HOW TO CHOOSE THE
RIGHT
SAW BLADE
The following information will
help you purchase the correct saw blade for your machine and the
materials that you
are cutting. However, if you
need further advice, we are only a phone call/email away and happy to
help.
HOOK/RAKE
The steeper the hook angle the more aggressive the cut - i.e. it bites
into the material more. Wood
cutting on portable and table saws typically requires a positive hook.
Negative
hook gives resistance to feed so will not climb into the cut, this
avoids 'grabbing'. Ideal for cutting using chopsaws and radial arm
machines for crosscutting.
TRIPLE
CHIP or TRAPEZOIDAL (TC) blades are good for cutting plastics. When
combined with a negative hook they can
be used for aluminum cutting and other non-ferrous metals. For panel
sawing, the positive hook helps to obtain a high quality
finish.
CUTTING
SPEED
The correct cutting speed is important for
efficient and clean saw cuts. The peripheral speed of a circular saw
blade is dependent on the blade diameter and its rotational speed and
can be determined from the graph (click on it for a readable version).
Peripheral cutting speeds for most common
materials are listed in the table below.
| MATERIAL |
CUTTING
SPEED (m/sec) |
| Softwood |
60-100 |
| Hardwood |
60-100 |
| Exotic
wood |
50-85 |
| Densified
laminated
wood |
40-65 |
| Compressed
wood |
40-65 |
| Core
and blockboard |
50-90 |
| Board
veneered on
both sides |
60-90 |
| Plywood
panels |
50-80 |
| Raw
chipboard |
50-80 |
| Hardboard |
50-80 |
| Softboard |
60-100 |
| Plastic-laminated
chipboard |
60-100 |
| Particle
board |
60-80 |
| Laminate-covered
chipboard |
60-80 |
| Solid
thermoplastic
panels |
30-70 |
| Solid
duroplastic
panels |
15-50 |
| Resin-bonded
paper
fabrics, laminates |
50-80 |
| Plastic
sections or
fillers |
30-70 |
| Gypsum
wellboard |
40-65 |
| Sandwich-type
plasterboard |
40-65 |
| Rockwool
board |
2-90 |
| Cemented
board |
40-80 |
| Pure
aluminum |
70-90 |
| Al-Mg-Cu |
50-70 |
| Si
alloy |
15-40 |
ADVICE WHEN
MOUNTING
THE BLADE ON
YOUR MACHINE
- Be sure your machine is
maintained in perfect condition and free from bearing play.
- The saw blade must run
true on
the mandrel and in perfect line with the fence or saw guide.
- Make sure that clamping
flanges are clean and flat and the blade is clamped
securely on the arbor.
- Keep the blade clean and
free
of resin. This will prevent overheating or burning of the blade body
and ensure longer blade life and freer cutting.
- As carbide tips are
extremely
hard they are also very brittle and should not be subjected to sharp
blows from other hard objects.
- Always exercise care
when
handling your blade.
CARE AND USE OF
CARBIDE
TIPPED SAW BLADES
A general
rule that should be kept in mind when cutting with carbide tipped saw
blades is that the more teeth there are on the saw
blade the smoother the finish.
When
absolute splinter-free cutting is desired on veneer or thin plywood,
use a piece of scrap wood below the wood being cut. This will support
the veneer/laminate as close as possible to the edge of the saw tooth.
Transparent tape along the cutting edge where the
blade leaves the material will eliminate some splintering.
Make sure the clamping collars of the blade are
free from dirt and sawdust.
Choose the correct blade for the cutting
application.
Always
use a push stick on the work piece when
using a saw bench.
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