Circ saw blade rant

Cross cutting the ends of my dining table to add the end cap pieces (non 'functional' breadboard)...and I needed a new blade for the circular saw...so a visit to the HD was in order. Been quite some time since I bought a circular saw blade, but jeez o peete, when did they get so skinny? There's nothing to them anymore...makes a 10" thin kerf blade look awfully thick! Anyhoo, none of the ones they had looked good to me...so ignoring the little voice reminding me I said I'd never buy another Oldham blade, I bought the Oldham blade simply because it looked like it had a teensy bit more 'heft' to the teeth. What a waste of $14. Not only would it not cut 'straight', even with a guide, it was just a completely ragged cut. Soooo, back on goes the original Makita blade that came on the saw...the same blade that roughed out the birch plywood for a house full of cabinets, broke down a couple hundred BF of white oak, and had cross cut much 8/4 mesquite. Now, it didn't give me a 'finish cut' either, but it was vastly superior to the brand new Oldham. I eneded up using a flush trim bit with the straight edge to get an excellent finish cut...which I shoulda thought of to begin with. I've cut the ends of tables like this probably 50 times with a much thicker Freud blade...but all I see anymore are the cheapie Diablo. Where are the GOOD blades??? :confused: :mad:

KC

Seems like everyone wants thin kerf blades now days. A long time ago I used them, but a few years ago I moved to the 1/8" forrest blades. Like you said, they do not flex as much.

Try the new "Razor" blade from PC . This is a very weird blade. It has Different tooth counts around the blade.

I put one in my Skill Saw and it seems a little better than the last few I used.

Here is the Link

There is no good circ saw blade for what you wanna do available at HD's. I use the 40 tooth Freuds for casework when I have to. You could fashion a ZCI for the bottom of the circ saw foot and that would help. Don't try crosscutting Oak ply without it.

Oldham's blades are worthless...all of 'em.

OK, I'll bite. What's a ZCI?

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Originally Posted by Bill White

OK, I'll bite. What's a ZCI?

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Zero Clearance Insert

Based on an article in the latest issue of Woodshop News, it sounds like the Oldham (and Viper) brands are going to "go away" since they overlap with other B&D brands. But regardless of the brand, a blade that will not perform at least reasonably well, no matter what it cost, is dissappointing in the least.

I got one as a gift, but probably wouldn't have spent the money on it. Its their Duraline HI/AT blade. A member of my family bought it for me after I built some melamine shelving into their closets. I had voiced similar complaints about my CS blades cutting the melamine. I think it goes for around $90+, but the resultant edge is excellent. Just like their TS blades.

You may also find that if you use the smartguide with a "normal" blade and the edge insert, you'll get a nice very nice finish too.

Whenever I need a clean cut with my PC Saw Boss, I mount a Forrest WW II blade that I bought a few years ago. It cost almost as much as the saw, but it does cut cleanly. BTW, it is a full kerf blade, too. For an even better cut (and for even more money), I am the proud owner of a Festool plunge circular saw and guide rail. This saw cuts with absolutely no chipout, and with perfect precision - worth every penny, IMHO.