BT3 and full kerf blades

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  • poolhound
    Veteran Member
    • Mar 2006
    • 3195
    • Phoenix, AZ
    • BT3100

    BT3 and full kerf blades

    The main blade resident in my BT3100 for the last few years has been the thin kerf WWII. I use a TK Freud ripper regularly and periodically use specialty blades such as square tooth, 80T finish cut or dados. Just recently while "rescuing" some quality maple ply from an old entertainment center (yeah that will teach me) I forgot to take the WWII out and ended up meeting a bunch of finish nails. The blade ate through them but left a bunch of teeth less than happy. I haven't done a close inspection yet but with a quick look I guess at least half may have bit the dust (or the nail).

    Fixing many teeth may cost nearly the price of a new blade. As it happens I do also own a full kerf WWII (rarely used) and a Tenryu Gold Medal with a .111 kerf. So am now wondering wether to lay out for a new TK WWII or switch out to the full kerf or use the GM.

    Have any of you been using full kerf WWII or similar in your 3/4horse BTs and how have you found it working?

    I am sure they will work but with a slower feed rate I wonder about increased burn in the wood and bogging down or worse burning out the motor.

    Love to hear your experiences.

    Jon
    Jon

    Phoenix AZ - It's a dry heat
    ________________________________

    We all make mistakes and I should know I've made enough of them
    techzibits.com
  • cwsmith
    Veteran Member
    • Dec 2005
    • 2737
    • NY Southern Tier, USA.
    • BT3100-1

    #2
    I've never used a WoodWorker blade of any kind as I simply can't justify the cost. Basically my woodworking skill don't require much beyond what a decent 40- or 50-tooth blade may offer. I've only used the recommended thin kerf blades on my BT31001. IIRC, full kerf blades were not recommended because they cause additional resistance on the relatively low horsepower motor, which performs well, primarily because of it's higher rpm. My concern would be that a full kerf blade would tax the motor beyond it's normal design limitations. I think if you were to use a full kerf blade, you should pay close attention to reducing the feed rate as well as the thickness of the stock.

    CWS
    Think it Through Before You Do!

    Comment

    • mpc
      Senior Member
      • Feb 2005
      • 979
      • Cypress, CA, USA.
      • BT3000 orig 13amp model

      #3
      Since the BT3 can power a fairly wide dado stack I would expect it could stand full-kerf blades. Using such blades though in dense hardwoods - especially making cuts in thick stock (e.g. ripping or crosscutting something over 2 inches thick) - probably would require fairly low feed rates. Even with new thin-kerf blades I have to feed slowly when cutting thick hard maple pieces for example... I often do such cuts in two passes, just like using multiple passes on a router when making deep grooves. Like any power tool, listening to the motor sounds and RPM will tell you how hard the saw is working.

      To me, the more serious issue is the riving knife... it'll be rather thin compared to a regular kerf saw blade and may not prevent a rip-cut board from pinching the back of the blade. Remember, boards can have internal stress that makes kerfs want to pinch shut. I've never used regular kerf blades in my BT3 so I don't have any first-hand experience. I do have a few regular blades - some fairly old ones that came with a radial arm saw given to me a couple of years ago. I don't use those on the RAS let alone on the BT3... I bought new/modern blades - and thin-kerf too - for the RAS.

      mpc
      Last edited by mpc; 01-03-2018, 04:49 AM.

      Comment

      • leehljp
        Just me
        • Dec 2002
        • 8429
        • Tunica, MS
        • BT3000/3100

        #4
        I do remember a several years ago someone using a regular kerf blade (WW1 IIRC) without a problem on their BT3x. It kinda stuck in my mind because they wrote about the quality and sharpness of the WW series was so good that it (that quality) seemed to overcome the difference in kerf. Bear in mind that I have become an old geezer and my mind ain't what it used to be. Still, it should work but get a feel as to the correct feed rate.

        For me, the power to handle full kerfs would not be the issue; I hate losing good wood to wide kerfs. When ripping some boards or plywood, 4 or 5 rips would cut just enough off that it would prohibit that one extra piece that I needed.
        Hank Lee

        Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

        Comment

        • poolhound
          Veteran Member
          • Mar 2006
          • 3195
          • Phoenix, AZ
          • BT3100

          #5
          Originally posted by leehljp
          I do remember a several years ago someone using a regular kerf blade (WW1 IIRC) without a problem on their BT3x. It kinda stuck in my mind because they wrote about the quality and sharpness of the WW series was so good that it (that quality) seemed to overcome the difference in kerf. Bear in mind that I have become an old geezer and my mind ain't what it used to be. Still, it should work but get a feel as to the correct feed rate.

          For me, the power to handle full kerfs would not be the issue; I hate losing good wood to wide kerfs. When ripping some boards or plywood, 4 or 5 rips would cut just enough off that it would prohibit that one extra piece that I needed.
          I know what you mean but you can get even less waste if need be by ripping with the BS, Although by the time you have cleaned up and jointed the edge you may have lost the same amount of wood as when using the TS...
          Jon

          Phoenix AZ - It's a dry heat
          ________________________________

          We all make mistakes and I should know I've made enough of them
          techzibits.com

          Comment

          • Tom Slick
            Veteran Member
            • May 2005
            • 2913
            • Paso Robles, Calif, USA.
            • sears BT3 clone

            #6
            I use a full kerf “Glue Line Rip” blade on my bt3100 without issue.
            A resharpened blade will often outperform a new blade, I don’t know why. The main reason for buying a premium blade is larger, higher grade carbide so it can be resharpened more times.
            Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. - Thomas Edison

            Comment

            • LCHIEN
              Internet Fact Checker
              • Dec 2002
              • 20914
              • Katy, TX, USA.
              • BT3000 vintage 1999

              #7
              My quick thoughts

              FK vs TK, excepting long deep rips, the issue is usually not a matter of power but as Hanks Lee says, losing good wood to wide kerf cuts. When making a lot of cuts that may add up to an inch which sometimes bothers me. Seems way too frequently my cut list comes to with a fraction of an inch of the available wood so I have to start counting Kerfs!

              For normal cross cutting the FK vs TK issues seems not to be an issue. Since you have decent WWII FK blade and a mid Kerf blade, try and use them see if you are OK; if the loss of material is not an issue then you are good to go w/o a TK WWII

              For big ripping jobs, you should really change the blade. A Thin kerf 24T ripping blade with aggressive hook and deep gullets will work much better for those cuts more than 1-1/2" deep.
              For table saws, you have two limiting factors available horsepower and minimum feed speed.
              As the load increases, you have to slow the feed rate. The advantage of higher HP saws is that you have more feed speed.
              In rips it the highest load, taking an aggressive strip of wood 2-3 inches tall and having to fit it in the gullet or risk keeping the cutting face off the wood.
              When the gullet gets full and you run out of HP to be able to feed faster then you run up against the minimum feed speed ans start burning. A low HP motor will stall out when you push too hard, a high HP motor will keep turning to remove those cuttings and keep the blade speed up and allow faster feeding.
              You can reduce motor load by taking off less material (thinner kerf, less deep cutting pass, deep enough gullets) so you can see the choice of blade helps a lot.
              Last edited by LCHIEN; 01-06-2018, 03:52 PM.
              Loring in Katy, TX USA
              If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
              BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

              Comment

              • JimD
                Veteran Member
                • Feb 2003
                • 4187
                • Lexington, SC.

                #8
                I use both thin and full kerf blades, mainly Freud and never Forest, but I prefer full kerf blades. Many thin kerf blades are ATB grind which is not what I want for ripping. I have a thin and a full kerf Freud ripping blade and use whichever is the cleanest and sharpest. I think those factors are more important than the thickness. Full kerf blades are also stiffer and I think that helps offset the fact they remove more material. I have ripped >3 inches in hardwood with both blades and see very little difference. If they are clean and sharp, the feed rate is reasonable with both. The blade I use most of the time is a Freud 50 tooth with 40 ATB grind and 10 flat top rakers. It is full kerf as is the DeWalt copy that is my first alternate. I can cut up to about 1.5 inches thick with this blade.

                I would definitely try the full kerf WW. I expect you will find it will work fine.

                Comment

                • Knottscott
                  Veteran Member
                  • Dec 2004
                  • 3815
                  • Rochester, NY.
                  • 2008 Shop Fox W1677

                  #9
                  The Gold Medal is an excellent general purpose blade....very comparable to the WWII. Since you have it on hand, give it a shot and see for yourself.

                  Sharp and clean are indeed key factors, along with several others, but a 1/8" full kerf blade is 33% wider than a 3/32" TK, which translates proportionately to the resistance offered.
                  Happiness is sort of like wetting your pants....everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth.

                  Comment

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