Anyone noticed Freuds chipping teeth more often than some others?

[Nick Sorenson]

I have had a number of Freuds over the past year on my RAS. I also have a Forrest WWI (my main blade but at 60T it's not very good for ripping but it does leave a nice finish). So when I rip I switch to a Freud 40T 8". It works well when it's new but it seems like the teeth have a tendency to chip. I cut some laminate but minimally. The Forrest has probably seen just as much laminate as the Freuds have if not more and it's teeth are still fine. Seems like the Freuds have brittle teeth. Anyone else noticed this?

[Richard Dragin]

I can't believe you admitted to ripping on your RAS in a public forum. Hold on to your hat!

[Van Huskey]

Well that isn't the best ripping blade...

There are different types of carbide on different types of Freud blades, some more brittle some more forgiving and they are matched to the purpose of the blade, using it "off label" is more likely to cause issues.

In general I have not seen this. What blade are you using, is it a Freud Industrial if so which one.

[Nick Sorenson]

Well that isn't the best ripping blade...

There are different types of carbide on different types of Freud blades, some more brittle some more forgiving and they are matched to the purpose of the blade, using it "off label" is more likely to cause issues.

In general I have not seen this. What blade are you using, is it a Freud Industrial if so which one.

I've used both the Diablo and the industrial and both chipped and surprisingly seemed to perform about as well. I think it's an LU83 or 84 (can't remember without running down to take look). It's 8" and 40T combination. I have it on the RAS (old DeWalt) right now. I actually rip using the 60T Forrest Mr. Sawdust on some woods and it works fine. Not the case with hard Maple. But I don't have a splitter on the DeWalt either. A splitter would help a LOT. But how do you pull that off on a RAS? Seems tricky.

And yes to Richard, I rip on the radial all the time. I actually sometimes prefer it to the table saw (have an old Walker Turner cabinet saw in good alignment). I can get some really nice accurate cuts with the DeWalt both ripping and crosscutting. And yes, it's tuned very well. That makes a world of difference in it's performance and cut quality.

[Ed Labadie]

Haven't had a problem with any of my Freud blades chipping. The glue line rip on my Uni has been sharpened 3 times, still like new. No problems with the 16" rip blade either, been used enough to need sharpening once. My SCMS blade is a Freud also, no problems....
Just one exception, when I hit a #10 nail lengthwise on the 16" DeWalt GE. :eek: That left a "chip" in my wallet for blade repairs too. :(

Ed

[Don Alexander]

use freud blades almost exclusively and only chipping i have ever gotten is when i hit a nail or screw that i missed getting out of used wood even then doesn't always result in chipped teeth

[Van Huskey]

I've used both the Diablo and the industrial and both chipped and surprisingly seemed to perform about as well. I think it's an LU83 or 84 (can't remember without running down to take look). It's 8" and 40T combination. I have it on the RAS (old DeWalt) right now. I actually rip using the 60T Forrest Mr. Sawdust on some woods and it works fine. Not the case with hard Maple. But I don't have a splitter on the DeWalt either. A splitter would help a LOT. But how do you pull that off on a RAS? Seems tricky.

And yes to Richard, I rip on the radial all the time. I actually sometimes prefer it to the table saw (have an old Walker Turner cabinet saw in good alignment). I can get some really nice accurate cuts with the DeWalt both ripping and crosscutting. And yes, it's tuned very well. That makes a world of difference in it's performance and cut quality.


The LU83/84 are the same just the 83 is thin kerf. They both use a 4/1 tooth ATB/flat tooth design with slightly harder than middle of the road carbide. The carbide shouldn't be the issue BUT the ATB teeth are more likely to chip. You mention laminate, for laminate you want very hard carbide and a triple chip tooth and although the carbide is brittle as tool edge carbide goes the tooth design has very low susceptability to chipping this would be the LU98/97 blades. For hardwood ripping (up to 1") you would be better served with a glue line rip like the LM74 which has a triple chip grind tooth and less brittle carbide for thicker stock the LM71/72 blades with flat top grind.

In the end I have not seen what you descibe personally but you could try the blades that by design are better suited to your exact use OR just stick with Forrest blades in the future if they work better for you.

[Nick Sorenson]

The LU83/84 are the same just the 83 is thin kerf. They both use a 4/1 tooth ATB/flat tooth design with slightly harder than middle of the road carbide. The carbide shouldn't be the issue BUT the ATB teeth are more likely to chip. You mention laminate, for laminate you want very hard carbide and a triple chip tooth and although the carbide is brittle as tool edge carbide goes the tooth design has very low susceptability to chipping this would be the LU98/97 blades. For hardwood ripping (up to 1") you would be better served with a glue line rip like the LM74 which has a triple chip grind tooth and less brittle carbide for thicker stock the LM71/72 blades with flat top grind.

In the end I have not seen what you descibe personally but you could try the blades that by design are better suited to your exact use OR just stick with Forrest blades in the future if they work better for you.

The Forrest is a TCG so that may be the difference right there. But I also have a 5 or 6 LU92 1/8" blades and they are TCG. They're also missing teeth/chipped. I bought those used from a Cabinet shop (ebay lot). They were used for Laminate only.

[dennis thompson]

Nick
I had one of the chippers on my Freud dado get a chip in it. I sent it back to Freud & they replaced the blade for free. They have very good customer service ,you might want to call them to discuss your problem
Dennis

[Peter Quinn]

I have used Freud blades and cutters on every major cutting or shaping tool in the shop except the RAS and have never had a chipping issue. But I do work mostly with hardwoods and some plywood, probable less than 1/4 sheet of laminate has passed over my work tables..

[scott spencer]

I've used many Freud blades, several Forrest blades, and dozens of others without chipping, so I'd have to say I haven't noticed the Freud teeth chipping more easily. Two occurrences might be a nuisance, but it's not much of a trend, so I wouldn't read too much into it. It's probably either random, or has some other assignable cause.

BTW, the Freud Diablo and Freud Industrial blades are made with the same equipment, from the same materials, to the same standards, but the Industrial blades have thicker teeth to withstand more sharpenings, so it's logical that similar blades from the Diablo and Industrial lines have similar performance.

[Nick Sorenson]

I've used many Freud blades, several Forrest blades, and dozens of others without chipping, so I'd have to say I haven't noticed the Freud teeth chipping more easily. Two occurrences might be a nuisance, but it's not much of a trend, so I wouldn't read too much into it. It's probably either random, or has some other assignable cause.

BTW, the Freud Diablo and Freud Industrial blades are made with the same equipment, from the same materials, to the same standards, but the Industrial blades have thicker teeth to withstand more sharpenings, so it's logical that similar blades from the Diablo and Industrial lines have similar performance.

I thought it wasn't just me that they cut the same. After I used both for a bit I really thought the Diablo was a better value. Especially after they both chipped teeth. I think they were both 3/32" kerf.

[Lee Schierer]

My First Freud thin 10" 24 tooth kerf ripping blade had teeth that chipped, my newer blades (none are rip blades) have chipped teeth. Overall for the price you can't beat the quality of cut.

[Paul Janders]

I can't believe you admitted to ripping on your RAS in a public forum. Hold on to your hat!

Before I purchased a table saw I used my Craftsman RAS for ripping all the time. It was the fastest thing I had for producing cabinet parts. It worked really well.

However, I must admit the table saw is much quicker and more convenient.

[Will Overton]

My first Freud glue line rip blade is going out for its third sharpening with no chipped teeth. In the past I used a 50 tooth Freud combo while the rip blade was out. It's going in for its first sharpening with no chips. Since I just got a new table saw I bought a new Freud glue line rip blade to start it off.

My ras and scms have Forrest blades on them, no chips. In fact in 40+ years I only chipped teeth on 2 blades. One was a Craftsman blade which hit the table insert when I screwed something up many years ago. The other was a Leitz blade a couple of years ago. Never could figure that one out.

[glenn bradley]

+1 with Scott Spencer. I'll add that IMHO 40T is too high a tooth count for ripping and of course, a RAS would not be my first choice for that job. I am a poor judge as I have had no chipped teeth although I cut some gnarly stuff at times. Freud does stand behind their product and I would email them about your experience.

[Nick Sorenson]

I emailed Freud, I asked if maybe that it's the RAS taking too much of a bite when crosscutting that's chipping the teeth. He said he thought that was correct. I do notice that the RAS grabs more with the LU83 than it does the Mr. Sawdust (Forrest). The Mr Sawdust has a negative hook angle I believe.

I'd like to try a Forrest combo blade (or lower tooth count blade) on the RAS and see what happens. My DeWalt Radial rips at least as nicely if not cleaner than my table saw. Really for that matter, my friend's PM66 even. I compared cuts and my radial has almost no kerfs in the cut edge. It's as good as it gets really. I almost always use a featherboard with either saw.

[Tom Walz]

Making Tungsten Carbide is a very exacting process. It is also a batch process. If you examine them closely enough every batch is a little different.

I have been in the carbide tool business for about 30 years. I have worked with many tens of millions, maybe hundreds of millions of saw tips.

I cannot speak directly about Freud but just the industry overall.

Manufacturing processes vary. A management change can ruin a good carbide producer. A few years ago one of the best saw tip producers in the US became one of the worst when the new president decided to move the plant from North Carolina to Pennsylvania.

Carbide companies buy other companies and change the processes or re-label and substitute the grades.

Not all grades work equally well for everybody. My company has developed some advanced carbide grades. Our Super C grade is for sawmills and about 95% of people who try it, like it. However there is about 5% who do not. Our Cermet 2 grades are specific for man made materials. Here we hit about an 85% success rate. Our nail cutter grade is about 85% - 90% successful.

These are operations using a very specific grade of carbide developed for that application.

Another issue is that no person and no machine cuts exactly the same. Some saw blades just fit some cutting styles better than others.