Wood Slicer blades: up to the hype?

[michael langman]

I've found the OLson AllPro blades to cut really well and last a long time ifyou do not hit any metal. I also resharpen them with a diamond and then ceramic file quite a few times.
I have a 14" delta saw .

[Robert Engel]

Sorry, but I don't think they are. I've always had issues with durability maybe I'm expecting too much.

I've been using an Infinity blades & so far I'm very impressed the quality of cut & the durability.

[roger wiegand]

Sorry, but I don't think they are. I've always had issues with durability maybe I'm expecting too much.

I don't think durability is one of the claimed virtues of this blade; It's not why I choose them. I regard it as a special purpose blade for making very good resaw cuts, particularly in expensive or otherwise irreplaceable wood where every millimeter matters, eg for precise book matches.

I have a carbide blade on the saw much of the time, that pretty well defines durability.

[Curt Harms]

If memory serves (and it may not) the Woodslicer/Kerfmaster blades are Atlanta Sharptech blades. They're intended for cutting meat & bone. It looks like Atlanta Sharptech was acquired.

http://store.kascosharptech.com/129/...ing-blades.htm

The fact that blade stock is not intended for cutting wood may account for its relatively short life. The Lenox TriMaster is another blade that is not intended primarily as a wood cutting blade but it does cut wood quite well.

[Jeffrey Hood]

I just tried my Woodslicer out last night on resawing some cherry veneers... had a 1/2" Starret blade on and did one cut with that, and then changed the blade out to the Woodslicer... (1/2" also...) (on a Laguna 14BX 2.5hp...)

Did a decent job, but not much different than the Starret... maybe a bit smoother, but nothing significant... cut was not as fast, and seemed to have more trouble with the 9" cherry... I think I'm going to keep it mostly for narrower resaws... time will tell... I think it might have actually dulled a bit with the two 4' cuts in the 9" cherry...

Nothing works as well as my 3/4" Laguna resaw king... that goes through anything like butter... kerf is a bit wider, but it's a beast...

JH

[Bob Jones 5443]

Thanks, Jeffrey. Sitting over here in the Little Saw corner, I don't have access to the carbide blades, so I'm rolling the dice on the Wood Slicer. I'll probably use it on 4" cherry, and I won't mind if I need to smooth out the surface after the cut.

[Dan Hahr]

Dulls very fast. Then wanders like crazy. Not sure how it gets that bad so fast. See if you can get a Lenox Diemaster 2 blade. Wider kerf but stays sharp much longer. Kerf keeps it cutting straighter. But if I had a table saw, I’d rip it 3” deep on both edges and cut down the middle of the kerf for the last 4”.

Dan

[Bob Jones 5443]

Dan, you’re referring to the Wood Slicer?

[Dan Hahr]

Yes. Sent the first one back because it dulled so fast. Second one dulled in the first 3 feet. You can sharpen them with a dremel but I’ve cut everything from copper to aluminum to maple with my Diemasters and they still cut like new. If you were cutting postcard sized boards from soft wood, you might get some use out of it.
Dan

[Rob Luter]

I just got a 1/2" wood slicer for my 14" Rikon. I've used it a little and it works OK. I resawed some lengths of 2 x 2 White Oak for table legs, peeling a 1/2" off so not much of a challenge. I've got some figured crotch walnut for veneer to try next.