Melamine saw blade

[Ray Schafer]

I think that I read in another post that there are blades that are made specifically for melamine. That brings to mind this question:
What blades do I need to use on:

Plywood
Hardwood
MDF
PB
Melamine
Plastics

Here is what I am thinking:
Plywood -- I can use my "general" blade that came with my Unisaw
Hardwood -- I can use my Forrest blade
MDF -- same as plywood
PB -- same as plywood
Melamine -- good question
Plastics -- I believe that I have a specialty blade for this (but have not used it in so long I am not sure.)

Are there other blades that I need? and do I need the same variety of blades for my circ saw and miter saw?

Thanks for any guidance.
Ray

[Ray Schafer]

I just looked and the plastices blade actually says it is for both plastcs and aluminum. It is not a carbide blade. -- Would it be worth sharpening if it is not carbide? I think it is a cheap blade that I picked up for a specific project.

With this thread, I am hoping to get help in identifying an end-state goal set of blade recommendations so that I can start upgrading my blades one-by-one. I look forward to your help.

[Chris Schumann]

I have a Freud Ultimate Plywood & Laminate blade for my table saw. It made an edge on 1/2" birch plywood that was ready for glue with no tearout on a cheap Craftsman TS (saw was $100, blade was $90!). http://www.freudtools.com/c-8-industrial-blades.aspx also shows blades for cutting single- and double-sided laminate/melamine. After my purchase, I wouldn't hesitate to buy another Freud blade.

[Jeff Duncan]

Your best bet is to buy good blades for the things you'll be doing most. I have specialty blades as I do many types of work, but this is my business so I need to have clean cuts on everything I do.
Forrest has a Hi-At blade that is great for hardwood veneered plywood and melamine, Frued also has a similar 2 sided melamine blade. For general purpose solid hardwoods the Forrest WW11 is a good blade. B/C of the volume I do I use a 30 tooth blade for bulk ripping and a 40 tooth blade for other misc cuts. As far as plastics it depends on the type and thickness of the plastic. I don't cut a lot so when I do I just use a general purpose blade and make several passes.
As faras the miter saws go I have several blades for each of my saws. In general I keep a very good crosscut blade and a cheapy blade for different work. And again I use Forrest and Freud blades, I believe they're the Chopmaster and Ultimate Crosscut blades.
The thing to remember is the better blades get pretty expensive, and buying several will add up quickly. I think I'd recommend starting out with a Forrest WWII or Freud equivalent and add other blades as you need them.
good luck,
JeffD

[Ray Schafer]

I have:
1) a general purpose Delta blade: 16 degree hook, 50 tooth, 10"
2) some general blade that came with my Wilton ts
3) The original blade that came with my Delta miter saw -- can read it any more. 40 tooth, general purpose.
4) Freud Diablo -- 44 tooth, thin kerf design -- for wood, general purpose, listed as slide miter blade -- can I use this on my ts or Miter saw?
5) The cheapo blades that I currenly have on my Miter saw and for plastics/aluminum.
6) whatever blade came with my Milwaukee circ saw.
7) Forrest Woodworker II -- new in the box.

[scott spencer]

You really don't "need" any special purpose blades, but it really boils down to what kind of performance you're looking for, what saw you use, volumes, and what techniques you use. A good general purpose blade like the 40T WWII will cut reasonably well in most of those materials. Tricks like pre-scoring and taping can dramatically improve the exit finish of most blades in those materials. A high tooth count, Hi-ATB blade like the Forrest Duraline, Freud LU80, or Infinity Ultrasmooth will make a smoother cut with less tendency for tearout than any other type of blade in most materials like plywood, melamine, MDF, hardwood and softwood crosscuts. However there's never a free lunch.... those sharp tips will also tend to abrade faster so they're not necessarily a great choice for high volumes of any of those materials. For longer edge life a triple chip grind is a good choice. (FWIW, MDF is a known blade killer and is relatively easy to cut with a cheap blade, so that's what I tend to use for cutting higher volumes of MDF.....for just one or two short cuts I'll leave my good blades in place if they're suitable)

Some of the newer general purpose blades like the Freud P410 Fusion and new Infinity Super General 010-044 off a Hi-ATB grind in a general purpose configuration with medium toothcount, 20° hook angle, low side clearance and dual grind side angle that offer superior crosscut performance and a more polished edge than standard GP blades. They don't necessarily rip as efficiently due to the higher bevel angle but they're a great general purpose choice for the right applications. Thick ripping is best done with a TS, a lower tooth count blade with a flat top grind (FTG), and a steeper hook angle to aid in the feedrate. If ripping on a RAS, look for a more moderate hook angle.

Miter saws do strictly crosscutting so a blade suitable for crosscuts tends to be a good choice....60-100T, moderate hook angle, ATB or Hi-ATB for moderate hobbyist volumes.

I'm not sure what's needed for best plastics performance but there are blades designed to reduce melting.

Alot depends on your preferences. While there are better blades for some applications, it's often not enough of an improvement to warrant obtaining a specialty blade or even bothering to change one for that matter. Even the cleanest cutting high tooth count Hi-ATB blades won't leave a finish ready cut, so some finish prep is almost always required for an exposed edge. Glue ready edges are attainable from even a good 24T rip blade in most hard and soft woods. I use mainly 30T to 60T blades with an ATB grind that have a 10° to 20° hook for most of my hardwood, plywood, and laminated pressboard applications. I'll lean toward something like the 30T WWII for thicker materials where a decent cut is preferable, and something like a 60T Hi-ATB like the Infinity 010-060 when cutting under 5/4", doing more crosscuts, or when I know I'll be using more ply or laminates and want the cleaner cut, but either of those two blade will suffice for most other cuts if I choose to leave them in. The Super General will also handle the vast majority of those materials nicely. I leave an 80T ATB blade Leitz blade with a negative hook on my CMS but that blade sees less action than any other in my rack, as there's rarely a need for the higher tooth count.

Here's a good article about blade selection: Saw Blades 101

[Ray Schafer]

I am building cabinets now and want to move into more furniture building. A smooth cut is getting more important to me. I added a list of some of the blades that I have now.

I am in the process of making zero clearance plates for all of me saws. I think that will help. I am also on my way this morning to drop off my good blades for sharpening. They are all overdue for that.

[scott spencer]

I am building cabinets now and want to move into more furniture building. A smooth cut is getting more important to me. I added a list of some of the blades that I have now.

I am in the process of making zero clearance plates for all of me saws. I think that will help. I am also on my way this morning to drop off my good blades for sharpening. They are all overdue for that.

What saw(s) do you have Ray?

[Ray Schafer]

I think you mean generically and not "what brand and model."

I have a tablesaw, compound miter saw, circular saw, jig saw, and scroll saw. I also have a Wilton tablesaw that I use as a sander -- I can put a blade in any time that I need a second or portable table saw.

[scott spencer]

All of the above, plus at least brand, model, and type of your main TS would be useful as it effects blade recommendations.

[Ray Schafer]

A delta DELTA X5™ 10" UNISAW with Unifence
A Milwaukee 6394-21 circular saw
Delta 10 in. 13.0 amp Compound Miter Saw -- not sure of the exact model number

[scott spencer]

A delta DELTA X5™ 10" UNISAW with Unifence

...guess that eliminates the need for thin kerf!

[Ray Schafer]

Why do you say that?

[Greg Narozniak]

I have used a Forrest WW2 and a Freud LU84 for cutting melamine. I did have a zero clearence insert in the TS but to be sure I still just lowered the blade to maybe an 1/8" and made one pass then raised it up and completed the cut and I got perfect edges.

Would a specific Melamine blade do it in one shot? Probably, but with the price of blades I did not see the need. If I was cutting it all day or a huge lot of it to cut then i would consider it but for a hobbiest I did not see the need.

I know there are only a few others that agree with me on this but on my uni that LU84 cuts as good as the WW2 for 1/3 of the price (Yes when it was new and when it came back from sharpening from Forrest). Would I get rid of my WW2 no but would I buy a new one, I highly doubt it. There are too many other blades out there these days that are just as good for a lot less $$$. Freud, Ridge Carbide, Tenryu.

For the Miter saw I have a Forrest Chopmaster and it has been great. I will be sending it to Scott for sharpening soon. I picked up a Tenryu Miter Pro from Amazon (I had a gift cert) and I installed it last night and it went through a piece of Cypress like it was butter. No joke, I actually thought something was wrong as it felt too easy. I do not remember my Chopmaster doing that. We'll see once Scott works his magic.

[scott spencer]

Why do you say that?

TK's are primarily suggested for underpowered saws....your Uni should spin any full kerf blade with ease.