Choosing a Radial Arm Saw Blade part 1
Vložit
- čas přidán 3. 11. 2022
- In this first of two videos Iain explains the different types of blades that can be used on a radial arm saw. In part two Iain will actually test the different blades to see how well they cut.
- Jak na to + styl
I appreciate the time you spent doing your own research, instead of just consuming the research of others. We’ll all benefit from your results. Thank you!
Excellent presntation! Even after I have owned & used my saw for 47+ years, I learned some things.
I have most of the books you have, and maybe a couple of others.
I have been using my 10" Craftsman since I bought it in the mid-1970's. I have quite a few blades for it, ranging from a specific ripping blade to combination blades, to the recent acquisition of a dado set. I bought 3 or 4 blades from Sears when I bought the saw. (I don't have my list of blades with me at the moment, and my memory isn't what it used to be.) I do not have the Forrest Woodworker 1 simply because I have never been able to justify the cost. (BTW, the Forrest Woodworker II is ONLY for table saws.)
For me, the big keys to controlling the saw cut is ro have the blade guard adjusted to no more than 1/8" above the wood, the anti-kickback pawls are properly set, and my one-way feed rollers are engaged. I have never been injured using the saw. (So much for the freaking out "OMG YOU'RE GONNA DIE" doomsayers!) The only time I have had a kickback was when I was negligent in setting the saw correctly, and I was stupidly tying to rip a 4x8 sheet of paneling without supports or a helper. (The cost of replacing the wood helped cement the lesson.)
One thing I have observed over the decades is that many reported "blade" problems can often be solved simply by cleaning the blade regularly. Several times when I felt any of my blades needed sharpening, just cleaning them made the cuts considerably better. If my memory is correct (not guaranteed at my age) none of my blades have been sharpenend more than twice.
Subscribed. Looking forward to your next episode
I commend you on the quality of these videos. The shots are clear and at the correct angle so they show what you are explaining. You explain things very well. I am a retired vocational instructor and I am learning things from your videos. I have watched several and will probably watch all you have. Keep up the good work and Thank you.
Thanks!
Great video - can't wait to see Part 2 !
I loved every moment of this, made my Friday. Sober logical thought and respectful discourse is so rare in discussions these days, especially on the internet. Not accepting a statement of "Use this blade because it is forum approved and anything else will kill your first born" is so refreshing. Forums that don't encourage discussion just lead to stagnant thought and a lack of innovation.
Would love to see you test a Royce Pro-Line Combination blade. My craftsman came with one and its quite nice. It's full kerf so it requires a lot of push, but seems to be a quality item.
Great detailed technical explanation of different blades for all cutting situations. I have to revisit all my blades and take note of which one to use when.
Thank you for that in-depth video! The info is super helpful!
Very informative and helpful. Looking forward to a follow up. My compliments for all your clear and no-nonsense video's. I own a 1994 Elu 1253 and in the process of a proper setup.
That's gonna be a VERY expensive clock. I have 2 craftsman 10" ras. I did have a DeWalt 746 cabinet saw, it launched a 29.5" 2x4 at my head and almost knocked me out. I sold it the very next day and used the money to set up my first ras that i had just sitting in the corner. Your videos were the first ones i watched on here. You are without a doubt the most informative ras channel on CZcams. I tried all kinds of blades on mine because I couldn't afford or find the Forrester blade. I almost choked when i saw the price on their website. Give the Hyper tough blade from Wal-Mart a try. It's actually a great blade. Thanks for your time and information. 😎🇺🇸
Thanks, I’ll look into getting a Hyper Tough blade.
@@TheNorthlandWorkshop Thanks for taking the time to reply. I don't know if they have a 14 inch blade. But the 10 inch is a Great blade. 😎🇺🇸
Hey Lain. I enjoyed part 1. Can't wait to see part 2. I haven't bought blades yet for my Dewalts. Very curious to see how this turns out.
I have a DeWalt 740 10 inch radial arm saw. I'm using the Freud 9 in combination blade on it and have very good results. But I'm looking forward to seeing your next video thank you for your content
Thanks for watching!
27:40 You answered a question of mine.
There’s a guy on here(CZcams) who has a video about why RAS are safer than Table saws.
He uses ONLY a 24T Thin Kerf Rip blade. That’s it. No other blade. For crosscuts too. Claims he gets the cleanest cuts.
I grabbed my first RAS on a whim at an estate sale and was considering just getting that because I was like “huh, same concept as a hand tenon saw?”
Looks like I should grab a Combo blade.
It’s just a 2.5 HP Craftsman 130 with a 10” blade. Figured I’d take it for a spin haha
I have been using DeWalts since 1962. I was 11 years old and Dad thought they were safe enough for a kid to use. I have even been a sawyer using the big industrial saws on very large job sites. DeWalts have problems with rigidity and power. I have never used a light duty Sears, so I don't know about lack of rigidity, but my Dad's 10" Powershop 1400 DeWalt has a only10amp motor. That's not enough magic little pixies in their 120volt form. It can jump . But 220 volts and sharp thin kerf blades tame it.
It's a pleasure to hear someone who can think.
Thanks!
I thought that the hp and torque were the same regardless of voltage (110 vs 220v) but the 220v would let the saw run cooler?
@lancealldrin8499 all things being equal 110 vs 220 wouldn’t make a difference however the current draw through the building’s wiring is cut in half when the saw I’d switched from 110 to 220v. No wire is perfect which means that the building’s wiring has a voltage drop that is proportional to the current flowing through it.
An outlet that measures 110v when the saw is off might drop down to 100v when the saw is making a deep cut.
If we took the same saw and same wiring but wired it to 220v the current draw would be cut in half. Because the voltage drop is proportional to the current draw, and we just cut the current draw in half, the voltage drop is also cut in half. So if we measured 220v at the outlet with the saw off, we would measure 215v during the cut this time around because instead of a 10v drop we would only experience a 5v drop.
In this example the saw lost 10percent of its available power running on 110v but only 3 percent of its available power when running on 220v.
The saw acts like it’s more powerful on 220v because it’s not being held back by the power loss in the building’s wiring as much as it is on 110v.
I love your video style - very insightful and humorously sarcastic.
I'm serious. Thank you!
Thanks!
I don't have a radial arm in my shop I have a table saw and slider but your video did refresh some of the info about blades that I learned years ago, great job on the video! I would love to have an old 40's DeWalt radial arm saw, they are functional art! I have a small crosscut blade for cutting fret slots in guitar fingerboards that I bet you would get a kick out of! Stewart MacDonald sells them, super thin kerf and crazy expensive for what they are!
I just bought a 1950's DeWalt RAS, it's only for 9" or smaller blades, but then it was only $30 on fb marketplace. It looks like the saw on the right in this video.
OK, Iain, I'm looking forward to seeing this.
Tim
Hey Iain! Longtime listener, first time commenter. I always suspected you had a wicked wit, lol. My question therefore, is what blade should I use if I DO want to wipe out the entire neighborhood? Because I've been ripping 2.5" alaskan milled slabs with it for the last 6 months and my neighbors are still peering over the fence at me! Should I move on to using my molding cutter? Or ploughing dados? Or I just resort to the nuclear option and start raising panels right out there in the dooryard where all the neighborhood children can see?
In all seriousness though - your channel has been an absolute godsend. It's renewed my love of these saws, which my father got me hooked on way back as kid in the late 80s. And your no-nonsense confidence in the tools and the techniques and the craftsmanship has been an inspiration for me to take the saw he left me and start making stuff with it. So thank you and please keep up the good work and keep the videos coming as long as you wish.
For most efficient neighborhood annihilation I’d go with an out of balance lawnmower blade.
@@TheNorthlandWorkshop I regret that I can only like this comment once
O my goodness.. thank you for this video.
Hola! 🖐Loads of info, thank you for the video. In my opinion, this should have millions of views. Take care and have a good one, Adios.
I liked you thorough coverage of these various blades and enjoyed your refusal to just believe the internet!
I just picked up a Craftsman 10" RAS and will do a tune on it when my garage shop gets built this Spring '23, looking forward to using the RAS especially now that I have a much better idea of what blades to go after. Reading through the Craftsman manual they guide you through how to rip in either direction, sure would like to know more about that. More internet searches are forthcoming for me!!
Looking forward to Part II Lain, any idea of the date of its arrival?
Thanks, it should be out next week, my video editing computer died but it should be back in action this weekend so with any luck I can get it edited and uploaded next week.
Very interesting comparison of blades video. Thank you for posting. I am in the process of shutting down my commercial shop and setting up a personal shop in a garage. I am transitioning from cabinet saws to radial arm saws for space considerations. I found it interesting that Amana recommends a negative 2 degree for radial arms and Freud recommends a thin blade 24 tooth(with anti kick back nubs) flat grind and 20 degree positive for radial arm saws. Seems like a major difference to me. But, I also found a video series from a period furniture maker who uses the Freud 24T blade and only that blade. I have two DeWalt 10 inch machines and will enjoy my travels through blade selections. Hopefully without throwing wood all over my shop.
Reply
Is it the big Mike Tuna video? I saw that and wondered as well but he used the Diablo 24T that looks almost the same. Only slight changes from the Freud and commercially available at Home Depot for $27 for the 10”.
Iain. I have been using this Makita blade for crosscutting and plywood with very good results. Very little tearout on plywood. The price is nice as well. Makita A-93681 10-Inch 80 Tooth Micro Polished Mitersaw Blade. Only 35.00 at Amazon. Anytime I mention this blade on the RAS site I and reprimanded even though none of them have ever tried the blade. My Freud glue line ripping blade works good on the RAS as well.
I’ve used Makita blades and router bits in the past and have always had good results from them. I’ll make sure to include this blade when I test 10” blades some day.
@@TheNorthlandWorkshop Good to see you back making videos. I enjoy your engineer's approach to woodworking.
What blade do I use for cutting melamine, I cut the long pieces on the track saw but wanted to get a radial arm saw so cut them done , what do you recommend doing ?
A good combination works fine . I rip about as much as I cross cut . For more power you can use a smaller diameter blade . I have a 12" delta and I can use a 10" . A 10" can run an 8" . There is a 9" but they have to be ordered generally.
Hello, I just picked up a Dewalt MB from the 50's and I'm looking for some of the accessories and a few replacement knobs, is there a good place to look for those? Also thank you for your video on setting it up and getting it all clean and aligned!
Ebay is where I've been able to find most of the accessories I"ve been after
👍👍👍Thank you.
Please upload part 2. I'm waiting to hear your thoughts. If not could you tell us what is your favorite blade? Looks to be the Freud combination. If it is how is the pushback with it not being negative hook? Another thing that would be cool is your thoughts on tuning the saw. Thanks in advance.
Part 2 is in the works. Between the testing, filming, and editing it is taking a while. I can say that the Freud combination blade is my favorite all around blade for the RAS. I have smaller diameter ones on my other two RAS as well as all three table saws. Self feeding during crosscuts doesn’t seem to be an issue.
Well! I got my new motor bearings in the mail the other day, and quick as a wink, my restoration was complete…up to the point…you guessed it… I’m on pins and needles to know what the best blade to put on my baby is. I’m looking forward eagerly to the next installment. You’re really hitting it out of the park with the RAS series. Best anywhere. Thanks.
P. S. I’d like to see you revisit the birdhouse with an RAS only build, complete with dados, to keep our friends dry and anti-squirrel features. Just how good can we do with a RAS? Or how fancy? Or fast?
Thanks! I like the birdhouse idea. Part 2 should be out next week. What are your plans for your saw? Cross cutting? Ripping? A bit of both? If you’re looking to do everything with your saw I recommend one of the combination blades like I show in this video that has the teeth in groups of 5. It does a good job cross cutting and ripping.
@@TheNorthlandWorkshop Thanks! Glad to hear the video is at hand. As with my other saws, I had supposed that a good combo was the 80% solution to everyday life with it. But, I do believe in the right tool for the job and am not lazy about changing them on the table saw. I have a hankering to add it to some lutherie and other work and like the idea of doing everything with it. I like to leave different machines set up with different cuts once I have figured them out in repetitive tasks for efficiency and accuracy (I always keep a ShopSmith in the corner for that). I’m excited to see what the RAS is capable of and you seem to be able to really put one in harness.
If you would have done this test with your smaller Dewalt, it would have been much less expensive. I’ve tried the Forrest TCG on my Dewalt mfb and it worked for a long time till it got pitch build up and I tried a cheap red Diablo and I was surprised at how good it worked. I want to try the Freud LM74RO14 44 tooth glue line rip blade in my 14” Delta. I think it would be great for raised panels. I also want to try the Freud P414 Premier Fusion combination blade. Also, that 24 tooth blade should only be used in thick stock. I think it would excel in anything thicker than 1-1/2 inches.
Good Job - Great Humor
I also am careful on Internet recommendations. The Internet has a habit for parroting information from one source, a mechanic said it best when he coined the phrase "arm chair mechanics", the guy who reads a Haynes or Chilton manual and then gives advice in forums and videos without even turning a wrench. I assume the same thing with saw blades, someone read Mr. Sawdust and started recommending his blade and other arm chair wood workers started copying someone else's recommendations which then snowballed into people blindly following that without looking at other sources or even questioning it. I found a lot of commenters don't practice the thing they comment on no matter what the subject matter is.
That is very true.
Sir you can use the same sanding discs from table saw to radial can't you
I've also got a good guess as to which one will become a clock lol
I have a Craftsman radial arm saw. I have used every kind of 10 inch table saw blade on it, they all cut the wood and do a good job, end of discussion.
24 tooth is rip blade for 10” saw if you move up to 12, 14, 16, etc you have to add teeth accordingly
It seems quite plausible that different blades will have different optimal cut speeds. You might want to try the blades cutting by hand to get a feel for them before choosing an auto feed rate.
I wonder if the advantage of the triple chip blade is that it continues to cut ok as it dulls, explaining its use for laminate and non-ferrous metal.
A radial arm saw of high quality can be found at a very low price. For crosscutting, dadoing and mitering they are hard to beat. If you don’t have a tablesaw, you can learn to rip safely on the RAS. But if you do have a tablesaw, why would you want to rip on the RAS?
The table saw is the ideal ripping machine and 99% of my ripping is done on my table saw. However in my particular case the Rockwell RAS has a wider and thicker rip capacity than my table saw so thick things such as 4x material or wide material like sheet goods get ripped on the RAS.
@@TheNorthlandWorkshop That makes sense. If you compare single pass ripping on the RAS with cutting halfway through, flipping a perhaps no longer flat workpiece, and cutting through on the tablesaw, the RAS looks better.
I rip on my RAS because I have it built into a 16' table. That way I can easily rip 8' stock with it completely supported on both the in-feed and out-feed side. This also makes ripping sheet good much easier than on my table saw.
My shop is also extremely small to the point that if I have my table saw set up, it takes up the entire room, while the RAS, which sits against the wall, does not. If I had room for a full size cabinet saw, this like wouldn't be the case, however I can't fit anything bigger than my 10" dewalt jobsite saw.
My Table saw still comes out to rip thin pieces, as well as smaller stuff that I don't feel I can safely control through the RAS.
My only complaint is that you are using a saw wayyyyyyyyyy out of a hobbyist's range. However, I accept your explanation of why you chose the 14.
I really wanted the Woodworker 1 to be part of the test but I refuse to buy another one so that kind of locked me into the 14”. Also in my defense that Rockwell saw is my cheapest saw since it was free.
I’m ready to buy a 14” blade for cross cutting and miters. I’m wondering how the ultimate stacks up against the combo. I want something with a raker tooth for tenons add dados. Also wanted to point out these 14” saw blades; original saw company 60 and 40 tooth each with a negative 2 degree hook. Carbide Processors also has 40 and 60 tooth with 0 degree hook.
9 inch is the right size more in that is dangerous 😳
Depends on the saw. This one uses 14”