250mm Table Saws?

[Wade Lippman]

Some 10" blades are 254mm and some are 250mm. Forrest and Freud say they do 250mm so they fit the most saws. I googled and found that some European contractor saws were 250mm, but woodworking saws were 315mm. AFAIK, all American 10" saws are 254mm.

Am I missing something? Are there saws used in the US that won't handle 254mm blades?

[roger wiegand]

I suspect it just a reflection of how thoroughly metric-fied the manufacturer is. I've never seen a table saw that couldn't tolerate a blade over by 2 mm radius. I'd expect any ex-US manufacturer to choose the 250 mm standard because people like round numbers. I've seen 305 mm (=12.008") as well as 315 mm (12.402"). Why they didn't choose 300 or 325 I can't tell you.

[Rod Sheridan]

Some 10" blades are 254mm and some are 250mm. Forrest and Freud say they do 250mm so they fit the most saws. I googled and found that some European contractor saws were 250mm, but woodworking saws were 315mm. AFAIK, all American 10" saws are 254mm.

Am I missing something? Are there saws used in the US that won't handle 254mm blades?

Wade, probably not, I have a Euro machine that will accommodate a blade up to 300mm.

The issue is that 90% plus of the world, and therefore the tooling is metric.

Why make oddball sizes like 254mm?

My shaper has 1 1/4" and 30mm spindles. I can often buy a cutter on sale with a 30mm bore for much less money than a 1 1/4" bore because the tooling is from Italy or Switzerland and 30mm is common with 1 1/4" being an oddball special size......Regards, Rod.

[Lonnie Gallaher]

I am going to go out on a limb here. The difference in diameter is 4mm. Half of the difference is 2mm. 2mm is 0.07874 inches. Just a hair over a 1/16 of an inch. If a 10 inch saw is not designed to accept a 1/16 of an inch blade tolerance, there is a design problem.

[Rod Sheridan]

I am going to go out on a limb here. The difference in diameter is 4mm. Half of the difference is 2mm. 2mm is 0.07874 inches. Just a hair over a 1/16 of an inch. If a 10 inch saw is not designed to accept a 1/16 of an inch blade tolerance, there is a design problem.

Lonnie, I beg to differ.

a 1/16 variance in tool diameter is far greater than the design value of the tooling.

Can a Saw Stop saw accept that large of a blade variation?

Regards, Rod.

[Myk Rian]

1/32 isn't all THAT huge.

[Wade Lippman]

Lonnie, I beg to differ.

a 1/16 variance in tool diameter is far greater than the design value of the tooling.

Can a Saw Stop saw accept that large of a blade variation?

Regards, Rod.

It can, but you then have to adjust the cartridge to fit.
But that is why I asked the manufacturers, I have a SS and don't want to have to adjust the cartridge; they say they make 250mm to fit saws that can't take 254mm.
Freud make their Diablo and Fusion in 254mm, and their Industrial in 250mm. Go figure.
Forrest is 250mm, and Infinity is 254mm.

[Mike Delyster]

It can, but you then have to adjust the cartridge to fit.
But that is why I asked the manufacturers, I have a SS and don't want to have to adjust the cartridge; they say they make 250mm to fit saws that can't take 254mm.
Freud make their Diablo and Fusion in 254mm, and their Industrial in 250mm. Go figure.
Forrest is 250mm, and Infinity is 254mm.

I never noticed the difference in "10 inch" blade sizes until I bought a SawStop.

[Jon Nuckles]

I never noticed the difference in "10 inch" blade sizes until I bought a SawStop.

Same here. I used to like Freud Industrial, but I won't be buying any more 250mm saw blades because I don't like having to adjust the brake cartridge when I change blades. Guess I can't get a Forrest, either.

[Martin Wasner]

I bet there's more variance than that from one extreme to the other just in manufacturers of blades. Makes me wonder how small a blade gets when it's been sharpened for the last time versus when its new. I personally wouldn't fret about the difference on the average cabinet saw.

[william watts]

I had a 10 inch blade that I used on my Saw Stop. The blade had been resharpened and unknown number of times and I don't know if it was a 254 or 250 mm. The last time I got it back from the saw shop it was to small to adjust for the correct clearance at the brake cartridge. The saw still operated, the blade spins, it cuts wood just fine, like always, but what about the brake function? Perhaps The time required to stop the blade may be slightly longer? Didn't test that.

Bill

[keith micinski]

Uh oh, another reason for some one to hate a saw stop.

[Wade Lippman]

I had a 10 inch blade that I used on my Saw Stop. The blade had been resharpened and unknown number of times and I don't know if it was a 254 or 250 mm. The last time I got it back from the saw shop it was to small to adjust for the correct clearance at the brake cartridge. The saw still operated, the blade spins, it cuts wood just fine, like always, but what about the brake function? Perhaps The time required to stop the blade may be slightly longer? Didn't test that.

Bill
I'm surprised the saw starts.
You should ask SS that question. Their CS is excellent.

[Art Mann]

Uh oh, another reason for some one to hate a saw stop.

I wouldn't hate the Sawstop on account of that but I do claim it is a design flaw if it is really true. It is apparently not possible to use two saw blades in succession with a minuscule 2mm radius difference without adjusting the saw. In response, Sawstop ought to publish compatibility charts for major brands of saw blades. I have been buying table saw blades for 40 years and I have never had to consider that before.

[Jerome Stanek]

The company I worked for has 2 saw stops and I just asked them how they like them. I was told they have had one or the other trigger about once a month and none of them were due to contact with a finger. They do use them a lot maybe each is running about 5 hours a day. But it really puts them behind each time it triggers

[Wade Lippman]

The company I worked for has 2 saw stops and I just asked them how they like them. I was told they have had one or the other trigger about once a month and none of them were due to contact with a finger. They do use them a lot maybe each is running about 5 hours a day. But it really puts them behind each time it triggers


I'll bite. What does cause them to trip?

[Martin Wasner]

Chances are operator error of some sort.

BUT. A shop I used to work for switched over to sawstop. I'm betting they bought at least a half dozen and they had a similar issue.

To also be fair, the average employee is an idiot and all it takes is one.

[Art Mann]

If I owned a cabinet shop, I would only use Sawstop machines because of the liability involved and the stupidity of some workers. I would never buy such a saw for myself because I have already made it 40 years without a serious accident and that isn't just good luck over such a long time period. It is possible to operate a traditional table saw safely but one has to learn how to do that and be disciplined in his actions.

[Jerome Stanek]

I'll bite. What does cause them to trip?

Not sure but think it is the plywood. Saw Stop has no answers as to why either.

[Jerome Stanek]

If I owned a cabinet shop, I would only use Sawstop machines because of the liability involved and the stupidity of some workers. I would never buy such a saw for myself because I have already made it 40 years without a serious accident and that isn't just good luck over such a long time period. It is possible to operate a traditional table saw safely but one has to learn how to do that and be disciplined in his actions.

The bad thing is it costs a lot to replace the cartridge and blade plus the down time. I worked there for 8 years and no one had an accident with either Uni saws.

[Pat Barry]

So, these European table saws are designed for 250mm and can't handle a 254 mm blade? That seems very surprising. Is that true across the board or just a specific manufacturer?

[Erik Loza]

So, these European table saws are designed for 250mm and can't handle a 254 mm blade? That seems very surprising. Is that true across the board or just a specific manufacturer?

One of Minimax' competitor's saws only will take a 300mm main blade with the scoring in place, which is not quite 12" (305mm). So, it could be an issue if the owner wants to fit an American 12" main blade in there with the scoring blade still in place. It's a European thing, the whole decimal-increments. I don't think you can buy a 305mm blade over there. It's either 300mm or 315mm. To me, that way actually makes more sense but of course, we all already have 12" blades, so....

Erik

[Curt Harms]

Same here. I used to like Freud Industrial, but I won't be buying any more 250mm saw blades because I don't like having to adjust the brake cartridge when I change blades. Guess I can't get a Forrest, either.

At least until ALL saw blade manufacturers standardize on 250 mm.

[Rod Sheridan]

So, these European table saws are designed for 250mm and can't handle a 254 mm blade? That seems very surprising. Is that true across the board or just a specific manufacturer?

No. my saw will accept anything up to 300mm.

The issue is that the Sawstop seems to be built for a 10 inch blade which in the grand scheme is rare.

(Most tooling in the world is metric).

Regards, Rod.

[Mike Delyster]

The issue is that the Sawstop seems to be built for a 10 inch blade which in the grand scheme is rare.

Regards, Rod.

It may have been built for a 10" blade but there is enough adjustment in the brake mechanism to run the metric blades. I have blades that are 250mm as well as ones that are 10" and my older SawStop ICS will work with any of them.

As I said earlier until I had a SawStop I never noticed the difference in the blade sizes, if I would have had all 250mm blades or all 10" blades in my collection of blades I probibly still wouldn't have noticed, but since I had a mixed batch I did. Not a big deal in my opinion it only takes a few seconds to set the brake .