Best circular saw blade?

[lcm1947]

I'm building a coffee table currently or I should say still and I've gotten to the point where I need to cut the top and shelve out of a sheet of ply. I normally just have ripping blades in the saw but do have an Oldham 60 tooth I could use but was wondering if a better more expensive blade might not product a better cut? I really to get the best cut I can and not sure a $15.00 Oldham is the answer. Anybody have a tried and true recommendation?

[LCHIEN]

personally, I thing the size of a coffee table (about 60" x 24" perhaps) should be small enough to handle well on a table saw for a better cut after trimming to approx size with the circ saw.
Now, you should use an extended rip fence extension and an outfeed tbale and at least a set of infeed rollers.

And for the ends, you should consider cleaning up with a straightedge and router and flush trim bit.

[Knottscott]

If you need a 7-1/4" blade for a portable circ saw, Forrest, Freud, Infinity 40T blades are good bets.

[mojo_13]

I have been doin alot of research into this and have heard real good things about the freud tkr303. MInes on the way so I dont have any first hand knowledge on it but for $20 you can't go wrong. Hope this helps

[drumpriest]

I have a 40T freud blade in my 7 1/4" circular saw. I use it mostly to cut down large sheets of veneer plywood into more manageable sizes. I then do the final cuts on the TS.

I don't know if it's the best, but I can tell you that it's pretty darn good for a circular saw blade.

As for TS blades, WW2 is my most used blade.

[LinuxRandal]

I have a 40T freud blade in my 7 1/4" circular saw. I use it mostly to cut down large sheets of veneer plywood into more manageable sizes. I then do the final cuts on the TS.

I don't know if it's the best, but I can tell you that it's pretty darn good for a circular saw blade.

As for TS blades, WW2 is my most used blade.

If you want to spend high $$$, you can get a circular saw blade from Forrest. But, if your the typical budget minded consumer, the $15 (or around) Freud Diablo blade is great. I use them in a guided circular saw system and get finish cuts. But if/since you don't have a system, or maybe not the need, consider the old trick of carpet taping a piece of hardboard to your saws base, for a zero clearance insert.

WARNING WARNING WARNING:
THE THING TO REMEMBER DOING THAT, IS IT WILL PROBABLY INTERFER WITH YOUR GUARD!! SO BE CAREFULL.

But I think you'll be happy with the cuts.

[Pappy]

The TK303 is available at Lowe's and is an excellent blade.

[SARGE..g-47]

What Pappy said along with the other Freud TK's with the red coating. CMT also makes an excellent blade also, as I currently run CMT 24 T for ripping on my Uni-saw. The BT has always seen the Freud TK's though.

In defence of the Oldham (at least the older ones), I bought 3 7 1/4" 60T carbides several years ago and installed one on an old Shopmate circular I now use for junk cutting and one on a PC circular for cutting down large panels.

The 60 T still sits on the PC to do that as I tape the sheet and score the first layer with a case cutter. Then turn it upside down so the teeth make contact on the good side in their up-cut on a circular. Works great!

The 60T Oldham on the Shopmate is ready for retirement after the last episode several months ago. I had to cut a miter talbe already built down 4" to get a height correction for a new SCMS. I new it had sheet metal screws in the foundation of the box that is the miter stand. Could have used a zag saw but I wanted a straigt cut on all 4 corners of the table base.

The old trusty Oldham whizzed right though those sheet metal screws as I knew it would. I discovered it could several years ago by mistake of a hidden nail. Since then it has taken on about 15 nails in various projects that required either removing metal screws or nails or meeting them head on.

That blade has only one chipped tooth in the carbide which happened on that last outing? I don't have a clue why it has as I visually inspect after I do it to see if it needs to be junked. It will just throw sparks and if you slowly push the saw, just go right through them? Again... I don't have a clue as to how it could have not chipped teeth under these cirmcumstances.

The Oldhams may be different now as I looked at an Oldham 24T for $13.95 for ripping junk stock and it appeared the teeth didn't align. I passed on it as the old way may not be the new way Oldham does it?

But... I will add that I had rather have a SHARP $13.95 Oldham than a DULL $100 Forest II. I don't care how expensive a blade is to make and how well designed it is, it ain't gonna cut worth a crap if it is DULL.. period!

Regards...

[lcm1947]

Thanks guys for all the replies with recommendations and Loring you are certainly right about the TS being able to do it but I just don't feel comfortable using that large of project on that little fence. I had tried a extended fence at one time but took it off as due to the weight when I tightened the fence down it never seemed to be square to the blade as where just the fence itself squares perfectly. So I've resigned myself to using the TS for smaller stuff. I'll probably try the TK303 mainly due to being able to get it at Lowes today and cause Pappy recommended it - as well as others. Thanks again all.

[lcm1947]

Well finally got around to buying and trying the Freud TK303 blade that was recommended. I cut several 1" length wise strips off a sheet of 24x48" ply board. That is by far the best blade I ever used. It just beats the Oldham 60 tooth that I have just about always used by quite a bit. Actually I figured the cut would be a little rough due to it being a 40 tooth but it wasn't. It was a extremely smooth cut. Anyway thanks for the recommendations. Oh plus it so happens with this particular blade on my DeWalt the cut is exactly 5" from the fence so an extra treat. Now I don't have to worry about that 1/32' to remember. Nice!

[scorrpio]

Doesn't take much to beat an Oldham blade. (Kinda makes me cringe and feel a bit ashamed when I see those blades in HD since I happen to live on, er, Oldham Road) But yeah, 40T Freud Diablo for $15 will make very nice cuts.

If you want to reduce tearout, one way to go is to put masking tape over the cutline.

P.S. when using my CS for framing, I use a Ridgid Titanium 24T. A very nice blade, very aggressive, and only $12.

[lcm1947]

Well I didn't know any better so thought the Oldham was fine. Now I know. I'll however keep the Ridgid blade you mentioned in mind but I'm so happy with the Freud right now it will be awhile before changing from it.

[GaryA]

I cut down a lot of "Blondewood" plywood this past weekend, and got a LOT of tearout on my DeWalt circular and my 40T Freud Finish/Plywood blade (was using the All-in-one clamp guides - which are great).

The blade is a couple years old, but i 'd say it still looks like its in good shape. When I put painters tape on the cut line, it slightly reduced the tearout, but not much. I was over cutting everything, then finishing it off on my TS (which has the 50T Freud Industrial Combination full kerf blade - WOW that thing produces a near jointed quality edge - love it).

Are you guys still "final" cutting panels on the TS? Am I expecting too much from the circular or can I do better with a different blade?

[cgallery]

The blade is a couple years old, but i 'd say it still looks like its in good shape.

Couple of things: Some of the inexpensive plywoods have a poor bond between the very thin face veneer and the substrate. This is a recipe for chipping, no matter how good the blade.

Also, looks can be deceiving. Your blade may look like it is good shape under casual observation. But look at the tips carefully. If there is any rounding of the cutting edges then it needs to be replaced.

[gwyneth]

If there was that much difference between the circular saw and the TS, though, that kind of implies that the circular saw blade needs sharpening rather than it being the wood.

And believe me, I've been cutting cheap plywood for the last few days--the C/D stuff is on top of anything that may be better in the 3/4 ton rolling cull bin.