Anyone out there had much experience with either of these. I'm getting
a new combination blade and have gotten various opinions from people I
know. Its between the Freud "Cabinet Maker" and the CMT "General".
I'm trrying to stay away from Forrest because of the cost. Also I have
had several people recommend the Dewalt "Woodworker" blade. Any
thoughts?
Thanks but is the Forrest blade really worth the extra cost. Maybe.
Also, whats the wisdom on thin kerf blades. I don't think wood waste
is a viable bonus for most applications. The only upside I think makes
sense is that its less work for the saw but that has been counter by
those that say with a sharp blade it doesn't matter. The down-side
that makes the most sense is that the thin kerf blades have more flex
and vibrations.
Again CMT or Freud?
Robatoy wrote:
> ...
> I cut a lot acrylic, 1/2" thick.. and I mean a LOT of it. The stuff is a
> bit tricky to cut as the feed rate makes all the difference. Too fast,
> you melt the stuff..too slow, you melt the stuff. ...
>
> So, maybe I'm going out on a limb here <putting on my NOMEX suit>, but
> to me, feed rate is the most important facet of proper cutting. You MAY
> have the best blade for the job, but then get seriously skewed results
> by mucking with the feed rate.
> ...
Good to know.
How about applying a thin coat of mineral oil to the cut line?
I've found that the chips then mostly melt into a softish goop
that is easily peeled off the piece.
--
FF
For the folks raving about Forrest, here's a tale I heard.
Forrest is a family run company and is running out of generations
interested in staying in the business. So, not too far down the road,
there may no longer be a Forrest, or, at least, not the one you're
used to.
Freud has a blade that leaves a no-further-planing-needed edge. Don't
know how long it'll last w/that fine a cut. I believe it was only
$50.
Renata
On 19 Mar 2006 05:08:22 -0800, "BD" <[email protected]> wrote:
>Anyone out there had much experience with either of these. I'm getting
>a new combination blade and have gotten various opinions from people I
>know. Its between the Freud "Cabinet Maker" and the CMT "General".
>I'm trrying to stay away from Forrest because of the cost. Also I have
>had several people recommend the Dewalt "Woodworker" blade. Any
>thoughts?
--
NewsGuy.Com 30Gb $9.95 Carry Forward and On Demand Bandwidth
On Thu, 23 Mar 2006 13:51:49 GMT, "Leon"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>
>"Renata" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> For the folks raving about Forrest, here's a tale I heard.
>>
>> Forrest is a family run company and is running out of generations
>> interested in staying in the business. So, not too far down the road,
>> there may no longer be a Forrest, or, at least, not the one you're
>> used to.
>>
>>
>> Freud has a blade that leaves a no-further-planing-needed edge. Don't
>> know how long it'll last w/that fine a cut. I believe it was only
>> $50.
>
>Well until they do go out, I'll stick with them. I have heard the same
>about Porter Cable, Delta, Powermatic some rumors, some not.
>
Now, I hardly think Porter Cable, Delta and Powermatic are "small,
family run" companies?
Renata
--
NewsGuy.Com 30Gb $9.95 Carry Forward and On Demand Bandwidth
Ba r r y wrote:
> On 19 Mar 2006 05:08:22 -0800, "BD" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>Anyone out there had much experience with either of these. I'm getting
>>a new combination blade and have gotten various opinions from people I
>>know. Its between the Freud "Cabinet Maker" and the CMT "General".
>>I'm trrying to stay away from Forrest because of the cost. Also I have
>>had several people recommend the Dewalt "Woodworker" blade. Any
>>thoughts?
>
>
> I've had all of the above, except for the DeWalt. All of my recent
> new blades have been Forrest. By shopping around and pouncing on
> sales and coupons, I've never paid more than ~ $15-20 more for Forrest
> blades over the others.
>
> Past experience tells me I get what I pay for. I just bought an
> second 80T Chopmaster for $80, shipped, from Amazon. That's ~$20 more
> than the competition, but the quality difference is worth far more
> than $20. MY last WWII was $74, shipped, also from Amazon.
>
> FWIW, I've had Forrest sharpen my used CMT and Freud saw blades and
> they came back better than new.
>
> I buy lots of CMT router bits, though!
>
> Barry
how much do they charge to sharpen a blade? how long will it take to get my
blade back? I like my Freud blade, but it's getting a little dull and I
hate to drop another $50 or so to get a new one if I could get it sharpend
for a reasonable price.
--
if corn oil comes from corn,
and olive oil comes from olives
where dose baby oil come from?
On Sun, 19 Mar 2006 08:54:38 -0700, Richard Clements
<[email protected]> wrote:
>
>how much do they charge to sharpen a blade? how long will it take to get my
>blade back?
Read for details specific to your blades:
<http://www.forrestsawblades.com/>
They're excellent on the phone if the answer isn't there.
I'm in CT, they're in NJ. I frequently get a blade back within 2
weeks of when I mail it.
Barry
"BD" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Thanks but is the Forrest blade really worth the extra cost. Maybe.
> Also, whats the wisdom on thin kerf blades. I don't think wood waste
> is a viable bonus for most applications. The only upside I think makes
> sense is that its less work for the saw but that has been counter by
> those that say with a sharp blade it doesn't matter. The down-side
> that makes the most sense is that the thin kerf blades have more flex
> and vibrations.
>
> Again CMT or Freud?
No experince with CMT. Freud makes good blades and I use a couple of them.
Consider this also: http://www.infinitytools.com/products.asp?dept=1196
Only real advantage of a thin kerf is less power is needed. If you have a
benchtop saw, it may make a difference on some cuts or thick, hard wood.
--
Ed
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome/
"Renata" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> For the folks raving about Forrest, here's a tale I heard.
>
> Forrest is a family run company and is running out of generations
> interested in staying in the business. So, not too far down the road,
> there may no longer be a Forrest, or, at least, not the one you're
> used to.
>
>
> Freud has a blade that leaves a no-further-planing-needed edge. Don't
> know how long it'll last w/that fine a cut. I believe it was only
> $50.
Well until they do go out, I'll stick with them. I have heard the same
about Porter Cable, Delta, Powermatic some rumors, some not.
In article <[email protected]>,
"BD" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Anyone out there had much experience with either of these. I'm getting
> a new combination blade and have gotten various opinions from people I
> know. Its between the Freud "Cabinet Maker" and the CMT "General".
> I'm trrying to stay away from Forrest because of the cost. Also I have
> had several people recommend the Dewalt "Woodworker" blade. Any
> thoughts?
I cut a lot acrylic, 1/2" thick.. and I mean a LOT of it. The stuff is a
bit tricky to cut as the feed rate makes all the difference. Too fast,
you melt the stuff..too slow, you melt the stuff. Based on that
experience, starting some 20 years ago, I have experimented with many
blades. Mostly bought for the purpose of cutting solid surface, I have
tried many on different woods as well.
So, maybe I'm going out on a limb here <putting on my NOMEX suit>, but
to me, feed rate is the most important facet of proper cutting. You MAY
have the best blade for the job, but then get seriously skewed results
by mucking with the feed rate.
Cutting is all about 3 things (assuming the basics, like adequate power
etc)
A tooth, slices off a piece of material. It therefore stands to reason
that the planar presentation of the tooth be adequately stable in the
spot where it is supposed to do the cut. A stable, accurate disc. Thin
kerf blades suck at this.
The same tooth expels that same, freshly cut piece. That calls for an
adequately large enough gullet to transport the chip to the nether
regions of the shop, preferably to a DC system. Chip removal is very
critical in the over-all picture, being it saw blade or router bit.
Blades with too many teeth, have small gullets, and suck at this.
The same tooth waits for the next time to do the same job a fraction of
a second later. Feed rate. Period.
It is based on these observations, that I do not believe in combination
blades. Ever.
Cross-cut or rip..... and most importantly, a good sharpening service
and they are way harder to find than one might imagine. A true running
blade, ripping some cherry, and just seeing the curls fly, gives me
tremendous pleasure.
r
On Mon, 20 Mar 2006 01:19:22 GMT, "Joe Tylicki" <[email protected]> wrote:
>FWW did a test a couple years back and confirmed what most of us already
>believed. The WWII won hands down.
>
>It escapes me now which one, but one of the far less expensive blades
>finished second.
>
>
I believe it was the Oldham Signature, with free stiffner/sound reducer. I went out and bought one
based on that article, and it was the best blade I'd used up to that time. I stumbled on a good buy
for a WW-2 and now have that in the saw. There is a difference between the two. The WW-2 gives a
better cut in ply and solid stock on my setup. I'm sending the Oldham in for sharpening, and I
still think it is a good blade.
Regards,
Roy
>
>"BD" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> Thanks but is the Forrest blade really worth the extra cost. Maybe.
>> Also, whats the wisdom on thin kerf blades. I don't think wood waste
>> is a viable bonus for most applications. The only upside I think makes
>> sense is that its less work for the saw but that has been counter by
>> those that say with a sharp blade it doesn't matter. The down-side
>> that makes the most sense is that the thin kerf blades have more flex
>> and vibrations.
>>
>> Again CMT or Freud?
>>
>
On 19 Mar 2006 07:21:22 -0800, "BD" <[email protected]> wrote:
> I don't think wood waste
>is a viable bonus for most applications.
A always thought 3/32" vs. a 1/8" kerf was actually a joke for typical
woodworkers. <G>
The only use I can think where that might be even slightly valid might
be where someone is cutting tiny strips, like model airplane or doll
house stock, or maybe tiny jewelry box or musical instrument parts
from exotics.
Barry
"BD" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Anyone out there had much experience with either of these. I'm getting
> a new combination blade and have gotten various opinions from people I
> know. Its between the Freud "Cabinet Maker" and the CMT "General".
> I'm trrying to stay away from Forrest because of the cost. Also I have
> had several people recommend the Dewalt "Woodworker" blade. Any
> thoughts?
>
I have used all of them and put the Dewalt in a category below the Freud and
CMT. I think that Forrest is the best and also the best value for high-end
work. If you are trying to get repeatable, highly accurate work I would
spend the extra money for the Forrest. If you are not that exacting buy one
of the other blades. I would also look at the Ridge Carbide products.
On 19 Mar 2006 05:08:22 -0800, "BD" <[email protected]> wrote:
>Anyone out there had much experience with either of these. I'm getting
>a new combination blade and have gotten various opinions from people I
>know. Its between the Freud "Cabinet Maker" and the CMT "General".
>I'm trrying to stay away from Forrest because of the cost. Also I have
>had several people recommend the Dewalt "Woodworker" blade. Any
>thoughts?
I've had all of the above, except for the DeWalt. All of my recent
new blades have been Forrest. By shopping around and pouncing on
sales and coupons, I've never paid more than ~ $15-20 more for Forrest
blades over the others.
Past experience tells me I get what I pay for. I just bought an
second 80T Chopmaster for $80, shipped, from Amazon. That's ~$20 more
than the competition, but the quality difference is worth far more
than $20. MY last WWII was $74, shipped, also from Amazon.
FWIW, I've had Forrest sharpen my used CMT and Freud saw blades and
they came back better than new.
I buy lots of CMT router bits, though!
Barry
FWW did a test a couple years back and confirmed what most of us already
believed. The WWII won hands down.
It escapes me now which one, but one of the far less expensive blades
finished second.
"BD" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Thanks but is the Forrest blade really worth the extra cost. Maybe.
> Also, whats the wisdom on thin kerf blades. I don't think wood waste
> is a viable bonus for most applications. The only upside I think makes
> sense is that its less work for the saw but that has been counter by
> those that say with a sharp blade it doesn't matter. The down-side
> that makes the most sense is that the thin kerf blades have more flex
> and vibrations.
>
> Again CMT or Freud?
>
"Richard Clements" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> how much do they charge to sharpen a blade? how long will it take to get
> my
> blade back? I like my Freud blade, but it's getting a little dull and I
> hate to drop another $50 or so to get a new one if I could get it sharpend
> for a reasonable price.
Check their web site. I send mine to www.ridgecarbidetools.com and pay
about $15 Takes about a week both ways.
"BD" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Thanks but is the Forrest blade really worth the extra cost.
Yes if your saw is set up to take advantage of the Forrest tollerances. If
your saw is not set up properly the Forrest may not cut any better than a
lesser blade. And the blades that you are considering may not cut better
than a $10 blade. The Forrest blades do stay sharp for a very long time
compared to the carbide blades that I have used in the past. If you go
twice as long between sharpenings the initial cost between the two is soon a
wash.
Maybe.
> Also, whats the wisdom on thin kerf blades. I don't think wood waste
> is a viable bonus for most applications. The only upside I think makes
> sense is that its less work for the saw but that has been counter by
> those that say with a sharp blade it doesn't matter. The down-side
> that makes the most sense is that the thin kerf blades have more flex
> and vibrations.
Your thoughts on thin kerf are correct. I believe the advantages of thin
kerf blades are outweighed by the disadvantages.
Renata wrote:
> For the folks raving about Forrest, here's a tale I heard.
>
> Forrest is a family run company and is running out of generations
> interested in staying in the business. So, not too far down the road,
> there may no longer be a Forrest, or, at least, not the one you're
> used to.
There's always Ridge. <G>