Saw Blade Recommendation

[Andrew Kertesz]

I have a Forrest WWII 10" 40T blade that makes good cuts. In trying to set up my saw for better accuracy I have found that over the diameter of the blade there is a large variation in the runout. It ranges from -.003 to +.012, and it seems like it is worse with the blade dampener. The original Craftsman blade with or without the dampner has better numbers. I will get the WWII sharpened and tested but I am looking for a thin kerf blade and am a little hesitant about buying another Forrest.

I checked for arbor runout and it was: .0015 at the most.

Any suggestions on a good blade?

[Ken Deckelman]

I have always had superb luck with Forrest blades, I would suggest you call them and seek their advice.

[glenn bradley]

There are a lot of good blades out there which makes recommendations as varied as we are. I seem to keep going back to blades that perform well for me. I rarely use one blade for everything and also was unimpressed with my WWII (bought through Amazon, should have returned it, my bad). I think it was just a bum blade as many fine folks love their products and I am sure they are good when in proper shape. The cost to get the blade to Forrest and back was too close to the cost of blades I know I like so, I use it for rough work. I seem to reach for my Freuds more than others.

[Jim O'Dell]

I had real good luck with Infinity router bits, so tried them for a saw blade. WOW! I also got a specific blade for my SCMS at the same time, but have yet to have a need to install it.
I do have a Forrest 30 tooth TK blade I purchased for my contractor saw, and I thought it did a bang up job for the 2 cuts I've used it for. Doubt that I will use it much now with the new cabinet saw. I have a 60 tooth Systimatic blade for cross cuts and have recently gotten it sharpened, so now I need a 24 tooth rip blade and I should be pretty well set. Freuds are well thought of. I've only used them in my circular saw so far.
Use the search menu here for saw blade. You will find many threads that have a lot of great information. Use the advanced search and add Scott Spencer's name and you will get a ton of information. It is amazing what Scott has done researching and testing blades in his shop. Here's one such thread: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...hart-update%29 Jim.

[Leigh Betsch]

I checked for arbor runout and it was: .0015 at the most.

That .0015 runout might be more of the problem than you suspect. .0015 at the arbor flange is going to multiply quite a bit at the perimeter of a 10" blade.

[Andrew Kertesz]

If the arbor run out was the culprit shouldn't that affect the Craftsman blade as well. It may multiply itself at the perimiter but to me it still indicates the Craftsman blade is flatter than the Forrest because the numbers are smaller with less deviation.

[Leigh Betsch]

no doubt that there is a problem with the WWII. I had a Delta TS with .002 runout at the arbor flange and I couldn't get it to run true enough to cut box joints to size. The blade wobble would cause the cut to be oversize. I re-cut the arbor flange by tilting the arbor to 45 degrees and using a oil stone to lap it true. There is a post around here wxpalining how to do it. It worked great, well with in .0005. It fixed my blade wobble.
I have several WWII's one seemed to be bent after I let someone else use my saw. I sent it in for resharpening and Forest fixed it up. I now cuts good again.
I've never been impressed with the WWII grind finish of the saw plate but the carbide is were it counts. Do you see the rounout on the sides of the teeth?

[Rod Sheridan]

I like FS Tools blades, high quality, made in North America, superb grinding services.............Rod.

[Andrew Kertesz]

The runout on the Forrest blade is just off the teeth on the plate itself. I also feel the the grind finish on the WWII almost looks unfinished. The dampner is the same way. It is almost like someone took sand paper to it and then never moved to a higher grit.

[Mark Eisen]

When I bought my table saw the most recommendations I found in the Aussie forms were for Freud blades which I purchased and am very impressed with them..

[Chip Lindley]

The runout on the Forrest blade is just off the teeth on the plate itself. I also feel the the grind finish on the WWII almost looks unfinished. The dampner is the same way. It is almost like someone took sand paper to it and then never moved to a higher grit.

That just does not sound like a "real" Forrest blade! Did you purchase from a dependable source? If the blade is new, I would complain to the seller and Forrest too.

Meanwhile, try marking your arbor flange and mounting the blade at different quadrants. Sometimes a quarter-turn will cancel much runout. Try all the combinations. Worth a try! But a warped saw plate will wobble on the most perfect arbor.

I have never spent on a Forrest. I have been fortunate to find sales on the Freud full-kerf blades I need. The 50T combo blade is my Go To blade. The 80T High ATB ultimate cutoff for fine cuts. For rips, the 30T glue line. 80T TCG for double-sided laminates. I love them all--especially for what I paid.

[Robert Chapman]

I agree with Ken - call Forrest and tell them your blade runout reading and the arbor runout reading. I have always had great service from Forrest. They will do their best to make their blade work - that's what they are in business for.

[Ray Newman]

First what do you mean by “good cuts” and “better accuracy”? How is the saw cutting now?

I have seen some blades that don’t necessarily have good run out numbers, but are extremely accurate and smooth cutting. Same with dampeners. My Tried and True 25+ year old Uni-Saw doesn’t really like a Forrest blade with a dampener.

I work with 3 Forrests and all cut 'dead nuts on' and smooth. One blade lost 3-4 teeth was bent, sent it back to Forrest and it came back good as new. None have a really mirror bright or glass smooth fiinish, but they take and hold sharpening very well.

Once heard an old time millwright opine that when measuring run out with the blade in place, always turn the arbor/blade by turning the motor pulley or the belt(s). He claimed that: a) you can inadvertently apply too much pressure to one side of the blade and this can will throw off the reading; b) a stout and strong magnetic base is necessary to hold the dial indicator when measuring run out.

Also make sure that there is no grit or dust on the face of the arbor and threads, as well as the arbor nut or the blade before taking any measurements. See what another posted stated about mounting the blade in a different quadrant on the arbor.

How old is the saw? The arbor bearing(s) could be starting to wear.

You might want to re-do your measurements after cleaning everything up and if still a problem, call Forrest. Something isn't right here.

[Bruce Wrenn]

What the plate looks like is immaterial. The carbide projects out further than the plate, so the sides of the plate don't matter, as they don't touch the work. That is unless you are selling blades that have coating on the plates (think red, orange, or yellow.)

[Leigh Betsch]

I agree that the finish of the saw plate doesn't really matter but, I have run a cylindrical grinder and I would be embarrassed to send something like that out as my finished product. To me it just looks like shoddy workmanship. Having said that, I own 3 Forrest blades all of them cut just great, but all of them have the poor plate finish. I also own a couple of Freud's and a couple of Royce. They all cut fine however the WWII always get the nod, unless I want a higher tooth count then I go with my 80 tooth Royce.
To the OP: I'd check the run out on the teeth. I suspect that Forrest grinds the plate before welding on the teeth and then grinds the teeth to run true after they are welded to the plate. I have checked all three and all of them run less than .001 on the teeth. Although if the Craftman is outperforming the Forrest blade I'd return it to Forrest and have it fixed up.