"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...
On 3/29/2011 5:06 PM, Existential Angst wrote:
Awl --

I do some alum cutting on my RAS, using mostly 60 tooth 10" blades --
everything from 1/8" material, to 3" material, with 1" flat and round bar
being typical.

How significant is chipped/missing carbide on a tooth or two
(non-adjacent)?

If a chipped/missing tooth is ok for 60 tooth, how coarse can the blade
get
before missing/chipped carbide is not OK?

If dicey on alum, can these chipped blades be used safely on wood?

I will switch to new or unchipped blades awaiting Group Advice.

Also, I have a 10" 80 tooth Morse Metal Devil specifically for alum,
which
doesn't look much different than other non-specific 60 tooth carbide
blades -- except the price sticker, $90 !! It was given to me.

I just bought an Avanti two-pack of 10" 60 tooth from HD, for $29. Just
wondering what diffs between the two blades to expect, if any.

Any nifty uses for worn-out RAS blades? Frisbee?? Just scrap'em?



I use a 10" blade table saw for aluminum all the time. I just replaced a
60T carbide blade that I have been using for about 3 years for mixed wood
and aluminum work. It had started throwing the work and doing weird
things. It was missing a couple teeth for quite some time, but when I
broke out the magnifying glass the rest of the teeth were looking pretty
bad. I don't think a missing tooth or two is all that bad, but when it
just starts to get worn out it gets dangerous. It will throw a work piece
back at you with enough force to cut you up pretty bad.

That's exactly what I've been noticing, and attributed it to a given
missing/chipped tooth.
I think a missing/chipped tooth will make itself felt more on thin material.

Since I cut on an RAS, throwing the work at me is impossible for regular
cross-cutting on the table, because if you cut in climb, it will grab the
work from you/away from you, and if you cut conventional (pushing the
carriage away from you), it will throw the work away from you. In climb
(pulling the carriage to you), the blade will ride up/stall on the work if
it grabs, and conventionally, it can kick the work up -- but still away from
you.

The only time an RAS will throw the work back you is if you rotate the
carriage 90 deg for ripping.

I almost always cut substantial material in a conventional cut, cuz the
control is much better, I can just "lean" on the carriage.
BUT, occasionally lifted/thrown material is a little unnerving, and I'm
thinking of making some hold-down guides that run front-to-back, to keep
this from happening.




I was wondering if the blades would make decent knife steel, but other
than that I can't think of a use for them.

Proly perty decent, but I wonder how many abrasive saw blades would be
required?

--
EA