http://www.amanatool.com/prestige/details.htm

[Jerry Olexa]

I have a Forest WW 2 blade currently mounted in my Delta Table Saw. I picked it up @ a ww show a few years ago where I was amazed with its performance. I used it on a couple projects including a large oak computer desk and recently,before starting my current project w cherry, I decided to have it sharpened (locally I was in a hurry) and the performance of the blade (both before sharpening and now)has been OK (mediocre)but cetainly not up to the standards I saw at the show or expected! What am I doing wrong? I've heard nothing but good about this blade and my +$100 investment hasn't really been justified. In most of my other tool purchases, when you spend some extra dollars, the performance is there!! Appreciate your thoughts!! Jerry:confused:

[Jim Becker]

Jerry, have Forrest sharpen your blade (or if you are in the west, Scott's Sharpening Service near Phoenix. Your local folks may have changed the grind or didn't have the setup to best handle the harder carbide, etc...or they just screwed up.

[Brian Riley]

Well I guess what I'm going to to do is install the 3/32" blade when I get it and see how much different it really is. If I do notice a good deal of difference I'll just hold on to it and go ahead and order the 1/8" kerf from Forrest. That way I can use the thin kerf whenever I need to send in the 1/8" to Forrest for sharpening.


Brian

[Alan Turner]

About 4 years ago I finally broke down and bought a WWII Forrest blade. It never gave me the performance I expected, and so it sat, little used. Freud blades were better for me. Then, with all still raving about the WWII, I went on the net and found what I thought was the Forrest site, and emailed, saying that I had a Forrest that was not good. The fellow offered to replace it at no cost, and I took him up on it. Now my WWII lives on my saw, basically off only for cleaning, and it cuts perfectly on 1992 Uni. I think the first one was not perfectly flat, and that is why it gave a less than perfect cut on cross grain. It is the 1/8" kerf one, as I see little need for a thin kerf blade.
Just a thought.
Alan

[Jerry Olexa]

Jim and Allen, THANKS for the tips!! I'll try the sharpening by Forest first and if not, discuss w them,,,,?! Thanks Guys. Your input is valued!