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table saw blade

9K views 36 replies 17 participants last post by  Ross 
#1 ·
Hi I finally got myself a table saw. A grizzly! model 1022. found a deal on a used saw on craigslist. :)
my question is what do you experienced guys suggest regarding a 10" blade? I don't want to spend too much, 20$ maybe?
The saw works fine has a decent fence a very strong motor but has a small 8" blade at this time and when I tried to make a rabbet for a bottom board I noticed that it was burning the surface lightly.
Any tips, suggestions for this first time table saw owner?
Thanks for all the help.
 
#6 ·
Thanks guys,
sorry for being so ignorant Peggjam, but what's a shaper blade? I've heard crosscutting and ripping blades..

and Randy what name brand should I go for? Also how many teeth?
sorry for so many questions

Sorry, I ment "sharper" blade:D. Most times when you start burning wood, it is because your blade is dull. Carbide teeth will definitly last longer:).
 
#7 ·
I'd get a 10 inch, decent cross cut (about 60 teeth), thin kerf (thinner blade -- requires less power/wastes less wood -- more suitable for a contractor style saw like the Griz 1022). If you're not doing a lot of ripping in greater than 1 inch stock, it'll be suitable for ripping as well as giving an excellent finish on cross cuts.

Suitable suppliers -- any of the big box places or general hardware stores. Dewalt & Freud have been good blades for me.

In addition to the sharpness of the blade already mention, the burning is also likely to come from binding. Your fence may be misaligned or more likely, the wood may be bowing back into the blade and closing up the saw kerf. This binding and possible kickback, are two good reasons to run a saw with a splitter installed. Splitters are removed for partial depth cuts and then frequently left off.

The 1022 is a good value contractor's saw. The number 0ne addition in my opinion after a decent blade is a dado blade (I'd avoid the wobble type and get a stacked dado).

Have fun and use a push stick.
Scott
 
#8 ·
Thanks for all the responses esp Beekeep for the detailed answer.
Quite possible that this blade is dull, But may also be possible that my fence is not minutely aligned. I tried to hold a 1' long 1"x1" tightly along the blade to see if it goes to one side along the fence. looked aligned and parallel to the fence to my novice eyes. Is there a better way to tell if the blade is well aligned to the fence?

any tips to prevent kickback?
Thanks for reminding about the push stick. I just made one out of wood. I appreciate your taking the time.
 
#9 ·
I'd spend more like $40 for a good Freud combination blade, 40 tooth most likely. It will do both crosscut and rip. Align the blade to the miter slots. Chalk one tooth on the blade and check that tooth both at the front and rear of the blade. Measure from the tooth to the miter slot at the front, then rotate the blade so that tooth is at the rear and measure again. The measurements should be the same.
 
#12 ·
I've got the owner's manual. If you want I'll make a copy & snail mail it to you . . . It'll tell you how to align the blade to the miter & then fence to the blade / etc . .

PM me your address if you want . .
Scott
 
#15 ·
That's very good advice astrobeee.
I just made a splitter for the saw. The factory installed blade guard/splitter is too big plus I will have to remove it everytime I am trying to cut a rabbet. so I made a .75 inch high splitter and screwed it behind the blade. The cut is much more stable now. I think..

I'll have to do something about the fence it has wobble at the rear end not very pleasant when you are trying to save sometime. You have to measure each time you move the fence.. then adjust and measure again..

I did get goggles..

thanks for all the info. You guys are great!:)
 
#16 ·
I have an old sears table saw and use a 7 ¼ inch skill saw blade for 90% of my cutting when I do not have to cut over 1 ¾ inch thick. The thin kerf blades take a lot less power and for tops and bottoms they go through cedar or redwood like butter. At less than $10.00 you are not out much if you are using old fence boards and hit a nail or staple.
 
#17 ·
I never spend less than $90-100 on a 10" table saw blade for my cabinet saw. Sure, I watch my spending, but I draw the line at getting cheap blades, unless I am using them as "throw away" blades on construction projects. I have blades which I bought many years ago, and they still work great, as I bought them considering them as part of the machine, not as a disposable accessory.

To explain, I buy woodworking blades with thick carbide tips. I have had some blades sharpened a dozen or more times (some tips have been replaced). Yep, you will pay more for blades when the tips are heavier in carbide, but you can resharpen the blades numerous times, so your investment over time is minimized.

That said, you might not want to invest heavily in carbide right now. But, I'd still recommend you get a $50-60 blade. You won't regret spending a bit more, take my word for it. To start, get a combination - or multipurpose/general purpose - blade, 40-50T ATB if possible, with deep gullets. As you get more cash, then invest in a good ripping blade.

Excellent brands, but pricey:

$90, thin kerf Tenryu GM25540 (the factory will sharpen your blade for a nominal fee)

$100, full kerf Freud P410

$100 Infinity full kerf 010-044


Less expensive, but okay blades:

$60, thin kerf Systimatic 37437

$55, full kerf Amana 610400


Thin kerf will work better on lower-powered tablesaws, especially when using 110 instead of 220. You should be okay, as I think you have a 2hp on the Grizzly, but it is probably set up for 110.

Also, clean your blades often, especially with pine - blades gum up a lot making boxes out of pine! Soaking in Simple Green or another degreaser-type cleaner works great.


MM
 
#18 ·
Our local big box store (Menards) handles Oldham saw blades. If memory serves 10 in. carbide run around $20. I have had very good results with these blades and they seem to hold up well.
Besides watching out for your eyes and fingers, watch out for your hearing as well!
Building your own stuff is fun!
 
#19 ·
Hi guys. Some really good advice here.

Here are my blades:

Full kerf carbide tip Freud rip blade
Full kerf Jesada 80 tooth cross cut

Thin kerf Freud rip
THin kerf Amana

Oldham dado blade - stack not wobble. Essential to have a dado blade for bee equipment.

If I was in the market now for a blade I would try the Forest blades. They get real good ratings.

Like the guys said, if you keep away from nails, keep the blades clean, and align your fence you will be shocked at how long you can run a blade without sharpening. Years and years.

I really like the thin kerf rip blades, use them a lot.

I use the 80 tooth mostly for plywood and fine furniture work that is cross cut.

If I had to get 2 blades on a budget I would get a freud thin kerf and an oldham stack dado.
 
#20 ·
Hi guys. Some really good advice here.

If I was in the market now for a blade I would try the Forest blades. They get real good ratings.


If I had to get 2 blades on a budget I would get a freud thin kerf and an oldham stack dado.
I have a couple of the Forrest Woodworker II blades, they are maybe 8.25/10. I'd rate the Tenryu GM25540 higher at 9.5/10 and Freud P410 about 8.75/10. I have only tried the Infinity 010-044 on someone else's machine - it was very smooth, though.

Freud also makes a very affordable 8" dado stack - the SD208, which is very good for the money with excellent square bottom cuts ~$80-100. For starting out, you don't need a 10" dado set.
 
#21 ·
I am just starting out in woodworking, a complete novice. I will make so many mistakes and learn from them. I don't wan't to spend too much on a blade only to see it ruined by my stupidity. I think I'll go with freud 1060X 40$ should be good enough to learn :)

I cleaned the top with some wd40 now it looks much better. the fence moves smooth too.. I have downloaded the manual from grizzly.com have to micro adjust the fence who knows it may work out great after fine tuning..

It feels great to learn new things in life!
 
#24 ·
Same for me. I have dado stacks 8" for my table saw and 12" for the radial arm plus several WWI and WWII's. I even broke down and purchase a no melt for plastic. I purchased Forrest blades when I read how they left minimal kerf marks. I found this to be true. Once in awhile, on a reactive board, I might have to use the cabinet scraper, but not too often. I worked as a cabinet maker when I was young, and never developed a love for sanding.
 
#34 ·
I visit there in every once in a while. And if you think beekeeping is expensive, buy some old planes... Beekeeping is cheap compared to being a handtool galoot, right Ross?:cool:

I stop in to WoodNet all the time. Nice to have so many forums where folks will give you the best ideas of how and where to spend your money.;)

MM
 
#32 ·
saw & blades

As far as blades go unless you are doing a lot of cutting on hard woods the highend name brand blades are to expensive, most big box stores carry a blade made to the same standards as the name brand blades without all the fancy paint and logos, @ Home depot the oldham blade is one of those. If looking for a dado blade the 8" stack dado blades work well and are much cheaper than the 10". since your dado cut is usually 1" or less there is no need for a 10" blade. When ripping material the old standard of blade as low as possible creates a lot of friction, raise the blade so that the tooth gullet ( the notches between the teeth) is even with the material top, use a push stick and keep your feed rate as fast as your saw and you are capable of to minimize burning. as far as checking your fence for square first check that your blade is square to the mitre slots on the table, a framing square works well for this. If these are square place the framing square between the blade and fence and check for true. The fence should be about a 1/32" wider at the far side of the blade (with the blade at full height) to prevent binding. There should be adjustment screws on the fence to help with alignment. Once you have it set up practice with scraps of wood to get comfortable with your saw before working with finish material.
 
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