Table Saw Blades

Investing in good quality table saw blades will have a big impact on the quality of the cuts that you make with your table saw and how much work you will need to perform on the edges of the stock that you cut once it comes off the table saw.  Table saw blades design varies depending on the uses that you have for your table saw, such as ripping or crosscutting.  Although you can find many good table saw blades that are made from high speed steel, most table saw blades on the market today feature carbide tips for durability. When purchasing table saw blades, you should pay special consideration to the number of blade teeth, the pattern of the teeth, the quality and number of carbide tips and the flatness of the table saw blade.

Table Saw Blades Materials and Sizes

Standard table saw blades will make a kerf that is 1/8” wide, while thin kerf blades have a thinner plate and thus use less material and take less power to operate, but are now as stiff as a standard table saw blade.  The flatness of the table saw blade has much to do with the quality of the blade, as does the tips that are used for cutting; the better quality of carbide that is used for the tips, the more durable and long lasting the table saw blade.  You can also sharpen a high quality carbide tipped table saw blade a number of times before having to replace it with a new one.

Crosscut and Rip Cut Table Saw Blades

Crosscut blades have more teeth than rip cut table saw blades, with a rip cut usually having around 24 teeth as opposed to a cross cut’s typical eighty teeth.  There are combination blades that have 40 to 60 teeth that can be used for both purposes and many woodworkers find that these are the perfect alternative to buying two separate table saw blades for two different purposes.  Expect to pay from $25 to well over $100 for a good quality combination table saw blade.

Teeth Configuration of Table Saw Blades

Table saw blades are classified according to the number of teeth per inch, also called TPI, and by their length and width.  For smooth cuts, a finer toothed table saw blade will do the trick, while more aggressive cuts will require a coarser table saw blade.  A hook tooth table saw blade provides a fast cut, while a skip tooth table saw blade has wider spacing.  Another popular type of table saw blade is the triple chip grind, heralded for its ability to make chip free cuts in harder woods, melamine, and other materials.

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed