Laminate/formica blade for table saw.

[Patrick Walsh]

I assume i just want a 80 tooth blade?

On the other hand is there anything i should know or consider. Like does laminate trash blades so should i not go purchase a Forrest blade as I'm just gonna trash it. Or will a general purpose blade do just fine.

I don't work with laminate much to be honest. Actually i am just making a couple tables for my new SawStop. After that i don't see cutting laminate hardly ever.

I need to purchase a number of blades as i just got a new saw.i am thinking of going the three blade route. A general purpose 40 tooth, a dedicated 24 tooth rip blade and a 80 tooth finish blade. Oh and a dado stack. I am thinking or inclined to just purchase all Forrest.

Money is tight at the moment and i would probably get the most use out of a general purpose blade. Ahh actually i really need them all to do what i do.

So what do people use to cut laminate.

[Martin Wasner]

Anything really. The cut on a tablesaw is typically an oversized rough cut, and the laminate is trimmed to size after it is stuck in place with a router.
A finer blade would work best though.

[Rod Sheridan]

I use an 80 tooth TCG blade for laminate/particle boad/mdf.

I t's an FS Tools blade so it is a good one, the XL 400 series with harder carbide for abrasive material.>>>Rod.

[Mel Fulks]

Yeah C-4 carbide is better ,worth the extra money for cutting laminate, if you take care of it.

[Tom M King]

Since you won't be cutting much of it, I wouldn't buy a new blade for the job, nor would I use one of your new ones in your list. I'd use any old blade and feed it slow. What Martin said. You may need something against the saw fence to keep it from jamming into the gap. A thin piece of aluminum angle stuck on the side of the fence with double sided tape works fine. You just let the Formica ride up on the angle.

I think the last I cut was with a 7-1/4 inch circular saw plywood blade that I hadn't used for decades. You don't want the blade very high, so the teeth don't come back down into it at all, but it's going to ride up some, so maybe a 1/2" above the table. Extra helpers would help too, even with an outfeed table. It needs to be babied through the saw straight, or you can take out a chunk. It also stinks when you cut it, but the smell doesn't last long.

[Robert Engel]

Freud make a blade specifically for double sided melamine. I don't think the carbide is any different, but its cuts very cleanly.
But if you're just cutting formica to laminate, like the poster said, it doesn't matter that much you're gonna flush trim it anyway.

[Patrick Walsh]

Hmm,

Maybe i should use my track saw for this. I don't have a outfeed table yet.

The saw has a beat old blade in it that it sounds like would be fine to you. I was not concerned about the quality of cut but more about taking a chunk out of a expensive sheet of laminate.

The only down side to using the track saw is the $120 Festool blade in it. I guess in all reality it needs to be sharpened so no big deal.

[Mark W Pugh]

Do the initial cut with a router. Place the sheet on the project with a couple inches of overhang on 2 sides. Cut out flush on other two sides, done with 1" overhang on all sides. No need for a dedicated TS blade.

[Bill Neely]

Hmm,

Maybe i should use my track saw for this. I don't have a outfeed table yet.

The saw has a beat old blade in it that it sounds like would be fine to you. I was not concerned about the quality of cut but more about taking a chunk out of a expensive sheet of laminate.

The only down side to using the track saw is the $120 Festool blade in it. I guess in all reality it needs to be sharpened so no big deal.

FYI I've heard the Tenryu blades for Festool saws are good.

[Patrick Walsh]

I have heard the same.

I was considering Tenryu for the table saw also.

Saving money is always nice but so isnt getting something tried and true. I think ill stick with Festool blades for my Festool stuff as they are very nice. And Forrest blades for the table saw.

I might give a Tenryu blade a shot in my Kapex?


FYI I've heard the Tenryu blades for Festool saws are good.

[scott spencer]

A blade with a triple chip grind (TCG) will typically wear better in laminate and other abrasive man-made materials.