I’m trying to knock some noise out of my DW 705 miter saw until I can get the $$ to buy a quieter saw. The 80 tooth DeWalt blade I’m using is horrendously noisy. Someone over in Breaktime suggested running the saw without a blade just to check and sure enough, a big part of the noise was the blade.
Does anyone have any recommendations on a dead quiet crosscut blade other than Forrest? (Can’t afford Forrest) Maybe a blade stiffener would help but I don’t think I want to lose the cutting depth. In terms of priorities, dead quiet would be first, followed by smooth finish & minimal tearout.
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Is this blade new? Is it a whistling sound or are you referring to the sound when it's cutting? I bought an Oldham 40T for my TS to do general cutting (no hardwood ripping) and needed to go back 4 times before finally finding a flat one. You may have the same problem. I have a Delta miter saw that's noisy, too. Probably time to get that blade sharpened or replaced.
Are you not wearing hearing protection? Have you ever known anyone who did construction for any length of time whose hearing was any good?
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Edited 1/1/2006 10:27 am by highfigh
I'm pretty sensitive to noise related problems since I noticed I've lost a little hearing. I always use hearing protection even when cutting the grass or running the weed eater. But it's a real pain to have to go get the muffs or plugs when all I need to do is just make a couple small, quick cuts. But the noise level is actually painful. The Makita and Hitachi saws are much quieter but I can't afford them yet. So I'm trying to temporarily make do with a quieter blade. The DW blade I'm using is new enough that it doesn't need any sharpening yet. Haven't done a whole lot of cuts with it. (Returning it is not an option for several reasons) It's noisy when I turn the saw on and even noisier when it cuts. Take it off the saw, turn the saw on and the noise level isn't great but it's not ear shattering like it is with the blade on.I know there are levels of noise on blades. I think FWW did an article once on that factor, but I don't know where the article is.
I protect my hearing too, and am sensitive to certain sounds. If I use my TS, jointer, bandsaw and some other tools for a couple of cuts, I won't use my plugs. Any time I use the chop saw, router, etc. I shove them in. As Ted Nugent said, "I get out the earplugs and push 'em in till they touch". I have a pair of plugs in my pocket any time there's a chance of being exposed to high db levels. When I go to see a band, I sometimes get weird looks, but I don't care. We get one pair of ears and hearing aids aren't a perfect solution.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Talking about weird looks.....I was listening to a group once and used kleenex wads from my wife's purse since I'd forgotten to bring plugs! Can you imagine? White tassles waving from my ears! Out of embarrasment I did try to minimize them though. Better that than hearing aids. Try going deer hunting during gun season while wearing ear plugs. It's pretty tough! But once the hearing's gone it ain't comin' back.
Many brands use the laser cut slots to help reduce noise. Leitz uses those and adds a variable pitch design that specifically reduces noise. It's available on some of their blades through the Irwin Woodworker series, the Leitz name, and HO Schumacher & Sohn.
The link below will show you a list from a Leitz distrubitor who's offering closeouts on sevearl models over at Woodnet. They're getting positive comments from users. The one I bought was definitely quieter, and the cut quality was similar to a comparably designed Freud.
http://www.forums.woodnet.net/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB4&Number=2064042&Forum=f4&Words=&Searchpage=0&Limit=50&Main=2064042&Search=true&where=bodysub&Name=33376&daterange=1&newerval=1&newertype=m&olderval=&oldertype=&bodyprev=#Post2064042
Thanks. I sent him an email to ask which one would be best and how much it is. BTW, your post scrolled way off the screen to the right. Just wondered how that happened?
It was a really long address, but maybe a larger screen would help! ;-)
"It was a really long address, but maybe a larger screen would help!" What really helps is the hyper-link feature in the composition box when you type your post (if you're using Internet Explorer). A blue globe with a chain link across it. Click on that and put the super-long URL in the pop-up box that appears. forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Hi Forestgirl - I'm using Mozilla which doesn't appear to include those features for this site. At work I use Explorer and they're available. Most of the time Mozilla has been great, but doesn't seem to help out in these situations. :(
I just sold my DeWalt CMS on craiglist. It was EXTREMELY noisy (even with no blade). I replaced it with a Makita slider (LS1214L) which is mucho quieter. I think you might be chasing your tail changing blades on the DeWALT.
Aha! So I'm not hallucinating. That Makita's a nice one plus it has the soft start which DeWalt doesn't. Someone on Breaktime said about the DeWalt CMS that "it starts up with the most evil roar", which I found to be accurate as well as funny.
I never thought about a blade being "dead quiet" but you might try the Diablo blades at Home Depot. If it isn't quiet enough for you, you can return it! You also might want to try the Rigid blade -- I've heard from a friend that they are pretty darn good, but haven't tried one myself. Again, you can return.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
I'd like to suggest trying a blade or two from your table saw, assuming you have one and that DeWalt is a 10 inch. If the sound pitch/volume changes then looking for a quieter blade might work for you. If the other blades are all just as loud when the saw is running, then a new blade is not likely to be any better.
Take a look at e-bay. I have purchased some very nice dewalt industrial blades at a very good price. Some of the blade manufactures seem be under the thrall of their marketing departments and put all kinds of strange cutouts in there blades and these act like fans. I have one irwin think kerf blade that cuts well but sounds like a cyclone fan once it is dull its going in the recycling bin.
Good luck.
Troy
The Freud web site has a nice search for what blade to use on what machine and what your cutting. All of the Freud Diablo series has laser cut outs for quietness and less vibration. As FG said try using the Freud and I don't think you will be disappointed in there quality . Good luck.
http://www.freudtools.com/contractors/rep/sawblades_diablo/Ripping_Blades/html/Ripping_Blades_1.html
Nice site. Thanks.
Reviews of the DeWalt saws (that I've read) blasted the crummy blades. I'd go with Freud if Forrest is too expensive. But I'd probably try to find a way to get the Forrest blade (maybe sell one of the kids on eBay).
I don't know about selling the kids, if they have some unique skill, you might consider renting them.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Quietest blades I've come across are Freud; their thin kerf blades create far less mess, leave an awesome cut finish and have an apreciable reduction in noise over every stock blade I've replaced them with..
Mike Wallace
Stay safe....Have fun
I'm heading in the Freud direction, probably their 44 ATB thin kerf blade. The DeWalt blade I'm replacing is 80 tooth and severely smokes the wood when doing a 45 degree bevel on 1 x 6 pine. (Bevel - wood laying flat. Miter - wood standing vertical.) If you hold a straight edge up to the cut, it also looks like the blade was flexing no matter whether I'm cutting fast or slow. I'll be glad to be rid of it.
I have a Oldham woodworking Wizard. It has the laser cuts in it. It is extreamly quiet. I know this sould funny but, hold the blade through the hole with your pinky finger and tap the blade with a small hammer or knuckle. If it makes a ringing sould this way it will be noisy... the Oldham makes just a "thunk" I was amazed when I first tried it. The Oldham I have is a 40 tooth crosscut. I recieved a Frued "diablo" 80 tooth with the same "laser cuts" for Christmas and it's not as quiet. I am sold on Oldham, and it's not the most expensive blades available.
Muleboy.
It's unfortunate that you're sold on Oldham, because from what I have heard, they're history since the buyout by whatever holding company took over The Woodworker's Choice (TWC), Oldham, etc. I don't remember all of the companies that went away but I had to contact them last spring after their guy sold me a couple of zero clearance inserts at the WW Show, which didn't fit. TWC and some of the other companies were profitable, but it was decided to close them. That makes no sense to me, whatsoever. I have a couple of Oldham blades too, and they've done a good job. Maybe the employees got some money people together and bought it.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Oldham appears to still be around..and owned by Black & Decker.
http://www.oldham-usa.com/About%20Oldham.htm
It's good that they're still there because they make good, inexpensive blades. I was told by one of the people in CS at The Woodworker's Choice (one of the profitable divisions that were closed) that Oldham was closing, but they may have changed their decision.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
"It's good that they're still there because they make good, inexpensive blades." See my post above. Remains to be seen whether the blades will remain the same I guess. Is the Oldham name still out there on blades? I haven't looked. But they'll be made by B&D from here on out.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
I still see them with that name, we'll see how long that lasts. If B&D changes the name, I'll be even more amazed by their stoopidity since B&D isn't exactly the big powerhouse name in saw blades. Oldham isn't either, but they have the Signature line as well as the regular line and I have to think they sell a lot more blades than B&D. One thing these congloms don't understand is that when someone finds a product they like, they want to be able to get it without constant changes. Change can be good, but when the changes mess up machinery setups and performance, people get PO'd. Consistency can be a good thing. If something is drastically better, fine, but don't kill the other product immediately. For someone in the middle of a project, having to change the way their TS is set up can make a difference in fit and finish, as you are probably aware from personal experience.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
I sure hope that they stay around!!!!
I purchased My first 40 tooth blade from them about 7 years ago. One day I decided it was time to clean it. When I removed it and started to clean it I noticed that one of the carbide teeth was missing. The blade was already 2 years old at that point. I called Oldham to ask where they would recommend I take it to replaced the tooth. The Customer Service rep kind of giggled and asked me why I wanted to just replace the tooth. I said, "Well, because I really like the blade." She said that's not needed. She sent out a new blade and a RGA # to send them the old one. They were genuinely concerned that the blade had a defect.
No cost to me.
Funny thing is I could have been cutting minus a tooth and I never felt any problem.
They were concerned, and they went above and beyond. That kind of service is not too common these days.
Muleboy.
The Oldham plant in Fayetteville, NC was shut down and appears to currently be housing a training program for Smiths Aerospace. See county minutes here. There is a Baltimore Business Journal story about the closing of the plant and release of workers here. 675 workers will either lose their jobs or be relocated.
"A holding statement sent to the Business Journal from the Fayetteville plant says the closure involves relocating steel machining and castings operations to a Black & Decker manufacturing plant in Jackson, Tenn.; relocating assembly and motor manufacturing to a Black & Decker facility in Reynosa, Mexico; and moving the aluminum die castings operations to another local site in Reynosa"forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
>If it makes a ringing sound this way it will be noisyI like your idea. I hope I can try it before I buy, but with a lot of blades being shrink wrapped, I don't know if that's possible. I guess if I buy from a big box store and the tap test makes the blade ring, I can take it back. I'll try an Oldham also if I can find one.
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