I currently am down to 2 mitre saws. A 15 year old 10 inch slider makita and a 2 year old 12 inch slider Dewalt. For the first time they are on the same job site side by side. I did a little test today. Makita with a $20, 80 tooth delta blade , Dewalt with a $100, freud thin kerf 80 tooth blade.
Surprise the Makita/ Delta combination cut nicer mitres than the Dewalt.
Is it the blade or the saw. Does anybody think MDF makes a thin kerff blade bend or wobble?
(I know somebody is going to saw trash the whole works and buy Bosch!)
Have a good day
Cliffy
Replies
I think the worst thing that ever happened to 12" saws are thin blades, especially when trying to shave a hair off of a cut. I don't think it's an MDF thing at all. Put a stiffer blade on your 12" and then see how it compares (assuming you don't have any bearing issues with either saw).
Use a good tensioned blade on whichever. Pricey, but you can shave off that rch. whatever you're cutting. Jim
I don't necessarily think it's the mdf, I just think that a thin kerf 12" blade will deflect no matter what you cut.
Although blade woble is probably much of what you're seeing, mdf is hard on blades and a dull blade will go where it wants.
I've found it interesting to mount a dial indicator and check each new blade and saw deflection. It was amazing how many thousandths of movement are caused by how a slider is gripped when pulled through a cut.
Someone was trying to tell me how easy mdf was on tools because it cuts easily and I had to remind him that the occational spark seen during a cut had to come from something. It sure is hard to stomach using a nice blade on something full of crap, ground up crap, but crap nontheless.
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.
I will have to buy a regular kerf 12 inch blade and try the test again. I have a few of those 12 inch thin kerf that I would hate to toss though.
Have a good day
CLiffy
I have a couple of thin 12" blades that I save for sizing waste into kindling, chopping PT posts, or maybe framing. They cut straight and smooth enough, just NG for taking off a kerf or less.
I wished I knew that before I dropped two bills for two thin kerf blades!
Have agood day
Cliffy
I run one of the Frued blades for nonferrous metals all the time. It is heavier, thicker, and doesn't deflect. I can nibble off 1/64ths with it.
Are you cutting wood in the dark? I've never noticed any sparks when chopping MDF.
I've only seen 3 or 4 obvious sparks come from my saw, but guys who get a kick out of it say if you watch for 'em it's quite common. I'm sure it depends a great deal on how the wood is processed and some lots of mdf pannels have been full of crap.
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.
No suprise makita is by far suprerior. Dewalt sucks.
This is an aside but-- just finished installing 1000' feet of 6" stain alder crown. Had 2 saws on stands at the job: a 2 year old 12" Bosch slider with a red Freud on a Delta stand and a 1996 Hitachi 8 1/2" slider with a resharpened Dewalt finisher on a Ridgid MSUV and all the outside miters ended up being cut flat on the Hitachi....Go figure
Tell me what you really think! I don't know if my dewalt will be around as long as the Makita though. I'm expecting a regular kerf blade to even the score.
Have a good day
Cliffy
We have both Makita and Dewalt mitre saws. The dewalt is a good framing saw but
for accurate finishing cuts Makita is a better saw. we use a fairly heavy blade for framing and a 120 tooth thin kerf in the makita for finishing. Both saws have their place but both have limits
Try putting the 10" Delta blade on the Dewalt and try it again. 12" blades have a lot of deflection.
Good idea, I have a spare of the 10 inch because they were two for 40 bucks Canadian at Costco. Now I know what I'm doing tomorow morning.
Have a good day
CLiffy
Edited 6/14/2007 10:52 pm ET by cliffy
"...two for 40 bucks Canadian..."
That's like, what, 7 bucks real money?
Huck said it first. I just agreed with him.
Edited 6/14/2007 11:03 pm ET by jimblodgett
Jim,
The way the world is dumping the US dollar (Not the chinese yet or we'll all be in the tank) that's more like $39US.
Ron
Batten down the hatches, Ma! The apocolypse is upon us!Huck said it first. I just agreed with him.
Jim,
I seem to have a complete lack of ability to start a sh!tstorm on this board no matter how provocative I try to be. No one cares.
Ron
Yeah man, I've noticed a definate lack of spirited discussions lately. Maybe we could resort to some of the old stanbys like how much set to put in a 10 point or something, huh?Huck said it first. I just agreed with him.
I appreciate the wit but the looney has been climbing steady over the past few years. It's up to about 94 cents American. Just a few years back it was in the 65 cent range. Alot of Canadians are worried because Americans don't holiday as much in Canada when they don't get much of a bonus on the dollar. Also the exports cost more to Americans so the Canadian manufacturing sector takes a hit.
You guys get the bonus as a lot more Canucks will travel to the US . Predictions of the two dollars being equal by the end of the year persist but I think the Bank of Canada will step in.
Have a good day
Cliffy
"...a lot more Canucks will travel to the US..."
You call that a bonus? We got more than our share of deadbeats here already. What the heck do we want with a bunch of fatback eating, goofy hat wearing, language mumbling, hockey playing Socialists? "Bonus"?Huck said it first. I just agreed with him.
Okay, I'll bite.
Sancho, how about the millions of dollars invested into your economy, the multiplier effect, the jobs, and the wealth.
Have a good day
Cliffy
I own a 10 single bevel CS and a 12 inch sliding CS.
A thicker blade always seems to give a better cut on these.
The thin kerf blades seem to always give a superior cut on the table saw.
As far as that brand of the saw, that is another can of worms. Me personally, I got both saws as gifts. I can't complain about free.
You didn't say what the brands of the two saws are or your preference. The dewalt was a gift from my family.
Have a good day
Cliffy
Both are Dewalts. I guess because I have them I kind of prefer them. I like the 10 saw better overall. It is easier to handle, etc.
The 12 inch I use mainly when I am making furniture. I use it to make precise cuts in bulk and in wider boards. It takes the place of a RAS which I always wanted, never got. I love the TS for sheet goods, rips etc. Oh and I love my Milwaukee CC, cant beat that, that does it all, although I would like to get a true worm saw.
I had a 10 Delta CS it was crap.
I used the Bosch CS, good saw. Solid.
The Hitachi is good too, but too many bells and whistles.I never used a single Makita Product so I have no idea about them.Blades: I like the Freud thin kerf blades on the TS, CMT blades are pretty good too. I have a Forest WoodWorker II and on the TS its just ok, much better on 10" CS, this is heresy to most woodworkers but.... I want to get my hands on an Amana Blade I hear good things about them.
ahh..tools and my kids I could talk about them both all day. Now which of those do I like better?