On Oct 1, 3:38*am, "
wrote:
Personally, I have had tremendous success with the Freud line of saw
blades. *They are the bright red ones you see at Home Depot. *I have
used the 16 and 24 tooth blades and they are outstanding. *They are
now all I buy.

Interesting. Can someone tell me about the oddly shaped teeth? What's
the purpose of the rounded bump that follows each cutting tooth?

Scroll down this page and you will see they are VERY affordable even
in the high tooth count blades:

*http://preview.tinyurl.com/35tob3m

The key to a long lasting blade is to cut straight, and for most that
means using a guide.

I'm certainly in that category. I see Tom Silva on TOH make cuts using
a hand-held speed square as a guide, but I need something more solid.

There are plenty of plans and ideas floating around if you don't want
to make your own saw guides. *They sell a Johnson branded aluminum
channel guide at some of the box stores that actually do a good jobIF you take the time to set it up carefully, then cut carefully as

I don't remember who makes it, but I have a two-piece aluminum guide
(there's a "joining" piece that makes the guide 8' long) that I use
with spring clamps.

A so/so blade will perform very well in the hands of an experienced
saw man because he can cut straight. *I great blade will perform
poorly in the hands of a less skilled individual. *The point being you
don't have to spend a fortune on saw blades to get really good cuts.

No matter what happens, do not let Leon, Robatoy, or Swingman talk you
into a Festool TS 75. *Even if they do have a special now that will
include a free cap if you buy their saw!

Despite my modest needs and skills, I like tools. Even in more flush
times I set a personal rule for myself: Only buy things you have a
need for. Nevertheless, over the years a startling number and wide
variety of tools have crept into my garage, some of which have been
used exactly once. I have a really beautiful basin wrench with barely
a mark on it, for instance.

I've seen the Festool stuff online. Looks great. But while sometimes
it can be the tool, I have the same philosophy I've always had about
cameras. I like them too, and my shots are pretty decent . (They
impress my friends too). But I doubt that that the difference between
me and say, Ansel Adams, is that my cameras aren't good enough.

Thanks to all.