OT: Carbon Steel TS blades

[Trevor Walsh]

Out of curiosity, does anyone here still use high carbon steel blades for their tablesaw? Maybe it's even treadle operated? I know this is the hand tool mostly forum, but I figure I've got the best shot of running into someone here that does. On a side note anyone ever built a tablesaw, treadle or otherwise?

[Matt Evans]

I still use them, when my table saw is set up. I use carbide as well, but I can sharpen the steel blades myself with no problems, and since I have em. . .Also, they make a good impromptu dado stack when coupled with a few washers for shims.

I have been playing around for a while with the idea of building a tablesaw, but just haven't gotten it to the front of the project list. If you do build one, let me know. . .I would be interested in seeing a build. . .

[george wilson]

I have several,left over from the 1960's,since I never throw old tooling out. Haven't used them for many years though. They are 10",with 3/4" arbor holes.

[Johnny Kleso]

A lot of the non carbide blades made today are very fine toothed blades made to cut plywood..

[Stanley Covington]

I made a tablesaw with a tilting table when I was a starving student. It worked OK and the price was right, but it was a lot of trouble and I replaced it with an Inca tilting arbor saw as soon as I could.

High carbon saw blades are not cost effective, IMHO. They do have their place in a skillsaw on the jobsite that may end up putting a blade into concrete or when cutting lumber that might have embedded grit or nails that will destroy a carbide blade.

Stan

[Matt Evans]

The cost effective part. . .

I regularly see used blades at flea markets and such for pennies, usually .25,.50 or .75. a lot of 8" and 7.25", but also 10" and 12". for $50-200 I can get a great Carbide blade that won't need resharpened as quicly, cuts VERY nicely without a lot of fuss, but costs a bunch to get sharpened again.

For even $1, I can sharpen my own steel saw blade, use more caution cutting, a light scoring cut first, and a layer of masking tape to avoid tearout, and get nearly the same results as a good carbide blade.

I won't give up my carbide blades, but I won't knock steel blades either. If you have more money than time, Carbide is the only way to go. If you are broke, have more time, and a weekly sharpening routine? Mix it up and get a few used steel blades. The way steel prices are going you can make your money back on em in a year or two anyhow. . .

[Roderick Gentry]

There is some blade, a Sears planer blade I think, that many people like for ripping stuff that is semi-finished off the saw. I have one of those. And then there are a lot of HSS precision circular blades that I use to cut steel and wood for stuff like brass backs, or fret slots.

[Trevor Walsh]

I did grab a flea market blade a year ago, not sure of the arbor or tooth count but I think it's a 10". Originally I got it for cutting into knife blanks, but I think I'm going to wait on it and build a little tablesaw over my summer break. I was prompted to post asking about these because I found a group of steel blades in the back of my office, I don't think they will be at all worth while at the school shop, I do a fair amount of work on the TS there, I agree that carbide would be better for that environment.

Matt, since you are the only person I've met who's into building a TS, what say we start a discussion going about a design? To get the ball rolling I'll list a few features that I've been thinking about. I've been thinking about a saw like this specifically to build smaller boxes and cabinets. It would make small tenons, bridal joints, work with stock sized on average around 1/2-3/4 thick and >3" wide, and >30" long. Carcass sides would be wider of course, but I plan on that being under 14"w by 20"l ish.

Fixed at 90 degrees

2" capacity (an easy to find steel 10in blade may offer 3" cut capacity) 8-9" would be the preferred blade I think, but we might be able to design around being able to use a 7 1/4 circular saw blade for thin kerf, and use 6" dado sets?

Riving knife

Throat plates for dado stack or zero clearance

Laminated wood top (for cool points? walnut/maple was a old combo on some bandsaws) can we get it around 3/4 with enough supports? Will birch ply cut it? If that's not rigid enough a different material might be called for. Phenolic might be a good option, but it costs a bit more and considerably lacks in the cool department with it's plasticness. Polymer concrete or cast concrete top? that might also have to be 1" thick, but would provide a lot of mass and vibration dampening.

Handwheel in front for adjusting blade height (I'm used to this and would rather keep it this way). Or top could tilt for blade height, added benefit of easier access for blade/part changes.

Sexy fence, perhaps like a universal fence for a jointer? I've seen these on old tablesaws. Though a t-square style would also work. Easy to jig, for fence riding tenon cutter.

Any thoughts, omissions, additions, substitutions?

[Alan Schwabacher]

Here's a link to a discussion of several shopmade woodworking machines, including a couple of tablesaws.

http://www.finewoodworking.com/item/26522/need-a-bandsaw-make-it