Forrest WWII Review - GREAT Blade for cutting Aluminum

[Doug Shepard]

I know this because....

74215

Not satisfied with just mitering some 8/4 purpleheart, I decided to really put the blade to a test, althought the purpleheart was probably harder. Now this wasn't a very fair test as half of the cut was made about 5 years ago with a Freud 80 tooth. But I think when my sub-conscious finally has me sawing the JDS in half so's I can get a Jessem or Incra, this WWII is going to work just fine:o . One of these days, I may just learn to slide that fence over when mitering.

[Jim Becker]

Ooops!

Using the miter on the other side of the blade is also a helpful thing in this respect...away from the tilt. And a sacrificial fence will still give you a nice view of the cut line!

[Jim Dunn]

Ooops!

Using the miter on the other side of the blade is also a helpful thing in this respect...away from the tilt. And a sacrificial fence will still give you a nice view of the cut line!

Doug if you wanted a shorter or smaller fence I could have saved you the trouble and sent you one of mine.:rolleyes:

[Doug Shepard]

I just cant believe I've managed to do this TWICE.:mad: It takes all of about 5 seconds to loosen the 2 ratcheting levers that hold the fence to the miter head and slide it out of the way. The first time cured me for around 5 years. Maybe this is good for another 5.

[frank shic]

doh!

use the fence, luke - but don't cut it!

[Gary Herrmann]

Um, if you continue the miter cut all the way thru the fence, maybe it will make it more aerodynamic?

[Doug Mason]

Been there.Done that!

[Doug Shepard]

Look folks at the cool mod I did to my miter gauge. It's a zero clearance slot to prevent tearout on the back of 45° miter cuts.

Yeah, that's it....

[Kevin Groenke]

Doug,

That would have cost you $160 if you'd been using a SawStop tablesaw; been there, done that (x3 I think).

We've since replaced knobs that allow quick fence adjustment with torx head bolts that require a "special" tool, thus requiring thought and maybe saving us the $120+ for a new brake cartridge and blade. Working so far.

Actually our miter gauges and sliding table fences are cut at 45, just like your's is so that they can be close to the blade when it's at 90, but allow tilting through 45 without hitting the fence.

I would go ahead and finish that cut, those sharp corners can be nasty, maybe use a TCG blade tough.

-kg

[Randal Stevenson]

Doesn't Forrest have a recommended aluminum cutting blade? I wonder the quality of cut difference:rolleyes:


Thanks for the reminder to slide the gauge forward to test the cut clearance.

[Doug Shepard]

I was only half joking about it working great. The cut is extremely clean. It powered right through 2" thick purpleheart 4" wide, then 1-1/2" of aluminum without a hitch. The first clue I had that there was a doofus in the shop was when I wondered what kind of wierd purpleheart I bought that was making strange shiny sawdust.:o It's amazing the blinders you can have on when you're concentrating on lining up a layout line with the blade on the front side, while 4" behind that is a surprise in store.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Looks like you have the same model of "Stupid Light" that I do. It comes on too late! Wish I could find one that comes on sooner, but I don't think they are available. If they were, they probably wouldn't match the voltage in MY SHOP! My son cut a slot in one of the wings of my old Craftsman TS with my GOOD circular saw and blade. Made my day. It wasn't a cheap blade.

[frank shic]

Look folks at the cool mod I did to my miter gauge. It's a zero clearance slot to prevent tearout on the back of 45° miter cuts.

Yeah, that's it....

doug, you're KILLING me! i remember not too long ago while cutting a circle with a jigsaw... "hey, why are sparks flying up from the wood..."

[Brian Weick]

I can see where that would "cut down" (no pun intended) on the tare out- good idea- I like the out feed roller system- did you buy that or hand craft that system Doug?
Have a great day Doug!
Brian

[David Weaver]

I was only half joking about it working great. The cut is extremely clean. It powered right through 2" thick purpleheart 4" wide, then 1-1/2" of aluminum without a hitch. The first clue I had that there was a doofus in the shop was when I wondered what kind of wierd purpleheart I bought that was making strange shiny sawdust.:o It's amazing the blinders you can have on when you're concentrating on lining up a layout line with the blade on the front side, while 4" behind that is a surprise in store.

I was about to comment on the quality of the cut. It looks very nice and clean, and while it might not be Forrest's best aluminum cutter, it looks like it's up to the job.

[Doug Shepard]

Brian
The rollers are an HTC folding roller table. It works great although I had a couple installation issues to get past. If I had a stationary setup I'd probably just make something, but everything is on wheels in my GaShop so the HTC has worked out great.