Model 137.218010, Serial No. RHV34.

I can't find ANY reviews for this thing online. OSH has it on sale
for $84, regular $169.

Has feed supports that extend from each side. No legs. Blade tilt is
done with a wheel, instead of a locking lever and hand setting. Guide
is not one of those self aligning ones.

Anybody know anything about these? Can't find it on the Sears site,
so I guess it's an out-of- date model. Certainly a better deal than
the Delta I ended up giving away.

"d.s." wrote in message
...
Model 137.218010, Serial No. RHV34.

I can't find ANY reviews for this thing online. OSH has it on sale
for $84, regular $169.

Has feed supports that extend from each side. No legs. Blade tilt is
done with a wheel, instead of a locking lever and hand setting. Guide
is not one of those self aligning ones.

Anybody know anything about these? Can't find it on the Sears site,
so I guess it's an out-of- date model. Certainly a better deal than
the Delta I ended up giving away.



Are you going to use it for rough cutting a piece of dimensional limber "now
and then"? I'll probably do ok however you can probably get a higher
quality circular saw for that purpose for less money.

FIY it is hard to find a "good" new TS for less than $500.

On Dec 17, 8:48*am, "Leon" wrote:
"d.s." wrote in message

...

Model 137.218010, *Serial No. RHV34.

I can't find ANY reviews for this thing online. *OSH has it on sale
for $84, regular $169.

Has feed supports that extend from each side. *No legs. *Blade tilt is
done with a wheel, instead of a locking lever and hand setting. *Guide
is not one of those self aligning ones.

Anybody know anything about these? *Can't find it on the Sears site,
so I guess it's an out-of- date model. *Certainly a better deal than
the Delta I ended up giving away.

Are you going to use it for rough cutting a piece of dimensional limber "now
and then"? *I'll probably do ok however you can probably get a higher
quality circular saw for that purpose for less money.

FIY it is hard to find a "good" new TS for less than $500.

I know, but I have neither workshop space, nor do I do a lot of
woodworking. If I did, I'd opt for something a bit better.

On Dec 17, 9:33*am, "d.s." wrote:

I know, but I have neither workshop space, nor do I do a lot of
woodworking. *If I did, I'd opt for something a bit better.

Stationary power tools require the space to maneuver a
board or sheet of plywood; if your space is limited, hand
saws (including handheld circular saws) are a good choice.

A good worktable and some sawhorses might be a better
investment than a cheap tabletop table saw. With suitable
guides, a handheld circular saw can do almost anything
that a table saw does, eventually.

whit3rd wrote:

A good worktable and some sawhorses might be a better
investment than a cheap tabletop table saw. With suitable
guides, a handheld circular saw can do almost anything
that a table saw does, eventually.


Skip the saw horses and get (2) 2'x8'x2" foam boards.

Skip the saw horses and get (2) 2'x8'x2" foam boards.


I keep reading this in this newsgroup.
I want to caution everyone about cutting through foam with blades.
Maybe I'm wrong, and I certainly don't know the science behind it, but
in my experience nothing will dull a cutting blade like cutting though
foam.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

"-MIKE-" wrote:

I keep reading this in this newsgroup.
I want to caution everyone about cutting through foam with blades.
Maybe I'm wrong, and I certainly don't know the science behind it,
but
in my experience nothing will dull a cutting blade like cutting
though
foam.

I've never had a problem, but the local hardware has a stack of 7-1/4
carbide blades.

$5 each on an exchange basis.

Since breaking down ply sheets is about all I use a circular saw for,
it should not be a problem.

Lew

-MIKE- wrote:

Skip the saw horses and get (2) 2'x8'x2" foam boards.


I keep reading this in this newsgroup.
I want to caution everyone about cutting through foam with blades.
Maybe I'm wrong, and I certainly don't know the science behind it, but
in my experience nothing will dull a cutting blade like cutting though
foam.

I've never had a problem, using pink and blue foam as a backer and
mock-up material, cut with carbide blades.

What kind of foam were you cutting?

Skip the saw horses and get (2) 2'x8'x2" foam boards.


I keep reading this in this newsgroup.
I want to caution everyone about cutting through foam with blades.
Maybe I'm wrong, and I certainly don't know the science behind it, but
in my experience nothing will dull a cutting blade like cutting though
foam.

I've never had a problem, using pink and blue foam as a backer and
mock-up material, cut with carbide blades.

What kind of foam were you cutting?


All kinds and just about every kind. In my last "real" job and in my
current "un" job, I make a lot of custom sized cases for expensive
things. I've used and experimented with just about every foam I could
get my hands on.

It is possible that I was doing more cutting than the average user, so I
notice it much sooner.
I also see the cost/benefit ratio being very favorable for someone using
$5 7-1/4 inch combo blades to rough size plywood. Let's face it, how
sharp are those to begin with and for rough cuts, who cares.

I would be very hesitant to cut through foam with a hundred dollar blade
however. But even as I type this, I'm thinking, how would that ever
happen? I'm thinking I through the caution flag a little early, without
considering the context. :-)

But if you ever need to dull your band saw blade in 30 seconds or less,
cut through some mattress pad.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

"-MIKE-" wrote:

But if you ever need to dull your band saw blade in 30 seconds or
less,
cut through some mattress pad.

As I read your post a couple of things come to mind.

The people who cut upholstery foam use a band saw blade designed
especially for that foam.

I have a customer who makes furniture foam and they also use the same
saw blade to cut it to size.

The people who cut Styrofoam and/or urethane foam use a nichrome "hot
wire" technique to cut it.

Do either of these fit your task?

Lew

But if you ever need to dull your band saw blade in 30 seconds or
less, cut through some mattress pad.

As I read your post a couple of things come to mind.

The people who cut upholstery foam use a band saw blade designed
especially for that foam.

I have a customer who makes furniture foam and they also use the same
saw blade to cut it to size.

The people who cut Styrofoam and/or urethane foam use a nichrome "hot
wire" technique to cut it.

Do either of these fit your task?

Lew


Yes, I've used hot wire-- homemade from one of those giant soldering
irons. Works great with the Styrofoam and rigid foams.

Two things work great for any spongy foam; bands saws and electric
turkey carving knives. Both will be ruined for anything else, but will
still cut foam great after they have been dulled. The shearing action
of the carving knives makes them effective after dulling, but you can
take a blade off, and run it across your arm with little damage.

What I've noticed with the band saws for spongy foam is that they tear
the foam as they cut it, and dull actually works better. You can't
hardly cut balsa wood with it, but it's the best thing in the world for
foam.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

"-MIKE-" wrote:
.................................................. ............................
The people who cut upholstery foam use a band saw blade designed
especially for that foam.
.................................................. ..............................

Two things work great for any spongy foam; bands saws and electric
turkey carving knives. Both will be ruined for anything else, but
will
still cut foam great after they have been dulled.

See comment above, it is a special band saw blade designed
specifically for foam.

Sort of reminds me of a meat saw blade.

Stand wood/metal cutting blades won't do the job very long.

Any furniture people in your area?

If so, there will be some foam fabrication shops near by who could
help you find the right blade.

Lew

Lew Hodgett wrote:
"-MIKE-" wrote:
.................................................. ...........................
The people who cut upholstery foam use a band saw blade designed
especially for that foam.
.................................................. .............................

Two things work great for any spongy foam; bands saws and electric
turkey carving knives. Both will be ruined for anything else, but
will
still cut foam great after they have been dulled.

See comment above, it is a special band saw blade designed
specifically for foam.

Sort of reminds me of a meat saw blade.

Stand wood/metal cutting blades won't do the job very long.

Any furniture people in your area?

If so, there will be some foam fabrication shops near by who could
help you find the right blade.

Lew


I got that part. I've seen them at a big case building company in
Columbus, OH. If I had to guess, I would say what makes them "special"
is that they are simply dull, with straight teeth as opposed to bent.

But I'm not looking. I already have plenty of dull blades around the
shop. :-)


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

-MIKE- wrote:

I would be very hesitant to cut through foam with a hundred dollar blade
however. But even as I type this, I'm thinking, how would that ever
happen? I'm thinking I through the caution flag a little early, without
considering the context. :-)


I've been doing that for 10 years! G

I rip strips of pink foam for mockups quite often.

Did some of the foam you were cutting melt on the blade? I've cut
plastics that melted to the blade, making the blade appear and act dull
until the plastic was removed. The pink and blue stuff doesn't seem to
leave a noticable residue.

B A R R Y wrote:
Did some of the foam you were cutting melt on the blade? I've cut
plastics that melted to the blade, making the blade appear and act dull
until the plastic was removed. The pink and blue stuff doesn't seem to
leave a noticable residue.


No, no melting. Keep reading, though.
I've had a change of heart for those simply roughing out plywood with 7
inch blades.



--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

-MIKE- wrote:
B A R R Y wrote:
Did some of the foam you were cutting melt on the blade? I've cut
plastics that melted to the blade, making the blade appear and act
dull until the plastic was removed. The pink and blue stuff doesn't
seem to leave a noticable residue.


No, no melting. Keep reading, though.
I've had a change of heart for those simply roughing out plywood with 7
inch blades.


What about my Woodworker II's? G

The weird thing about the blue and pink foam is that it makes actual
dust, just like sawdust. I figure it can't be that much worse than MDF
or some of the tropicals... I use my saw LOTS, and still get 8-9
months between sharpenings.

Did the bandsaws you used to cut foam rubber have spring steel or
carbide blades? Remember, the mattresses are probably rubber.

On Dec 17, 12:33*pm, "d.s." wrote:
On Dec 17, 8:48*am, "Leon" wrote:





"d.s." wrote in message

....

Model 137.218010, *Serial No. RHV34.

I can't find ANY reviews for this thing online. *OSH has it on sale
for $84, regular $169.

Has feed supports that extend from each side. *No legs. *Blade tilt is
done with a wheel, instead of a locking lever and hand setting. *Guide
is not one of those self aligning ones.

Anybody know anything about these? *Can't find it on the Sears site,
so I guess it's an out-of- date model. *Certainly a better deal than
the Delta I ended up giving away.

Are you going to use it for rough cutting a piece of dimensional limber "now
and then"? *I'll probably do ok however you can probably get a higher
quality circular saw for that purpose for less money.

FIY it is hard to find a "good" new TS for less than $500.

I know, but I have neither workshop space, nor do I do a lot of
woodworking. *If I did, I'd opt for something a bit better.

It's not the table saw that takes up space, it's the sheet goods
you're cutting with it. Sawing 4 x 8 ft panels requires at least
10 x 20 feet of clear space. A full tablesaw with extension
and outfeed tables takes up no more floor space than a portable
site saw.

On Dec 22, 1:13*pm, -MIKE- wrote:
Two things work great for any spongy foam; bands saws and electric
turkey carving knives. Both will be ruined for anything else, but will
still cut foam great after they have been dulled. *The shearing action
of the carving knives makes them effective after dulling, but you can
take a blade off, and run it across your arm with little damage.

Foam doesn't dull electric knives, it coats them and makes them
drag. A bit of paste wax keeps the blades clean and cutting easy.

What about my Woodworker II's? G


Ooh, I don't know.


The weird thing about the blue and pink foam is that it makes actual
dust, just like sawdust. I figure it can't be that much worse than MDF
or some of the tropicals... I use my saw LOTS, and still get 8-9
months between sharpenings.

It's possible.... probable... that the rigid stuff is a completely
different animal and is actually being cut and not torn. The spongy
foam just tears... really quickly, but tears nonetheless. And I suspect
at that rate of speed it rubbing against the edge and dulling it.


Did the bandsaws you used to cut foam rubber have spring steel or
carbide blades? Remember, the mattresses are probably rubber.

They're cheap, so probably spring. Mattress pads are just one type I use.
Mostly, it's the stuff listed he
http://www.casefoam.com/foam-information.htm


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
...
"-MIKE-" wrote:

But if you ever need to dull your band saw blade in 30 seconds or less,
cut through some mattress pad.

As I read your post a couple of things come to mind.

The people who cut upholstery foam use a band saw blade designed
especially for that foam.

I have a customer who makes furniture foam and they also use the same saw
blade to cut it to size.

The people who cut Styrofoam and/or urethane foam use a nichrome "hot
wire" technique to cut it.

Do either of these fit your task?


Speaking of which, I built a couple of jewelry chests for Christmas last
year, one for my wife and I sold the other. I lined the drawers with
starched felt and waited to see which drawer she would use for her rings.
She finally decided. Several months ago I bought a ring holder from
Rockler. It was about 4" wide 3/4" thick and about 24" long. It was made
of cardboard, foam rubber and satin. I needed to cut this 2' pong piece
down to about 7" and decided to see how the TS would cut through all of this
material. Using the Forrest general blade, the results were better than the
factory end. The cut was perfect.

Foam doesn't dull electric knives, it coats them and makes them
drag. A bit of paste wax keeps the blades clean and cutting easy.


I won't argue with you about the coating, as it's obviously something
you've experienced.

But I can't ignore my experience that the electric knife blades I used
on the foam, probably wouldn't cut through baloney after cutting a
couple hundred or so linear feet of foam. And yes, I cleaned them
regularly.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

"B A R R Y" wrote:

Did the bandsaws you used to cut foam rubber have spring steel or
carbide blades? Remember, the mattresses are probably rubber.

The foam cutting band saw blades I've seen are just HPS, not carbide
tipped.

Lew