DeWalt MBF radial arm saw blade?

[John Lanciani]

I just picked up a new to me toy at a fairly gloat worthy price (pics soon) and I need a recommendation for a good blade for it. I tried searching the regulars, but it seems that 9" blades are fairly rare. I'm going to replace my SCMS with this saw, so crosscuts and miters only. Any and all help will be appreciated.

Thanks.

[CPeter James]

Make sure that you get a blade for a RS or SCMS that has a zero or better yet negative took hoo angle. A table saw blade will pull into the cut and also will throw short cutoffs. This is my favorite brand, but I also have Forrest, Freud and others. They aren't cheap, but the cut is worth the money. If you do get one, when it needs sharpening, send it back to them. It will come back better than new. They have big carbides and can be resharpened many times, but you won't need that unless you cut a lot or real dirty wood.

http://ridgecarbidetool.com/saws-and.../9-rs1000.html

CPeter

[Roy Turbett]

I just picked up a new to me toy at a fairly gloat worthy price (pics soon) and I need a recommendation for a good blade for it. I tried searching the regulars, but it seems that 9" blades are fairly rare. I'm going to replace my SCMS with this saw, so crosscuts and miters only. Any and all help will be appreciated.

Thanks.

There is a Delphi forum that is dedicated to DeWalt RAS's and RAS's in general. The consensus is the Forrest WWI with the TCP (triple chip profile) is the best overall RAS blade and its available in 9". It is also the one that is recommended by Wally Kunkle, aka Mr. Sawdust, as the only blade you'll ever need. There is also a WWI ATB (alternate tooth bevel) that is OK but not preferred like the TCP. You may have trouble finding the TCP unless you contact Forrest directly. Ask for Charles and mention the Delphi forum and you can get a fair price.

The other blade that gets mentioned is the Freud RU83-008. This one is easy to find.

[Thomas Hotchkin]

John
There is a book out there to set up Dewalt RAS by Mr. Sawdust. Also there is a group for Dewalt RAS on delphi. (people.delphiforums.com/snotzalot/sawdust/‎) and what Cpeter's said about negative hook very impotent. Forrest can make up a 9" blade for you with negative hook. Tom

[Vince Shriver]

I just picked up a new to me toy at a fairly gloat worthy price (pics soon) and I need a recommendation for a good blade for it. I tried searching the regulars, but it seems that 9" blades are fairly rare. I'm going to replace my SCMS with this saw, so crosscuts and miters only. Any and all help will be appreciated.

Thanks.

Forrest has what you need.

[david brum]

(OOps, looks like everybody else posted while I was typing.)

The guys over at the Dewalt RAS forum seem to like the 8" TCG WW1 blade from Forrest. It's made specifically for that saw. It isn't an advertised product, so you have to call Forrest to ask for the "Mr Sawdust" RAS blade.

The other preferred blade is the Freud LU84 which is also available in 8". It's a bit cheaper, although more of a general purpose blade.
They are available from Amazon, etc.

The reason the 8" blade is that it requires less power to cut and the MBF motors are easy to stall.

[HANK METZ]

The MBF was manufactured from 1955- 1959, and is called- colloquially- a "round arm", although "domed arm" would be a more accurate description as DeWalt did in fact make a true round arm saw in the 80's and was the type of tool that makes a great boat anchor. The MBF motor is rated a true 3/4 h.p., not the bloated "developed" rating that an unnamed devious catalog company made infamous. The amperage drawn is about 10 amps, and in the '40's, '50's, and through early '60's many of the average American home's fused load center was a mere 30 amp. service. Many aficionados use it as a shaper, where it performs well, but to get the most out of it, use a blade that is closely matched to the needs of the work at hand and no more, in most shops an 8" blade will fit that dictum from Mr. Sawdust himself. Finally, take some time and search the archives here as well, if you're serious about getting the most performance out of it, I assure you it can do everything a tablesaw can do plus more, in a footprint that is only 20% of what a tablesaw needs.

My DeWalt MBF Restoration

[John Lanciani]

Thanks for all the leads guys, I just wasn't looking in the right places it seems.

Nice work on your resto, Hank. Fortunately mine only needs a light cleaning and motor bearings; paint is in great shape and it's 100% complete.

[Charles Coolidge]

I recently purchased a Forrest Chopmaster for my RAS, its 12" I don't know if Forrest makes a 9".

[Don Jarvie]

Forrest makes a 9 inch chop master. That's what you want.

[Steve Mellott]

Hank - Great restoration and great documentation. Thanks for posting.

[John Lanciani]

IMG_20140221_153014_943.jpg

Just a quick pic, all put back together and ready to go. The saw needed motor bearings and a new cord, now its ready for the next 50 years. Thanks to everyone for the help and advice.

[Charles Coolidge]

Did you get a negative hook blade? Mine is 10 degree negative and it still tried to climb cut on me the other day when I was cutting a 1x.375 piece of aluminum extrusion with an 80 tooth blade.

[HANK METZ]

Did you get a negative hook blade? Mine is 10 degree negative and it still tried to climb cut on me the other day when I was cutting a 1x.375 piece of aluminum extrusion with an 80 tooth blade.

Charles, the proper blade to use when cutting non- ferrous metals is a H.S.S. type, even then take a skim cut on the first pass, then lower the saw in increments of about 1/16"- that's 1/2 turn, and clamp it in a vise secured to the fence- now use a push cut, not a pull- through to do the work..

Here I'm cutting a section of steel with an abrasive blade, but the technique is still the same as outlined above:

Cutting_Angle_Iron.JPG

[Charles Coolidge]

Hank I hear you but I researched Freud blades and their blade for non-ferrous metal uses the exact same carbide as their other blades. Wouldn't a push cut try to lift the stock up off the table?