ts burning - new blade?

[Charles Trout]

I have a combo blade on my grizzly ts that I bought at the borg for about $40. As it's the only blade I have I used it to cut everything from MDF to 5/4 hardwoods...

In my current project I started ripping a piece of 5/4 ash and it visibly filled the shop with smoke. I'm pretty sure my TS is setup correctly, or close to it.

Is ash more prone to burning? Or do you think that $40 is just cheap and is now dulled from the various materials I cut?

Finally, since this blade still cuts MDF just fine would it be a good idea to keep it around for that type of cutting and buy a nicer $100 blade for real wood? I don't have a miter saw so I do all my my cross cuts on the TS.

[jason lambert]

What blade is it? If you are burning the wood might be harder than what you normally cut, most ply wood cuts easy because it has a mix of woods alot soft and airpockets in it to help clear the chips. The blade could be sharp but if you try to cut a 8/4 piece of maple wit a 96 tooth blade it will never work.

I also find cleaning the blade helps get some blade cleaner from rockler or somewhere I use the cmt stuff since I have it and clean thoes theeth. In general I have 2 blades a forrest 2 for cross cuts and a amarda 40tooth (i think) for rips. Combo blades are just that they may or may not work but work on most things. I wish there was just one blade for everything.

[Brian Kent]

Yes, the blade is probably dull. When I upgraded from my used Home Depot Oldham blade to a new Forrest Woodworker II, I was very surprised how much quicker, smoother, higher quality the whole saw is. (You can check some of the threads here for other suggestions on top quality blades).

One other thing to check is that your fence is exactly parallel to the blade or up to 1/64" farther away from the blade on the backside of the saw.

When I first got my Forrest blade it was on an $89 Ryobi Table saw that twisted in a strong breeze. I had a couple of bad kickbacks with the new blade because there were actual teeth to catch on the wood instead of "grinders".

That's why I got my Grizzly and I have been extremely happy with saw and blade. Sometimes I can get a little burn mark on Ash, but only slight and no smoke.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

It might depend on how much you have been using it.
MDF is hell on cutting edges even carbide.

[Prashun Patel]

My guess is yes: the blade's dulling on the MDF and because it's a cheap blade.

If the problem were the saw, you'd probably hear the blade decelerating and the breaker might even trip. But burning is usually caused by problems in the blade.

I definitely would invest in a better blade. The Forrest WWII's get good marks as a moderately priced blade.

You could also try cleaning the blade teeth. People around here like Simple Green. I've had good luck with Isopropyl alcohol in a pinch. But there's nothing like a good blade.

Also, (dumb question): are you using a TABLE saw blade? The hook angle for miter saw and table saw blades are different. Too low an angle can inhibit the feed rate and cause burning.

ALso, what's the # teeth on yr blade? If it's 60 or 80, then it might not be aggressive enough for a harder wood like ash.

[Charles Trout]

Thanks for the tips guys.

I did clean the blade with some orange cleaner and a brass brush. I inspected the teeth for chips, etc, but they looked ok.

I did double check the fence, and it's kicked out very slightly in the back, just how I want it.

I don't remember exactly what blade it is...it might not even be for the TS since up until now I didn't know about the difference in rake angle.

I'll spend some researching blades before I pick up a new one. Practically every day I realize some new aspect I need to learn...but I thinks that is part of my excitement about wood working.

Oh! I just found Scott Spencer's posts. Looks like a great place to start.

[Troy Donson]

While I agree with all the previous posters, I have to ask the O/P...

Are you using a splitter or riving knife?

You said you were ripping ash. Last time I had to rip 8/4 ash for turning tool handles, the ash cut beautifully and then started to pinch my blade as soon as about 12" was past the blade. I looked at the charred wood and back at the saw and put the stock splitter (that I had taken out to cross cut the ash and neglected to put back on before ripping ) back on and had no further problems with burning.

Definately not a cure for a dull blade, but something to look at...

[Charles Trout]

Oh, I am definitely using the OEM splitter and guard that came with my saw.

I might remove it one day, but since I'm such a newb I plan on keeping it for a little while...

[Brian Kent]

Definitely keep it in or use some other splitter.

[Charles Trout]

Sorry, I meant that I am keeping the original splitter/guard.

I understand the importance of a splitter - it is not optional equipment in my mind.

[scott spencer]

Ash isn't particularly prone to burning...not as much as cherry, walnut, and maple. Sounds like something else is the cause, unless the ash is really moist. Also, MDF is a known blade killer so your blade could very well be dull if you've cut much MDF with it.

I'm finding the Forrest 30T WWII to be an awesome blade for hardwoods....rips beautifully even in fairly thick stuff and also crosscuts pretty well. If you're looking to stay under $40, the Freud Avanti TK306 is on sale from Amazon for ~ $24 shipped....very similar to the Freud LU86R010, and Diablo 40T. Holbren sells a Tenryu RS25540 40T "mid" kerf blade for ~ $27 with "SMC10" discount code...good blade for that price

[Josiah Bartlett]

I keep a dedicated blade and router bits for cutting MDF, it really is hard on blades. Fortunately MDF cuts just fine with a dull blade for the most part, although I did catch the dust in the bottom of my unisaw cabinet on fire once from too much heat.

[Brian Weick]

I started ripping a piece of 5/4 ash and it visibly filled the shop with smoke. I'm pretty sure my TS is setup correctly, or close to it.

Is ash more prone to burning? Or do you think that $40 is just cheap and is now dulled from the various materials I cut?
.

Charles,
I think that your blade needs to be sharpened, if it can ~cutting metal will dull the kerf blade tips and result in a poor cut, considering the type of wood your cutting? You should use a good quality 60th wood blade and use it for wood cutting alone, and the metal blade for the metal.
Brian

[Lee Schierer]

Assuming this bargain blade is not a 60 tooth blade...which is not suitable for ripping long cuts.

As others have noted, Ash isn't as prone to burning as are a lot of other woods. What you need to do is look at the wood and determine where the burning occurred. If it was on both sides of the cut then the blade was prbably dull or being pinched as it cut. If the burn marks are on the piece between the fence and the blade, then the fence was likely pushing the stock back into the blade and your alignment is off. If the burn marks are on the cut off piece, then your fence is kicked out too far and you are pushing the wood into the side of the blade as you try to hold the stock against the fence or your feather boards (you didn't say if you were using any or not) are located improperly and are pushing the stock into the blade.

I'm a Freud blade fan. Their blades cut exceptionally well and are priced right. If you catch a sale you can get two for the price of one Woodworker II. I prefer dedicated rip and cross cut blades to get the best possible cuts. blade changing time isn't all that great on most saws so it isn't a real factor in getting most hobby projects done. I recommend a 60 tooth blade for cross cuts and a 24 tooth blade for ripping on 10" saw.

[Brian Weick]

Just my opinion, but that all depends on the kerf diameter on the carbide tip,the HP rating on your saw, but most of all, the most important issue is~how well you maintain the teeth on your Blades. I have used a wide kerf 60th to rip long boards ,cherry,oak,hickory, blood wood,and African mahogany leaving a very clean edge and have had no problems to speak of, but then again,~ this is a industrial blade that I received from a friend of mine and is probably 1/3 heavier than a normal blade weight for a 10" . I will never get rid of it and I have no idea who manufactured the blade. But there is a remarkable difference from the blades out at the Borg /Rockler and the like. I maintain my saw blades religiously with a rotary diamond plate wheel circular saw blade sharpener. It does a very good job on creating a sharp edge on the tips and surface of the carbide tip, I clean the blade Every week , or less with jet fuel to remove any sap resin. I think that may be why I have had no problems using a 60th blade. If I didn't maintain my blade, I think I would have a nice smoky shop atmosphere~ free incense~ I don't disagree with you however, there are a lot of variables to take into account ~ that's all I am trying to say~
Brian