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Thread: The essential table saw blade quiver

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2007
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    The essential table saw blade quiver

    When watching shop tour videos & saw reviews, I see a lot of people with a significant blade collection for their table saw.

    What do you consider to be the "essential few" when it coms to saw blades?

    I assume this would include:


    1. ATG Rip (about 24T on 10" blade) for dedicated ripping sessions
    2. High(ish) tooth count combination ATB for cross-cut & daily use (say, 50T on 10" blade)
    3. Dado stack


    Assume all would be carbide these days.

    Should the well equipped saw start out with anything else?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
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    Griswold Connecticut
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    A blade for plywood would be one to have at hand.
    "The first thing you need to know, will likely be the last thing you learn." (Unknown)

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    Westchester County NY
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    90
    Minimalist set would be this-

    1.Freud premier fusion thin kerf for ripping, cross cutting and plywood.

    2.Full kerf Flat top rip blade for joinery.

    For luxury-
    The above two blades plus:
    Dado stack
    80-90 tooth blade for super clean plywood cuts
    Thin kerf rip blade

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Toronto Ontario
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    11,247
    Hi, I have

    a couple TCG 80 tooth blades for melamine

    a 24 tooth flat topped rip blade

    a 12" 30 tooth ATB blade used to break down rough stock

    a 1/16" thick grooving blade

    a 40 tooth combination blade

    an 80 and 60 tooth ATB crosscut blade

    a 30 tooth ATB for when the neighbourhood kid comes over with his prized piece of plywood he found in a ditch

    a 6 inch dado set

    I also have a split scoring saw blade (my saw has scoring).

    regards, Rod.

  5. #5
    Ross, it depends somewhat on what materials you're using.

    There are really only 2 "essentials": xcut and rip. Some guys would say 1: a combination blade as long as you use the highest quality blade you can afford. I think if I were going this route I would go straight to a Forrest blade. WW10487125

    I primarily work with hardwoods and plywood. I rarely deal with high resin woods.

    The 3 blades I use constantly are a 60T, 30 glue line rip, 24 flat top rip.

    The DS melamine blades leave extremely clean xcuts in plywood. Freud LU97R010

    The ATG rip or "glue line" rip type blade is very nice but not "essential" IMO. However, I do use it constantly for ripping simply because it gives a cleaner cut with less burning. When nicely sharp, it performs even for xcutting. Freud LM74M010 10.

    A 24T flat top grind blade to your list for grooves, rabbets, tenons, etc. CMT 201.024.10

    One could actually get by w/o a dado stack so it wouldn't be on the list of "essentials" IMO.

    The other factor is the blade quality. I mainly use CMT and Freud Industrial (the chrome blades, not the red teflon - IMO there is a difference).

    I would stick with full kerf blades if your machine can handle it. The last longer and are less subject to heat distortion.

    More and more, I'm becoming a pretty big CMT fan. Their router bits are very good too. Its also nice that my sharpening service carries a full line of CMT and Freud router bits and blades.
    Last edited by Robert Engel; 06-06-2018 at 9:05 AM.

  6. #6
    I would add the cheap blade that came with my saw, with a missing tooth. Perfect for cutting 2x4s and other rough stuff, while my Woodworker II stays away from that fight.

  7. #7
    Join Date
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    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    The type of work that one does is going to affect what the "ideal" blade assortment will be. Mine likely isn't optimal at present, but I primarily use a 12" ATB 48T (Forrest WW-II) blade for most work. (It replaced the two 10" 40T versions I've owned and still have available if needed) I also have a 20T 10" ripping blade (Forrest WW-II) and a 12" "gazzillion tooth" plywood blade (came with my saw). I can see a need for a plastics blade entering my shop as I start to work more with Corian and other plastics with my CNC. Historically, I have not used a dado blade with my slider, but recently acquired a like-new one here in the classifieds...I just need to make up a dado insert for my slider so I can start using it on occasion when it's the right tool for the job.

    You'll note that my primary blade is considered a "combination" blade and I'm fine with that. It does an excellent job for me and I personally prefer not to be switching back and forth between blades as I move between ripping and crosscutting both solid stock and sheet goods. If I was processing a lot of sheet goods, I'd absolutely switch to the idealized blade for that purpose, but I tend to bounce back and forth. The 20T ripping blade only gets used once in a great while when I'm working with particularly thick material.
    Last edited by Jim Becker; 06-06-2018 at 9:53 AM.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Sydney, Australia
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    Thanks Guys - that's a lot of food for thought.

    I'm a hobby woodworker, working with softwood, hardwood, ply & melamine depending on the project. No plastics or other non wood based material; at least not yet.

  9. #9
    I would go with a 40 tooth general purpose blade, or 50 tooth combo blade. Even though I own 2 Forest WWII's, my go to, everyday blade is a Delta 7657. I paid less than $20 each when I bought them. For ripping maple strips for cabinet edging, I use my Freud 50 tooth comb blade. I find that it out cuts my "glue line ripper." For ply, I have a H.O. Shumacher 80 tooth variable spaced, HATB blade that I bought from Lietz when they got rid of the Delta blades that they made. Dado set is a Freud SD-208. For about the same money, Dewalt makes a dado set that has four wing chippers, instead of the two found in the Freud.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Itapevi, SP - Brazil
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    My "minimalist" 10-in set has three Freud 1/16-in thick blades: one 24 flat tooth for ripping and eventual dado/rabbeting, one 40 tooth combination for general purpose and one 80 tooth dedicated to man made materials as Plywood, MDF, melamine laminated when very clear cuts are required. These are enough for me.

    I maintain two never used back up blades, one Makita 40 tooth combination blade and a Bosch 24 tooth rip blade.

    All the best,

  11. #11
    Join Date
    May 2007
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    Sydney, Australia
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    Thanks Osvaldo - that sound like a good starting point for me.

  12. #12
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    Whatever you have, it will be better if it’s sharp. To that end, I never buy just one blade. I have a pair of every blade I own. I am much more likely to swap out the blade when it starts to get dull if there is a sharp one at the ready. I used to try to get through the current project with a deteriorating blade and that led to bad results.

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