Have you ever wondered why there are so many different types of saw blades? Saw blades are designed to perform best when used for a specific cutting operation.
The two most basic operations are cutting across the grain or cross cutting and cutting along the grain or ripping.
I am going to give you some basic information which will help you make an educated decision when you select a saw blade.
The Parts of a Saw Blade Bore - the hole in the center of the blade.
The bore must match the size of the arbor on your power tool.
It must fit snugly or the blade will not run true and will vibrate Body - the steel plate that the blade is formed from.
In-expensive saw blades are made from low quality steel.
Higher priced saw blades are made from higher quality steel and will perform with more precision and durability Teeth - the points on the circumference of the saw body that cut the wood.
Most saw blades will have tungsten carbide tips welded to the tooth.
Tungsten carbide saw tips are graded for resistance to impact and abrasion.
The better the quality of the tungsten carbide tips the longer the tips will remain sharp.
Saws with more teeth will cut smoother than saw blades with fewer teeth.
Saw blades with fewer teeth will feed faster and easier than those with many teeth but the cut will not be as smooth.
Gullets - the spaces in front of the teeth that carry the saw dust from the cut.
The more tips a saw blade has the smaller the gullets will be.
Saw blades with fewer teeth will have larger gullets to allow more sawdust to be removed as each tooth passes through the wood.
Hook angle - the angle of the face of the tooth as measured from a center line drawn radially from the center of the bore.
With a positive hook angle the face of the tooth is angled forward toward the material the saw blade will cut.
With a negative hook angle the face of the tooth is angled away from the material the saw blade will cut.
A positive hook angle feeds easily and quickly while a negative hook angle will require more force and will cut slower.
Now you have a basic understanding of the parts of a saw blade.
In my next article I will explain the differences between a saw blade used for cross cutting wood and for a saw blade used for ripping wood.
Can't wait to learn more? Go to http://www.
hctworkshop.
com
The two most basic operations are cutting across the grain or cross cutting and cutting along the grain or ripping.
I am going to give you some basic information which will help you make an educated decision when you select a saw blade.
The Parts of a Saw Blade Bore - the hole in the center of the blade.
The bore must match the size of the arbor on your power tool.
It must fit snugly or the blade will not run true and will vibrate Body - the steel plate that the blade is formed from.
In-expensive saw blades are made from low quality steel.
Higher priced saw blades are made from higher quality steel and will perform with more precision and durability Teeth - the points on the circumference of the saw body that cut the wood.
Most saw blades will have tungsten carbide tips welded to the tooth.
Tungsten carbide saw tips are graded for resistance to impact and abrasion.
The better the quality of the tungsten carbide tips the longer the tips will remain sharp.
Saws with more teeth will cut smoother than saw blades with fewer teeth.
Saw blades with fewer teeth will feed faster and easier than those with many teeth but the cut will not be as smooth.
Gullets - the spaces in front of the teeth that carry the saw dust from the cut.
The more tips a saw blade has the smaller the gullets will be.
Saw blades with fewer teeth will have larger gullets to allow more sawdust to be removed as each tooth passes through the wood.
Hook angle - the angle of the face of the tooth as measured from a center line drawn radially from the center of the bore.
With a positive hook angle the face of the tooth is angled forward toward the material the saw blade will cut.
With a negative hook angle the face of the tooth is angled away from the material the saw blade will cut.
A positive hook angle feeds easily and quickly while a negative hook angle will require more force and will cut slower.
Now you have a basic understanding of the parts of a saw blade.
In my next article I will explain the differences between a saw blade used for cross cutting wood and for a saw blade used for ripping wood.
Can't wait to learn more? Go to http://www.
hctworkshop.
com