Blake Patterson wrote:
I have borrowed a co-worker's skill saw to use to make a little wooden
stand for a computer monitor over the weekend. The saw has a rather
rough blade that leaves the wood rather abused. I intend to make the
stand out of 1" thick sheet of pine and wondered what kind of blade to
buy (Home Depot probably) in order to not tear up the wood while
cutting. Is there a standard scale of blade harshenss or some such?
Thanks.



bp


Get one that says it is a finish or cabinet blade. Another
term used is planer blade. In general, the more teeth the
smoother the cut but that's not necessarily true with a
planer blade. Don't get a plywood blade and it would
probably be best to not get carbide blade for pine. You
can't judge the smoothness of the cut by looking at the blade.

Do not try to cut anything free hand. Measure and use a
straight edge (metal or a piece of plywood or a board)
clamped to the board you are cutting.