blade for oak parquet flooring with nails

[Lynn Kasdorf]

I'm laying some 12"x12" oak parquet flooring and I need to determine what blade to use on my nice Makita 12" SCMS. I don't want to use the blade that came with it, as this flooring has a steel fastener (4 actually, 1 per quadrant) that binds the pieces together. I think it will be about like cutting a nail, and I don't want to dull my furniture-grade blade.

I do have a 100 or maybe its 120 tooth 0 degree rake angle carbide blade that I used on my radial arm saw, and I figure I'll give it a try. I think I also have a "nasty" blade that I put in my 12" TS for cutting aluminum or dirty wood. I think this has a more aggressive rake angle tho.

Any other suggestions? Like maybe don't use the scms at all, and cut on the bandsaw with a metal cutting blade? Or maybe a sawzall. I'm afraid out rattling the parquet pieces loose if using a sawzall or other reciprocating cutter.

But my SCMS is such a joy to use! And will go faster and should produce a cleaner edge (not that the cut quality matters- it will be covered by 1/4 round). And I can set it up right by my work area, as it is on a mobile cart.

[Chris Padilla]

Lynn,

Have you scoured your local borg/hardware stores for blades that might handle nails in wood? Certainly they make sawzall blades for such situations.

I would spend a little time at some stores as using the SCMS would be very nice for this situation before resorting to slightly more painful ways to cut the parquet flooring.

Finally, double-check about the fastener for the parquet...could you be lucky enough to be wrong and it's aluminum or some softer kinda steel? Also, do the manufacturers of the flooring have a suggestion for what to use to cut it? Obviously, one must be able to more or less easily cut this flooring....

[Tim Sproul]

Lynn,

Have you scoured your local borg/hardware stores for blades that might handle nails in wood?

I was cutting some bowling alley which is chock full of nails with my 7 1/4 circular saw....there is a $5 blade specifically made for such situations at the big boxes. Not very many teeth but certainly at the price, a throw away blade after it has done its service.

[Jamie Buxton]

Blades (particularly the cheap variety) are expendable.
Eyeballs are not.
You're quite likely to be spraying around lots of little sharp bits of metal. Do wear eye protection.

[Clint deal]

Hey Lynn, you can get the cheap construction blades that are made for hitting an occasional nail.
I did a floor like this a while back and had the same concerns. I used a jig saw since it was just trimming I mainly did. When you cut through the metal the rest of the tile just about falls apart so be careful of a piece moving around and getting kick up by the blade. Deffinatly wear eye protection please.
Clint

[Lynn Kasdorf]

I ended up using my Bosch jig saw with a metal cutting blade and it worked great. The only trick is holding the pieces together sometimes when cutting. Masking tape works well for this.

If I felt like taking the time to change bandsaw blades, I coudl put a metal cutting blade on it and it work work better, but the jig saw is fast and easy.

Thanks for the suggestion (whomever it was that suggested it).

Cheers
Lynn