Blade Selection - Steel City 35620 User Manual

BLADE SELECTION

Choosing the correct blade for the job is essential for
the safe and efficient use of your table saw. Ignoring
this important step could result in damage to the saw
and serious injury to the operator. Below are the most
common saw blades and their uses.
1. Rip Blade: Used for cutting with the grain.
Typically, 10" rip blades have between 18-40 teeth
and large gullets to allow for large chip removal.
SEE FIG. 19.
Fig. 19
2. Cross-cut Blade: Used for cutting across the grain.
10" cross-cut blades have between 60-80 teeth and
a shallow gullet. SEE FIG. 20.
Fig. 20
3. Combination Blade: Used for cutting with and
across the grain. A compromise between a rip blade
and a cross-cut blade, a 10" combination blade will
typically have between 40-50 teeth. SEE FIG. 21.
Fig. 21
4. Thin-kerf blade: Most types of saw blades are
available in a thin-kerf style. Designed primarily to
minimize stock waste, thin-kerf blades are used in
conjunction with a blade stabilizer to reduce blade
wobble. Note: Many blade guards/splitters are
thicker than many thin-kerf blades. Make sure that
the stock will pass by the guard/splitter before
beginning a cut.
5. Dado Blades: There are two types of dado blades:
stack and wobble. Stack dadoes involve more set-
up time, but they provide a superior finish cut when
compared to a wobble dado. Dado blades require
use of accessory dado table insert.
6. Moulding Heads: A moulding head is a cutterhead
that attaches to the arbor and holds individual
moulding knives. They are very dangerous and
require training beyond the scope of this manual.
This section on blade selection is by no means compre-
hensive. Always follow the saw blade manufacturer's
recommendations to assure safe and efficient operation
of your table saw.
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