In article ,
Doug Winterburn wrote:

On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 20:38:23 -0500, Rumpty wrote:

Doug,

What blade do you use on your RAS?

Since I got the Craftsman RAS, I've been using the blade that came with it
- a 40 tooth carbide tipped neg hook. Part #926792, which I can't find on
their web site. It seems to be a fairly good blade.

Prior, I was using a Freud 60 tooth blade - pos hook part #LU82M01D. It
is a good blade and I had no trouble with it on the RAS, even with the
positive hook. It's rated for TS, CMS, RAS. I like it a lot - very
smooth.

I do prefer the full kerf blades as they seem to give a smoother cut.

-Doug

I think I found that blade at Sears Hardware yesterday on clearance for
$17. It was part # 926797. It had identical markings to the blade on
the RAS in the store. Neutral to negative hook and feed-control
shoulders (look like depth gages on chainsaw blades.) I wonder if Sears
is going to let the RAS go the way of the dinosaur.

Keep in mind that Sears was asking about $500-$600 for the RAS and
between $150-250 for most 10"-12" compound miter saws. The CMSs' can do
90% of the cuts the I usually do on the RAS. My Dad taught me how to
set up the RAS. The 10% of the cuts it can do which the CMSs' can't are
rather spectacular in their utility and shear terror. The RAS is
dangerous in ways the TS just isn't (climb & cross cut thumb) and
completely docile in way the TS is a nightmare (it just doesn't throw
things at you and the temptation to shove your hand into the blade on
the cut isn't there). I have ripped 8' sheet goods on the RAS before.
It presents a different set of issues to overcome that the TS. The
fence is longer, (probably truer than the old craftsman TS fence) and
the table is aligned along the cutting axis on the RAS.

The old 60 tooth combo blade I had on the RAS had WAY too much hook for
safety. I caught it climbing more often that I cared for. Back on the
table saw it goes. There are many small projects where the RAS is just
tons more handy to me than the TS is. This could be because the TS is
on a roller base and usually stays tucked below the right side of the
RAS. Cutting 12' stock on the RAS is a no brainer. Cutting it on the
cross cut sled on the TS takes a day of planning ahead. I've had the
cross cut sled half way across the TS when it decided to stop sliding.
That's an Aw **** sort of moment. The RAS never stops sliding :-)

--
Dana Miller