WWII users: Do you ever take it out?

[Neil Brooks]

Every time I DO swap out my WWII (Usually for my Freud ripping blade), I'm very glad I did.

It's almost always when I've got a fair amount of fairly dense, fairly thick stock to cut. My Bosch 4100 really prefers the lower tooth count.

Would a big cabinet saw care ? Dunno.

[Van Huskey]

Combination blades are a compromise for almost every cut, that said excellent combo blades like the WWII and Freud P410 are EXCELLENT at balancing the needs of a hobby woodworker. However, I find myself often switching in my most appropriate blade for a task, it can often actually save me time if the task at hand is ripping due to the faster feed rate gained by say a 20T WWII. In the long run I think the only thing one loses is a little time since over the long haul monetarily having the "best" blade for the task actually balances out, you aren't "wasting" a 40T WWII or P410 when doing heavy ripping and you have less wood waste due to an unacceptable cut in veneered plywood for example. That said when I finish a project and clean up the shop I almost always reinstall one of my go to 40T combos because I already have what ever blde out to clean it so very little loss of time and I am ready to make 90% of cuts if I need/want to get up and running quickly the next time.

[Ben Hatcher]

I do most crosscuting with my RAS which has a Forrest Chopmaster. My WWII stays on my tablesay all the time unless I'm cutting something that might contain metal. If I do another project with melamine, I'll buy a melamine blade. I get too much tear out with the WWII unless I do a scoring cut first. I'm far to lazy to do that every time.

[Kent A Bathurst]

WW II 40t is standard. I have 2, so there is always one to run when the other is being sharpened.

But - I have a 30t and a 20t.......as I go to thicker hardwoods, the tooth count drops.

I also have an 80t for panels.

Oh - and the 80t Chopmaster on the CMS.

I have thought about getting a dedicated crosscut blade, but I would not use it that much, and I am not all that disappointed in how the 40t works. If I am in a situation where I am going to crosscut on the TS, and the tearout is a critical issue, I put a hunk of scrap behind it.

[Don Morris]

Sort of what Scott Spencer said: a rip blade for thick rip cuts, top of line plywood get a plywood blade. Don't change to thin kerf because I don't like the different size for ZCI and other measuring on left tilt TS. Other than that unless I have a specialty wood need, it stays on. I'm happy with the cuts I get. If not, it wouldn't be there.

[Michael Peet]

I usually have a 40-tooth WWII in the saw. It is sufficient for many tasks. I tend to rip thick hardwood on the bandsaw, so I don't have a dedicated TS blade for that. I also use a Forrest crosscut blade (can't remember the tooth count) for critical crosscuts. With a crosscut sled, which has built-in support behind the workpiece, the cuts come out great.

Mike

[John Nesmith]

I very rarely take mine off. Typically only for cutting expensive ply, or ripping thick dense stock.

[Phil Thien]

I never change blades, I run a high-quality 40-tooth GP blade until it is dull, take it off, and switch blades.

I've got a Forrest, I've got Freuds, I've got the yellow DeWalts, I've got a bunch of them.

The difference in cut quality from one high quality blade to the next is negligible, IMHO. Yes, there are subtle differences. None of them amount to anything in terms of my final project.

[Gary Venable]

My WWII is the blade on my table saw 95% of the time. It just does so well I rarely need to change it.

[Jim Becker]

I have two WW-II 40t blades and they live on my saw full time...except when I take them off to use the 20t version for any "serious" ripping. By rights, I should replace them with 12" versions to use the full capacity of my slider, but since they have many sharpenings left, I continue to use them.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I take mine out when I plan to do lots of ripping, put my Glue Line Rip in, or when I's cutting used/salvage/old wood. Then I put a cheaper Freud combo blade in. Don't want to find a nail or rock with the WWII. Plus, it may fire my brake.
Maybe I should get a few of those cheap Delta blades too.

[Neil Brooks]

The difference in cut quality from one high quality blade to the next is negligible, IMHO. Yes, there are subtle differences. None of them amount to anything in terms of my final project.

I guess I'd agree that most decent blades give a very good cut.

But ... what about time ? if you have a lot of thick, hard stock to rip, and choose the TS over the BS, for example, doesn't it go a DARN sight faster using a good rip blade ?

[Phil Thien]

I guess I'd agree that most decent blades give a very good cut.

But ... what about time ? if you have a lot of thick, hard stock to rip, and choose the TS over the BS, for example, doesn't it go a DARN sight faster using a good rip blade ?

I haven't found that to be the case. But my little Ryobi BT3000 saw is so small that I often have to rip in two passes anyhow.

[Doug Colombo]

99.5% of the time, my WWII is on the saw.

[Shawn Pixley]

Like others, WWII on most of the time. Occasionally switch out to Rip or Crosscut. I have a plywood blade that I've used twice.