# best miter blade for cross cuts



## maverick2402 (Mar 11, 2011)

Whats the best tooth count blade for cross cutting pine on a 10"miter saw...Im getting splintering when finishing off the cut when the blade comes out


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## Gene Howe (Feb 28, 2009)

Lots of guys say 40 is enough. I use a 60. But, I rarely cut anything thicker than 8/4.
It's gotta be sharp and correctly aligned for a really smooth cut.


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## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

I actually cut a good bit of pine and I find that 40 is good.


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

For a 10" I won't use a blad less than 80 tooth for finish work and prefer 100 especially for miters. But you can get good results with a 60T if it's sharp, you use the proper entry technique. 

No matter what tooth count you have or how sharp, if you're still getting tearout then clamp a sacrificial board to your fence. Make sure it's the full length of the fence and that you have ample clamping points (4 if the board will be cut into). 

Also make sure the sacrificial board is flat, straight, square etc. or whatever imperfection is in it will be transfered to your working piece. Also too many teeth can be a bad thing for certain species. 






.


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## jstange2 (Dec 5, 2010)

What kind of saw is it? Is it a straight miter saw or a sliding miter saw?

edit..... The reason I ask, is that my friend has a newer dewalt slider and the blade is centered too far forward (in my opinion) and if you don't cut the last inch extreeemmmmmmeeeeeeelllllllyyyyyy slow, there is always tear out even with a high quality new blade.


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

Typically 60-80 teeth is suitable, but to reduce splintering on x-cuts the tooth grind is quite possibly more important than the tooth count. If all other parameters are equal, a Hi-ATB grind will have the least amount of splintering...the higher the top bevel angle, the lower the tearout will be (usually 30° to 40°). The overall precision of the blade is important too, so I'd stick with the better names. The Infinity Ultrasmooth 010-080 ($70), Infinity 010-060 ($60), Freud LU80 ($76) or LU79 (thin kerf), CMT 210.080.10 ($67), or Forrest WWI or Duraline are a few excellent examples.


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## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

I've been using one of these for years.
http://www.freudtools.com/p-17-ultimate-cut-offbr-nbsp.aspx Get it sharpened occasionally and it gives me glass smooth cuts on all materials. Also agree with Texas about the fence. Sacrificial fence is a must.


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## maverick2402 (Mar 11, 2011)

thanks everyone for the reply...The saw is a 10" compound slider with a 60 tooth stock blade that came with the saw...But I think I may take the advise and use both the sacrificial board for the fence and get a nice 80 tooth blade


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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

Hi Maverick - lot more to a blade than the tooth count. I spent a lot of time on the Freud site just reading about the different blades and geometry differences. I use the LU79 on my compound slider and have been very satisfied. For safety on sliders and RAS you want to stay with a low hook angle, 0* +/- 5*, the thing will come at you with an agressive hook.
http://www.freudtools.com/c-8-industrial-blades.aspx


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## maverick2402 (Mar 11, 2011)

jschaben said:


> Hi Maverick - lot more to a blade than the tooth count. I spent a lot of time on the Freud site just reading about the different blades and geometry differences. I use the LU79 on my compound slider and have been very satisfied. For safety on sliders and RAS you want to stay with a low hook angle, 0* +/- 5*, the thing will come at you with an agressive hook.
> http://www.freudtools.com/c-8-industrial-blades.aspx


 ok thank you for the advise


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

I'm going to throw a ringer into the mix.

My 10" has the original craftsman 40 tooth carbide blade that came in the saw over 15 years ago. Its never been sharpened, never been balanced, seldom been cleaned.

It has cut pine, oak, PT studs and 4x4's and even aluminum angle, extrusion, or bar stock. Whenever I'm worried about tear out I clamp a piece of 1/4" hard board to the fence and just toss the hard board when done.

I get nice clean cuts every time. In fact it works better than my 12" sliding compound miter with its 80 tooth blade.


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## dvalery20 (Jan 27, 2011)

maverick2402 said:


> Whats the best tooth count blade for cross cutting pine on a 10"miter saw...Im getting splintering when finishing off the cut when the blade comes out


60t is probably the best you can use, 80t will be great but will take longer to make the cut. I'm not 100% on this since I don't use a mitre saw's anymore, but I once heard that mitre's use a flat tooth blade and table saws use a v cut profile tooth blade, anyways I'm sure someone will correct me on this... anyways I would definitely stick to a 60t and look for something from Freud or Forrest, they made great blades and won't break the bank too much.


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

dvalery20 said:


> 60t is probably the best you can use, 80t will be great but will take longer to make the cut. I'm not 100% on this since I don't use a mitre saw's anymore, but I once heard that mitre's use a flat tooth blade and table saws use a v cut profile tooth blade, anyways I'm sure someone will correct me on this... ..


The type of tooth grind is independent of the type of saw, and more dependent on the type of cut. For crosscuts, flat top grinds (FTG - most commonly used for rip cuts) tend to have more tearout at the exit of a x-cut, while top bevel grinds (ATB or Hi-ATB) tend to have less tearout. However, flat grinds do tend to have better wear characteristics, so some manufacturers combine both grinds (or more) into one blade to balance edge life and cutting performance. 

_*Getting Technical:*_
*Tooth count* is one of the more important considerations of a saw blade. Number of teeth should be based on the intended application along with the other design parameters of the blade. If all other parameters are equal, more teeth will equate to a cleaner cut, but it’s not as simple as that. There are several other factors that influence cutting performance in addition to tooth count, and more teeth is not always better. More teeth also means more resistance to the saw, slower feed rates, more friction & heat, and a higher chance of burning. Fewer teeth equates to a faster more efficient cut, but typically also means a rougher cut. Depending on thickness, it’s recommended to have 5 to 7 teeth in the material for crosscutting and finish cuts in hard wood, and 3 to 5 teeth for ripping operations. Depending on blade diameter, it’s common to see between 10 and 30 teeth on a specialized ripping blade, and 60 to 100 teeth for crosscut blades and blades used for plywood, veneers, melamine. laminates, and other sheet goods. Note that more teeth cost more to make, more to buy, and more to sharpen when the time comes, but more teeth also tend to hold an edge longer because they share the work load. However, more teeth will not hold an edge longer if overheated frequently from use in an application not intended for a high tooth blade.
 
*Side Clearance:*
The side clearance is another important feature that is essentially the amount of overhang a tooth has relative to the blade’s body. The tangential and radial side clearance angles are part the geometry of the sides of the teeth. These features all combine to determine how much “polish” or “burnishing” characteristics the teeth will contribute to the edge of the wood. Tight side clearances and tight angles mean that more tooth makes contact with the edge of the cut, and thus gives a more polished look. The same characteristic can also increase burning if the feed rate slows too much, and/or if the wood is naturally more prone to burning.

*Gullet:*
A gullet is the trough between the teeth. A larger gullet allows for more efficient chip removal, which is one of the reasons that a blade with fewer teeth will cut faster…there’s simply more gullet space on a lower tooth count blade. Ripping operations have larger chip size than crosscutting operations, which makes lower tooth count blades more conducive to ripping operations. Crosscutting operations tend to have smaller chip sizes, so a dedicated crosscut blade can have more teeth around the perimeter of the blade, which allows for a cleaner cut.

*Hook Angle:*
Hook angle (or rake) is the amount of forward or backward lean of the teeth on a blade. The hook angle can range from roughly -7° to as much as + 22°. The steeper the hook angle, the more aggressive and faster the feed rate will be. A steep, or positive hook angle, will have more pull on the material than a low or negative hook blade, which is a feature well suited for ripping operations on a table saw. A low to negative hook blade is well suited for use on a sliding compound miter saw (SCMS) or radial arm saw (RAS) to prevent “climb” or self feeding of the material, and is highly recommended when cutting metals on any type of saw. The steeper hook angles will feed faster but can also increase tear out characteristics at the exit of the cut. A lower hook angle will have less tear out, but will require more feed pressure and may have a higher tendency for burning to occur if the saw bogs down.


*Anti-vibration slots:*
Laser cut anti-vibration slots help channel heat buildup during the cutting process, allowing the blade to expand and contract without distorting and destroying the tension of blade’s body. Ultimately, they help the blade run true with low noise and vibration for a cleaner cut. Filling the slots with silicone can further reduce noise. Some blades will have copper silencers in the “keyhole” of the slot.


_*Tooth Grinds:*_
*ATB* – Alternate Top Bevel (ATB) is a very versatile grind that features a bevel across the top of the tooth that angles from the outside in, alternating between left side and right side. The angle of the bevel can vary from about 10° to approximately 20°. The versatility of the ATB grind makes it a very common grind on many types of blades, especially woodworking blades. The bevel helps reduce tear out on cross grain and plywood cuts, is reasonably durable, and can still be fairly efficient at ripping with the grain. Essentially the steeper the bevel angle, the less tear out the teeth will cause, but also becomes increasing less efficient at ripping as the bevel increases. The ATB grind is very well suited in a configuration as a higher tooth count dedicated crosscut blade, and as a versatile medium tooth count general purpose blade.


*Hi-ATB* – Teeth with a top bevel of roughly 25° or higher are commonly referred to as "High Alternate Top Bevel" grinds. Hi-ATB grinds are a variation of the ATB grind, and have the lowest tear out characteristics of any other grind. They’re extremely well suited for ultra clean cuts in plywood, laminates, melamine, veneers, and ultra fine crosscuts in hardwood. The sharp points of the higher bevels give up some durability and some ripping efficiency compared to some grinds, but are still capable of good ripping efficiency when combined with a lower tooth count and positive hook angle.


*ATB/R* – The ATB/R grind is a combination of two different tooth grinds in one blade. It typically features groupings of five teeth that consist of four ATB ground teeth and one flat top “raker” tooth with large gullets between the groupings. Common configurations are found in a 10” blade with 50 teeth and a moderately steep hook angle of 10° to 15°. The ATB/R combination grind is well suited for both ripping and crosscuts, and general purpose woodworking applications on a table saw or compound miter saw.


*FTG* – Flat top teeth are used on blades intended primarily for ripping wood with the grain. A flat top grind (FTG) is very efficient at removing large chips from the kerf, and is a very durable grind that tends to have very good edge life. A flat top grind is the only grind that will leave a truly flat bottom kerf, which also makes it a good choice for cutting grooves and splines. The FTG is commonly found on ripping blades with a steep positive hook angle and lower tooth count, typically 10 to 30 teeth.


*TCG* – The triple chip grind (TCG) also combines two different tooth grinds in one blade – a flat top grind and a trapezoidal grind, which is essentially a flat top tooth with chamfered top. The TCG alternates between a flat top “raker” and a trapezoidal tooth which protrudes slightly higher than the raker tooth. The TCG is extremely durable, and exhibits low chip out characteristics in brittle materials, which makes it well suited for cutting metals, laminate flooring, very hard woods, abrasive materials like MDF and teak, and sheet goods like melamine. Its durability also lends itself to high volume applications where edge life is important.


HTH


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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

Good post Scott - I managed to find all the same info after much googling. You have collected it all in a nice, concise package:thumbsup:


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

Try a chopmaster from Forrest Industries. Leaves a glass smooth cut. I've had mine for a year now and am very happy with it.
http://www.forrestblades.com/chopmaster.htm
Mike Hawkins


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