Best saw blades for dewalt dw8001 radial arm saw.

[Alasdair]

Hi there I need a bit of advice re saw blades for radial arm saws. Mine is 300mm x 30mm bore but is steel plate and slightly warped. Looking for a blade for general cross cutting but getting confused with -ve and +ve rake. I think I need a -ve rake blade but not entirely sure. I do have a 96tooth TCT which I use for plastic/aluminium but what is best for general wood /chipboard and ply. Not wanting to spend a fortune but don't want really cheap rubbish that wont last.
Alasdair

 

[TRITON]

Yes a negative rake is a requirement. Its imperative unless you want to scare the utter bejesus out yourself

 

[Doug71]

Yes you should use a negative rake blade in a radial arm saw.

I was going to suggest Wealden tools but their offering is 305mm, don't know if that would fit?

https://www.wealdentool.com/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Negative_Crosscut_Blade_294.html

 

[Alasdair]

I recon the blade is 305mm Its as said a steel plate one but has been sharpened a good few times. Will double check today. I dont think the old one is suitable for the saw although it came with it years ago. Tends to pull itself into the wood a lot. You have to hold back the blade. Probably why its now warped. Will look for one with zero to -ve rake and see what I can find.
Thanks Alasdair

 

[clogs]

go to ebay for a start...Neg is the way to go....
dial in....305x90tooth chop saw blades.....
there are cheaper versions prop to start from £20-45....
Gen Makita etc blades from £60.....
I have some that cost a hundred each and all are 90'ish tooth but they used to get used all day and re sharpened......
Have had to buy some cheap and nasties when working away...they did all right but u cant get em to hot...hahaha..so if it's for the odd job go cheaper but often they cant be resharpened so a bit of a false eco....
`PS, man made boards like MDF and Laminate flooring will trash even the best blades....
I have one blade just for those jobs and nothing else........

 

[Alasdair]

Been looking and theres a huge range to choose from. So far I get that it should have 0 to -5 rake. Next question is number of teeth and kerf. I was thinking of 64 tooth or similar for general cross cutting. The blade thats on it has a very narrow kerf. Is there an ideal I should look for as I assume the wider the kerf the more strain on the saw. Been looking at Trend Craft 305 x 64 x30mm CSB/CC0564 I think its 3mm kerf with 2mm blade or should I go for something with more teeth.
Your right about MDF etc. Its pretty hard on saw blades.
Alasdair

 

[Doug71]

The Trend one should be fine for general use, these cheaper type blades have less carbide on the teeth so they can't be re sharpened as many times as the more expensive ones.

To be honest I now use cheap blades on my mitre saw and just chuck them when blunt.

This is worth a read if you haven't seen it.

http://thewoodhaven2.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=5266

 

[Farm Labourer]

I use Freud -ve rake blades in miune and find them very good and very affordable in two-pack options.

 

[Alasdair]

Thanks. Pretty good article and nice and simple. Looking at cheaper as using reclaimed wood a lot but wondered what cheap blades are ok. Have been looking at trend, Saxton and some others but a lot of the blades don't state if they are -ve rake. So far I reckon the trend craft pro 84tooth for finer work -6 rake and the trend craft pro 64tooth -5 rake for general use
Alasdair

 

[Doug71]

I use the Saxton 260mm 60 teeth blades in my Kapex mitre saw, work really well.

The Saxton website says they are suitable for the Kapex but I remember when I first got one my initial impression was it looked like positive rake, I didn't look too closely though as I was busy so just put it in the saw and carried on.

It is a bit naughty saying suitable for mitre saw if they are positive rake, works fine on my little Kapex but I wouldn't risk one on a RAS.

From my experience the Saxton blades seem great value but I would give them a call to check the rake before I ordered one for your RAS.

 

[Alasdair]

Thanks I will get in touch with saxton. They do seem good value and for what I need them for should do.
Alasdair

 

[Distinterior]

I tried a pack of 3 Saxton blades (48 tooth) in my Ts55 tracksaw.....The quality of of the cut/ finish was terrible in comparison with the original Festool blades. I now only use them for rough cutting material. ....Maybe, I just bought a bad batch..?

 

[Alasdair]

Thanks I can't find the rake on the saxton websit so have emailed them. If they don't get back in touch I will go for Trend 84 tooth and Trend 64 tooth. They are bothe -5 or -6 rake

 

[Doug71]

I tried a pack of 3 Saxton blades (48 tooth) in my Ts55 tracksaw.....The quality of of the cut/ finish was terrible in comparison with the original Festool blades. I now only use them for rough cutting material. ....Maybe, I just bought a bad batch..?

Maybe I just got lucky!

I think consistency can be the problem with cheap stuff.

I normally avoid such things but needed a blade quickly while my others were off to the saw doctor. I got one of the Saxton ones thinking I would only use it for a few days until the others came back but was pleasantly surprised by how well it worked.