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Fantastic blade. For ~$15 you can't go wrong on this- and it's not made in China.
It makes me cringe to think what might happen. A trip to the emergency room costs time, money and pain.4- Cut Straight. IF you want joinery-quality cuts from this blade, you can get them. Glue heats up and gets sticky FAST. I have seen some pros turn their saws upside down and hold a paraffin stick against the running blade.
Once you make the first cut, the wax or paraffin will spread evenly everywhere and the excess will disappear.Again. You don't need to be perfectly even in the application of either. You can do both adjustments roughly with a decent square, or you can get them "dead" perfect with a dial indicator. Cutting plywood is tough on any blade because plywood has multiple layers of glue. There are several products marketed specifically for keeping blades clean. You can minimize friction with a light coat of paste-wax or paraffin.
"pitch" --- that gummy residue from wood--- increases friction and heat. So just be aware, ANY BLADE from any manufacturer will wear faster in plywood.3- Lubrication. This is about one-tenth the cost of commercial products like "Final-Cut."For clean-straight cuts, you must be certain that your saw-blade is parallel to the cutting-guide and that it is at a perfect 90 degrees to the work. or make your own.
A quick dab of wax or a few strokes with the paraffin stick will quickly spread itself in about one-second into the first cut. Setting the blade perpendicular to the work can be adjusted similarly by shimming the base-plate. Long rips and multiple rips make the blade hot anyway, and a hot blade melts glue faster than a cool blade. Their products are consistent and very well-made. Rubbing alcohol is inexpensive and widely available at any pharmacy. This blade ( and other blades like it from Freud) have a slippery coating designed to reduce wear, but I have found that even these good blades work better and last longer with frequent lubrication. After reading several other reviews I thought this information would be helpful.Some users report short-life from this blade.
Most saws do not. This 40-tooth model makes smooth cuts, especially when you use the tips presented here. I have used this blade and other Freud edge-tool products for decades and never experienced premature wear. Considering the low price, I consider them to be a great value too. You do NOT need an expensive saw-guide, although many of them work well.
Take your time and unplug the saw. Lube both sides of the blade roughly equally to reduce warping, and don't forget to lube the teeth. They work fine, but I have found that no product works better than rubbing alcohol. A cheap straight edge can be quickly made ( in about ten minutes ) from ANY board with a straight factory-cut edge and a piece of scrap plywood. Here's how you can get cleaner, safer, smoother cuts and MUCH more life from this or any other good blade.1- Keep it clean. The problem is most-often the user, not the blade. please UNPLUG THE SAW when you lubricate the blade.
Free-hand cutting is a skill that requires concentration and practice to achieve good technique. I cut mine from cheap 180 grit aluminum-oxide sheets, using a compass and an X-acto knife, then attach them with 3M super 77 spray adhesive. That may be true under certain circumstances, but it usually isn't the blade's fault. You just need to install an abrasive sheet ( sandpaper ) to the sides. You can buy the commercially made round sheets for this, (they ARE convenient). Whenever I hear someone complain about their saw-blades getting dull too fast, I look at how they use the saw. Using a straight-edge saw-guide is easier and works for novices and pros alike.
I will assume anyone reading this is careful enough to UNPLUG THE SAW before cleaning the blade or making any other adjustment.2- Material considerations. Even if you have a cheap saw, you can make the blade run parallel to the cutting-guide by shimming the edges with UHMW tape. The fact is all pros know the value of lubricating cutting tools, but most of us are not in that big of a hurry. Wandering cuts cause excess friction, heat and wear. DeWalt, and Bosch saws have adjustments for that. I get the best results with a dial indicator and the TS aligner.
I bought this for cutting laminate flooring. It worked. No chipped edges, nice clean cut. Resulted in less waste and fewer cuts.
It does have a short life, but no shorter than any finishing blade would have. Does exactly what is says. It is a great finishing saw blade. I have used it on several projects and it holding up as expected. I would highly recommend this blade.
While you can't beat these Diablo blades for cross cuts and short rips, if you plan on any long or repetitive ripping, LOOK ELSEWHERE. I've tried half a dozen brands, and regardless of the cute little heat dissapation cuts and grooves built in, they all fail the warp test. Specifically, as with all thin kerf blades I've tried, there is no escaping the warp and wander once it heats up. The only solution for long ripping duty is a heavy, WIDE blade. However, for the short haul, particularly circular saw use, vs. the table saw, it's a good cutting blade.
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