Replies

1. 
   Don01 | Apr 01, 2009 06:54am | #1

   The cut may not reach to the fence /table corner. You can cure that by building up the thickness of the fence sufficiently.

   Don

2. 
   hammer1 | Apr 01, 2009 05:00pm | #2

   Thin kerf blades, particularly on chop style miter saws can have a tendency to flex. I find that high tooth count blades, 80's, are more prone to this than 60s. What kind of saw do you have? Most won't allow the use of blade stiffeners. There can be other or additional causes. Arbor bearings wear out and it won't matter what size or type of blade you use.

   As another poster mentioned, a smaller diameter blade may not be able to cut all the way through your work. Building out the fence or building up the table will reduce the capacity. A good sled or accurate miter bar on the table saw is often an option.

   Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

1. 
   DogwoodDesign | Apr 01, 2009 06:03pm | #3

   Thanks for your reply, I didn't know that about tooth count. The saw is a newer Hitachi, not a slider, just chop. For my current need, using the table saw isn't an option, due to some 14' trim pieces on a job site...thanks,
   Jeff

1. 
   hammer1 | Apr 01, 2009 06:58pm | #4

   I trim houses, too. It's a different story from a hobbyist shop that makes a few dozen cuts to a job site where you make hundreds a day. I think the chop action is much harder on blades than sliders. There really isn't a need for glass smooth cuts in most work, so there isn't a need for a high tooth count blade. I can usually trim a fair size house with one blade but I use a slider and a negative hook 50 tooth blade. The cuts are very smooth, just not quite to the extent of a high tooth count crosscut blade. It may take three 80 tooth blades on a chop saw to get the same number of cuts. I'm not a fan of thin kerf blades, either.Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

1. 
   DogwoodDesign | Apr 01, 2009 07:22pm | #5

   Thanks for your insights, what brand blade do you use?thanks,
   Jeff

1. 
   hammer1 | Apr 02, 2009 07:52am | #7

   I use a 10" Bosch slider. My blades wouldn't be a good choice on a chop saw. I bought five Freud TFLU9110s quite a few years back and have been very satisfied with them. They are a 50T negative hook blade for sliders and radial arm saws, great price too, which is part of the equation. I don't know if Freud still makes this model and if they do, whether it's the same. There are many good blades available from different manufacturers. Industrial level blades are a bit expensive, usually $100 and more. Amana, Systimatic, Forest, Tenryu, Leitz, CMT, Stehle, Freud are some good choices.Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

3. 
   Knotscott | Apr 01, 2009 09:10pm | #6

   The large span on a 12" blade makes deflection more of an issue than with a 10" blade, so I'd suggest getting a full kerf for a 12" blade. I tend to gravitate toward highend blades like Infinity, Forrest, the upper level Freuds, and Ridge Carbide, but a good "bang for the buck" blade is the Oshlun line. Holbren offers very good pricing on these, and low s/h (free s/h on $75+).

   http://www.holbren.com/manufacturers.php?manufacturerid=12&catid=673

   
   

   ---

   Edited 4/1/2009 2:16 pm ET by Knotscott