As anyone in the market for a combination blade, also called a general-purpose blade, knows, there’s no shortage of choices, even in the upper price range. Curious to know whether any of these blue bloods stood out, I decided to test 14 top-of-the-line 10-in. combination saw blades for smoothness of cut.
With each new blade, I ripped and crosscut a 3/4-in.-thick maple board to produce a 2-in.-square sample. After that, the ripped and crosscut edges on each sample were checked for smoothness on a high-tech machine called a surface and roughness profiling system, which can measure very small surface deviations. Then, based on the machine measurements, the smoothness of each rip and crosscut was rated as excellent, very good, good, or fair.
The Amana scored a very good in the rip cut and a good in the crosscut.
Fine Woodworking Recommended Products
Metabo HPT NT1850DF Compact Cordless Brad Nailer
• 1,650 Nails per charge using the included compact 3.0Ah Battery
• Up to 3 nails per second with no ramp-up time
• 31% lighter than the previous model
This tool is designed for convenience. The battery and pins are easy to load, and the safety lock operates with the same finger you use to pull the trigger. The depth of set is adjustable, there’s a work light, and there’s a hook for hanging the tool on your toolbelt. A gauge lets you keep track of when you’ll need to recharge.
While all five of the smaller units will collect chips efficiently when deployed properly, the 3/4-hp Rockler was just a bit more powerful in our suction test. Bag changes were very easy too, thanks to a lip on the lower edge of the
canister, which holds the bag in place while you operate the clamp. The Rockler 650 also hangs very solidly on its bracket, which helps when you turn the filter-cleaning crank.
With its graceful curves, cabriole legs, and ornamental back splat, a Queen Anne side chair is a bucket list build for many woodworkers. Dan Faia had a very specific Queen…
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