When you are selecting the proper saw blade for you saw, you have to consider a few different measurements. If you dont use the correct saw blade for your saw, the saw blades is not interchangeable, and you could potentially damage your saw or the workpiece. The saw blade has to match the diameter of the saw.
The saw blade has to match the tooth counts for the material that you are cutting. Finally, the saw blade also has to match the arbor size for the specific tool that you are using. Using the wrong sized saw blade can cause the saw blade to not fit the saw or damage the motors of the saw.
How to Choose the Right Saw Blade
The first measurement that you have to consider is the diameter of the saw blade. Small saw blades with a 4-1/2 inch diameter are use for trim work and tile work. 4-1/2 inch saw blades are also helpful for tight workspaces because of the shallow cut that they make.
Medium saw blades with a 6-1/2 inch or a 7-1/4 inch diameter are used for framing work and saw blades that cut 2x lumber. Finally, large saw blades with a 10-inch or 12-inch diameter are used for table saws or miter saws to cut thick beam of wood. Using the wrong size saw blade for your saw could cause the saw blade to drain the battery more fast than normal or cause the saw blade to wobble when making a cut.
The second measurement for saw blades is the tooth count. Saw blades with fewer teeth are used for ripping wood along the grain of the wood. They will allow the saw blade to cut faster when demolishing building or cutting wooden beams.
Saw blades with high tooth counts are used for fine slicing of wood. Using saw blades with high teeth will prevent tearout from cutting plywood or cabinet faces. Use saw blades with a high tooth count if you want a smooth finish on your wood projects.
Using a high tooth saw blade on rough wood could cause the wood to smokes. The third measurement is the kerf width. This determines the width of the saw blade cut.
Thin kerf saw blades will waste less wood and place less of a load on battery-powered saws. Thin kerf saw blades will flex more under pressures. Full kerf saw blades will be more rigid and will track in a straight line.
Full kerf saw blades will remove more wood from the workpiece and require more horsepower from the saw to make a cut. The arbor hole on the saw blade can be 5/8 inch in diameter. However, some miter saws have a 1-inch arbor hole.
The arbor size of the saw blade must match the arbor size for the saw. Using the wrong sized arbor hole for the saw blade will cause the saw blade to spin out when in use. The fourth measurement is the RPM ratings.
This is an important measurement because the RPM ratings will tell you the maximum speed that the saw blade will rotate. Smaller saw blades will have high RPM ratings. The larger the saw blade, the lower the RPM ratings.
You must check the RPM ratings for saw blades when buying new saw blades. If you ignore the RPM ratings for the saw blade when buying a saw blade, it could disintegrate during use of the saw. The fifth and final measurement is the type of material that you are cutting.
If you are cutting plywood, you will need a saw blade with high teeth for crosscutting that will prevent any splinters on the cut surface. If you are cutting OSB, you will need a basic ripping saw blade since OSB will dull a premium saw blade quickly. For laminate and melamine materials, a triple-chip grind saw blade will prevent the wood from chipping on the cutting surface.
Finally, metal requires a specialized saw blade for cutting metal since it has different teeth than wood saw blades. Never use a saw blade to cut metal because metal require different cutting teeth than wood. Finally, there are also different types of saw blades for specific uses.
Ripping saw blades have flat-top teeth and are used for cutting wood with the grain. Crosscut saw blades have beveled teeth for cutting wood against the grain. Combination saw blades have both type of teeth for those that want the versatility of having only one saw blade.
The hook angle of the saw blade can be either positive or negative; positive saw blade hook angles are for aggressive cutting while a negative hook angle gives the saw blade more control over the workpiece. Finally, when using a saw blade, it is important to use saw blade guides instead of sawing the wood with a freehand cut. This will ensure that the saw blade remain in a straight line.
Also, store saw blades properly at the end of the day since improper storage may result in the carbide teeth of the saw blade chipping. If you use the correct saw blade size, the number of teeth, and the size of the arbor hole for your saw, the saw blade will successfully complete the task that you would of liked it to perform.
