# Table saw blade .... What am i doing wrong....



## Tekat (Feb 28, 2012)

I am a do it all guy and love to work with woods and such .... but i'm guessing i'm doing something really wrong. Bought a couple blade for my table saw and ... they don't survive very long. Last one i bought, used it with bamboo flooring... did maby 15cuts..... bye bye no more blade... now as i run a simple pine or even MDF... blade dosen't cut anymore.... 15cuts..... that`s nothing.....is there someting i can do to make my blade last long ????

Thanks for the hintssssss !


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## haugerm (Nov 19, 2009)

It's kind of hard to say without more info. What kind of blades did you use? Did the few cuts you managed actually turn out well, or were the edged burnt or chipped? For the first few cuts did the wood seem to flow smoothly into the blade, or did you have to force it? 
--Matt


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

Not all blades are created equal. What specific blades are you talking about?


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*name names...what blade?*

x3..... names?
There is no magic pill to make lousy blades last longer.
The carbide used in blades varies from C2 to C4 in hardness.
I understand bamboo is not easy on blades, but it should last longer than 15 cuts. Pine and MDF are far less abusive. Pine will easily gum up a blade and make it feel like it won't cut. A clean sharp blade is always a good thing. :yes: bill


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## WarnerConstInc. (Nov 25, 2008)

I clean my blades at least once week.


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## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

I'm guessing you didn't buy carbide blades?????
I've run lots of bamboo, hardwoods, pine ...you name it.
Lot's of others here have done the same but I'm guessing we all use carbide.


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## Tekat (Feb 28, 2012)

Guessing the balde were poor quality... under 50$ a peice... time to get to more expensive and test it out....

Dum question but .... push on the peice of wood a bit Or let the blade slowly do his job ?


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

Tekat said:


> Guessing the balde were poor quality... under 50$ a peice... time to get to more expensive and test it out....
> 
> Dum question but .... push on the peice of wood a bit Or let the blade slowly do his job ?


The idea is to get "better" blades, not just more expensive blades....:thumbsup:


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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

knotscott said:


> The idea is to get "better" blades, not just more expensive blades....:thumbsup:


What scott said:thumbsup:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Onsrud-COM-...364?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item337259aba4


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## BWSmith (Aug 24, 2010)

Welcome to harden'd Bamboo........A tablesaw would not be my first pick.Heck,it would be maybe 3rd.....more like 4th in line.But,we're all different with different shops and expectations?BW


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Are you using carbide tipped blades or those stamped steel cheapies? You can get some pretty good blades under $50. Price range isn't your problem. Are you sure you're installing the blades in the correct direction, with the points of the teeth facing towards you? Even a low end blade should be able to accomplish 15 cuts when installed correctly.

Provide more information if you can. Photos of the blade installed on the saw would be nice if possible.


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## BaldEagle2012 (Jan 25, 2012)

I don't clean my blades, and don't see or have had a problem with them cutting. All carbide tipped, Freud 40 and 60 tooth. 
I don't cut pi----, pi-----, fir on my saw, only hardwoods. 

What problems do others have that requires blade cleaning?

WG


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## TS3660 (Mar 4, 2008)

I agree with the others. $50 should get you a decent carbide blade. How many teeth are on it? 24 would be a good all around blade. Also, to answer your question about pushing, you need to push but not force. If your motor is bogging down you are either pushing too hard or the blade is dull.


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## Cliff (Feb 5, 2012)

bamboo and MDF are full of formaldehyde glue and it's tough on blades.


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## haugerm (Nov 19, 2009)

Tekat said:


> Guessing the balde were poor quality... under 50$ a peice... time to get to more expensive and test it out....
> 
> Dum question but .... push on the peice of wood a bit Or let the blade slowly do his job ?



You can buy great blades for well under $50 a piece. The e-bay link above is great. Also, HD has Freud Diablo blades that are well worth the money. 

Push the wood smoothly and steadily into the blade. You really shouldn't feel much resistance at all. If you feel a lot of resistance, if you feel or hear the blade bogging down, if you're getting scorch marks on the wood, these are all signs that you should adjust your feed rate.

--Matt


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## egw (Dec 26, 2011)

As mentioned before it is hard to diagnose without more information but I have seen this issue before and I have to ask a real basic question and please don't take this the wrong way, but they are installed with the teeth spinning into the wood, meaning they are being installed with the correct rotation of the blade?


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## greekhawk (Feb 29, 2012)

I use the Freud diablo blades, I truly believe for the money they are a great blade, and last a long time. For most things I use a 40 tooth blade. Do yourself a favor and invest in a good blade, not the 50 cent cheap ones. They tend to have a lot of run out.


Echoing what the others have said, steady pressure but don't push hard. Looking at your cut can tell you if you are doing it wrong.


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

BaldEagle2012 said:


> I don't clean my blades, and don't see or have had a problem with them cutting. All carbide tipped, Freud 40 and 60 tooth.
> I don't cut pi----, pi-----, fir on my saw, only hardwoods.
> 
> What problems do others have that requires blade cleaning?
> ...


Not cleaning them has no benefit and severe downsides if the blades are expensive. 

Dirty blades perform like dull blades, and the excess heat from the pitch/gum/dirt actually promotes dulling. Cleaning your blades regularly is one of the best things you can do to promote like-new performance for a longer period of time. It's also easy and can be remarkably inexpensive just using a household spray cleaner and a toothbrush....spray, scrub, rinse, dry....3-4 minutes. For very dirty blades that require soaking, Freud suggests a kerosene soak because it's pH neutral.


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

I have a good friend who owns a sharpening business (for 30 years or so now). He's told me that a LOT of the blades they get in for sharpening aren't even that dull and simply need cleaning to restore perfect performance. He's a pro at what he does so I know he's right on track.


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## cactusrose (Jul 25, 2010)

How do you know your blade needs resharpening? I haven't been keeping track of how many cuts I've made with it.


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

cactusrose said:


> How do you know your blade needs resharpening? I haven't been keeping track of how many cuts I've made with it.


Indicators are slowed feed rate, more resistance, more burning, ragged cuts. Keeping them clean will help them perform better for longer.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Nobody asked him if the saw was running.









 







.


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

I guess the thread starter bailed on us. I'm still waiting to find out if he had the blade installed in the correct direction.


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## Woodenhorse (May 24, 2011)

Chaincarver Steve said:


> I guess the thread starter bailed on us. I'm still waiting to find out if he had the blade installed in the correct direction.


I'm guessing you nailed it.


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## Cliff (Feb 5, 2012)

Chaincarver Steve said:


> I guess the thread starter bailed on us. I'm still waiting to find out if he had the blade installed in the correct direction.


 Maybe he's off slip stoning his blades.


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

Abandoned post!


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## Al B Thayer (Dec 10, 2011)

If blades are in need of cleaning. Easyoff oven cleaner works great. I can see a shiny line on the cutting edge corner if it needs sharpening.

Al

Friends don't let friends use stamped metal tools sold at clothing stores.


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## Pirate (Jul 23, 2009)

Join
Get info
Bail, without, letting us know the solution.
Adios muchacho


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## buggyman1 (Nov 16, 2011)

He's prob. embarrassed when he realized he had the blade on backwards, can't say as i blame him. I remember once drilling a piece of metal with a hand drill and thinking, man this bit is dull, even changed bits before i realized the drill was reversed.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*I left him a Vistor Message*



buggyman1 said:


> He's prob. embarrassed when he realized he had the blade on backwards, can't say as i blame him. I remember once drilling a piece of metal with a hand drill and thinking, man this bit is dull, even changed bits before i realized the drill was reversed.


He will get an email notification unless he's blocked our site.
Maybe he will "Man Up" ? :blink: bill


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

I'm still thinkin' he doesn't know about the on/off switch.








 







.


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

buggyman1 said:


> He's prob. embarrassed when he realized he had the blade on backwards, can't say as i blame him. I remember once drilling a piece of metal with a hand drill and thinking, man this bit is dull, even changed bits before i realized the drill was reversed.


Heh, I've done the drill one a few times myself. In metal and in wood, thinking damn this cheap-ass bit got dull fast!


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## buggyman1 (Nov 16, 2011)

cabinetman said:


> I'm still thinkin' he doesn't know about the on/off switch.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Lol, That reminds of (i think it was the Beverly Hillbillies) when they were complaining about the chainsaw being to heavy to crosscut.


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## MacDuffee (Jan 29, 2012)

buggyman1 said:


> Lol, That reminds of (i think it was the Beverly Hillbillies) when they were complaining about the chainsaw being to heavy to crosscut.


:laughing:That was funny:thumbsup:


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## Tekat (Feb 28, 2012)

Naaa I did turn the saw on the other day and works and the peice of wood didn`t fly on me so the blade was on good side...

I've clean the blade, use some jigaloo and it`s way better !

Thanks


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

I get amazed at how people on here talk back and forth about the problems without any input from the original poster. The thread becomes a living thing all on its own.

He finally did reply and never did answer the original question of the tpe of blades.

G


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## molinyc (Apr 15, 2012)

*easy-off ?*

i've read that this oven cleaner degrades the integrity of the carbide in the blades.


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## rrich (Jun 24, 2009)

Well... Abandoned for sure.

FYI - Bamboo is a grass and not a tree. The bamboo flooring that we all see also contains a lot of sugar. They sort of over cook it to get the dark variety of flooring.

BTW - Is everyone else getting the 'Leonisa' advertisement? If you're not, then you don't know what you're missing.


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

rrich said:


> .....
> BTW - Is everyone else getting the 'Leonisa' advertisement? If you're not, then you don't know what you're missing.



:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup: :yes::smile:


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

You should be getting more out of your blades than that regardless of how good the blades are. There is something else going on. First make sure the blade is parallel with the top of the saw. If the arbor is out of square with the top it can make you think the blade is worn out. Second make sure your fence is also parallel with the top. With the fence clamped down measure the distance from the fence to the miter gauge groove at the front of the top and at the back. It should be the same. If the fence is angled left it will pinch the wood against the back side of the blade making the blade seem worn out.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Tekat said:


> I've clean the blade, use some jigaloo and it`s way better !
> 
> Thanks



Ahhh...Jigaloo. silicone based...WTG.


















 







.


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## Tekat (Feb 28, 2012)

Sorry about that. came back to clean this off...

So the final answer to this problem was... get a Good blade (foreud with air pocket are awesome and not that expensive).

NEVER get crappy blade, will burn wood and cause injury.

Thanks guys.


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