Time for a New Table Saw Blade?

[Pat Germain]

I was into woodworking 12 years ago. In 2011 I bought a clapped out classic car and restored it. Yeah, it was a dream I had since I was kid. Had I waited any longer I would have been too old to do it.

So now that the car is done and I moved into a new house, I'm getting back into woodworking. I gave my old, hot-rodded Craftsman contractor saw to a young guy who was just getting woodworking and I bought a SawStop PCS. (Mrs. Pat felt better with the safety feature and encouraged me to spend more for that.)

After I got my SawStop assembled, I cleaned and installed my trusty Forest Woodworker II. I had not used it in 12 years and it doesn't seem to be cutting very well. I had it sharpened a few times years ago and thought I would do that again. Unfortunately, my sharpener is no longer open to the public. And I'm recalling the Forest blade takes some special knowledge to sharpen. Is that correct? My blade has been sharpened at least three times previously and I'm not sure how many times the Forest blade can be re-sharpened.

I don't know of any other local sharpeners. I've heard Ridge Carbide will sharpen any blade, but I'm not looking forward to mailing off my blade and waiting for it to come back.

Now I'm thinking it might be easier to just buy a new blade. I've read good things about the new Freud blades and, compared to Forest, they are very reasonably priced. Although those blades are coated on the sides, I gather I can still use it on a SawStop?

So I would appreciate some advice and suggestions here:

- Do you think the Woodworker II can be sharpened a fourth time?

- Should I try to find a new sharpener for my Forest Woodworker II?

- Should I send my Woodworker II to Ridge Carbide for a sharpening?

- Should I buy a new Freud blade or another combination blade?

Yeah, I'm pretty mixed up here while getting back into woodworking.

[Jim Becker]

While Forrest might make you think that they are the best place to sharpen it because of the C4 carbide, lots of competent sharpeners can do the job for you. I use Dynamic Saw in Buffalo NY and they have done an excellent job with my Forrest blades...which is all I use.

DYNAMIC SAW
(888)528-0808
www.DynamicSaw.com

[Michael Burnside]

Haven't tried Dynamic Saw, but I trust Jim's judgement. I'm sure they are a good place. That said, I only use Ridge Carbide blades and that's where I send my blades to be sharpened. I recommend having 2 of any critical blades you use. Just buy the backup sometime before you ship off the old one to be sharpened. For me, this is every few years, so accumulating backups isn't too difficult on the pocket book.

[Pat Germain]

Thanks for the input.

How long is the turnaround for Dynamic Saw and Ridge Carbide?

So maybe the answer is to buy a new blade AND send the old one out for sharpening.

[James Jayko]

I'm all for resharpening. hat said...

I went with the Freud Fusion and I have to say, its the best blade I've ever used. If I were you I might send our the WWII for sharpening, get the Freud and give it a try. Truly excellent results on my end.

[Michael Burnside]

Thanks for the input.

How long is the turnaround for Dynamic Saw and Ridge Carbide?

So maybe the answer is to buy a new blade AND send the old one out for sharpening.

About 10-14 days'ish. I recommend 2 of your most critical blades, accumulated over time.

I highly recommend this as your starting blade: https://ridgecarbidetool.com/collect...ra-combo-blade

I also have their crosscut, flat top and rip blades, all 0.125" and 5/8" arbor which is what you'll need for your SawStop.

[Pat Germain]

I'm all for resharpening. hat said...

I went with the Freud Fusion and I have to say, its the best blade I've ever used. If I were you I might send our the WWII for sharpening, get the Freud and give it a try. Truly excellent results on my end.

Thank you. Is there a specific Freud Fusion you'd recommend? I see multiple Fusion blades online. Since that is less than half the cost of another Woodworker II or a Ridge Carbide, I might give that a try for when the Woodworker II is out for sharpening. Since the Freud blades are coated, do you know if they will work with a SawStop?

[John TenEyck]

Thanks for the input.

How long is the turnaround for Dynamic Saw and Ridge Carbide?

So maybe the answer is to buy a new blade AND send the old one out for sharpening.

Yes, and yes. I live near Dynamic Saw and can attest to them being a top notch shop for sharpening blades. Excellent German equipment and very competent operators and a hands-on owner. A true small business success story. They can replace chipped and broken teeth, too. I've been in their facility several times and have always been impressed. Their prices are super competitive.

John

[Michael Burnside]

Thank you. Is there a specific Freud Fusion you'd recommend? I see multiple Fusion blades online. Since that is less than half the cost of another Woodworker II or a Ridge Carbide, I might give that a try for when the Woodworker II is out for sharpening. Since the Freud blades are coated, do you know if they will work with a SawStop?

Buy once, cry once IMHO. You have a multi-thousand dollar saw, give it a good blade, don't skimp on the most important point of contact between the saw and your project. Not saying Freud isn't good, but Forrest and Ridge Carbide are much better IMHO. I have personally tested Ridge vs. Freud extensively years ago when I switched from Freud to Ridge.

And yes, Freud blades are ok. You can test it yourself by having the saw on (not spinning!) and touch the side of the blade or teeth and you'll see the sensor blinking. That said, I don't recommend using 3/32 blades (thin kerf) nor does SawStop if you read the manual. I know the Ridge Carbide thin kerf are stiffer but I stick to full kerf. If you have a 3HP saw you won't notice a difference (I've tested it). And the full kerf Ridge "super rip" can be sharpened something like 20 times!

[Pat Germain]

Buy once, cry once IMHO. You have a multi-thousand dollar saw, give it a good blade, don't skimp on the most important point of contact between the saw and your project. Not saying Freud isn't good, but Forrest and Ridge Carbide are much better IMHO. I have personally tested Ridge vs. Freud extensively years ago when I switched from Freud to Ridge.

And yes, Freud blades are ok. You can test it yourself by having the saw on (not spinning!) and touch the side of the blade or teeth and you'll see the sensor blinking. That said, I don't recommend using 3/32 blades (thin kerf) nor does SawStop if you read the manual. I know the Ridge Carbide thin kerf are stiffer but I stick to full kerf. If you have a 3HP saw you won't notice a difference (I've tested it). And the full kerf Ridge "super rip" can be sharpened something like 20 times!

Thanks again. I thought I read I can use a thin kerf blade as long as it's not thinner than the riving knife. I will go back and review the manual.

[Carl Beckett]

I'm all for resharpening. hat said...

I went with the Freud Fusion and I have to say, its the best blade I've ever used. If I were you I might send our the WWII for sharpening, get the Freud and give it a try. Truly excellent results on my end.

Mirrors my experience. I had a couple sharpened by Dynamic. But also purchased a Fusion. There was a glitch with it and Freud support was outstanding. Cuts very nicely (the best I have experienced?.... maybe so)

[Michael Burnside]

Thanks again. I thought I read I can use a thin kerf blade as long as it's not thinner than the riving knife. I will go back and review the manual.

3/32 is on the edge. Anything less and it isn't recommended due the safety mechanism. When I spoke with someone at SawStop they said just make sure it is a quality blade made of good steel as the main concern is warping when the safety brake engages. I've used my full-kerf Ridge for a couple years and it still rips like it is new. That said, I do have the 3HP model. With a 1.75HP model, I'd be tempted to use the 3/32 if it is from a good manufacturer.

And yes, you definitely should get a thin kerf riving knife if you go that direction.

[Pat Germain]

3/32 is on the edge. Anything less and it isn't recommended due the safety mechanism. When I spoke with someone at SawStop they said just make sure it is a quality blade made of good steel as the main concern is warping when the safety brake engages. I've used my full-kerf Ridge for a couple years and it still rips like it is new. That said, I do have the 3HP model. With a 1.75HP model, I'd be tempted to use the 3/32 if it is from a good manufacturer.

And yes, you definitely should get a thin kerf riving knife if you go that direction.

My Woodworker II is a thin kerf. I measured and it's a bit wider than the factory riving knife. But maybe not wide enough? My SawStop is also a 3HP.

[James Jayko]

It was just the combination blade from woodcraft, nothing special.

I also have the PCS and I’d agree…skip the thin kerf if you can. My thin kerf blade from my prior delta hybrid saw bound up quite a bit with the riving knife and that’s when I got the fusion.

[Jim Becker]

Thanks for the input.

How long is the turnaround for Dynamic Saw and Ridge Carbide?

So maybe the answer is to buy a new blade AND send the old one out for sharpening.

I've always had pretty fast turn around, Pat...maybe a week back and forth; a day or two to get there a day or two to be processed and a day or two for shipment back. Since you're in Colorado Springs, it might be an extra day or two for you to both Dynamic Saw and Ridge Carbide.

I also fully support having more than one primary blade. My primary blade is the WW-II, 48T 12" for my slider. I have two. Why? "Stuff happens" in addition to the occasional need for re-sharpening. Keeping the blades clean can help them work better, too. I happened to get a free bonus blade with my new slider and since it's similar in configuration to my WW-II, I put it on to use for awhile as I was doing new shop fitout and it remains in use at the moment. It's either an Italian or German blade...I forget right now. One other thing I do is keep my blade kerf exactly the same across all my blades. That consistency makes working with fixtures a lot easier. I agree with James...if you have a 3hp+ saw, there's no good advantage to a "thin kerf" blade other than the thinner kerf for a special cut. IMHO, of course, and some might disagree.