Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

I'm building a special work bench, using one of Grizzly's 1.5" thick
"butcher block" bench tops. I need to cut two irregular pockets into one
edge of the bench to mount equipment.

The top is 25" x 48", and way too big (and heavy) to manuever around my
bandsaw. I'm assuming the best approach is to use my trusty ancient B&D
saber saw. I'm wondering which the best sort of blade might be to A)
minimize the load on the saw, and B) minimize the risk of scorching the
maple. I was planning on drilling out the corners to start, which will
keep most of the cuts fairly straight. That way I can use a moderately
wide blade. I've had good luck with a "fleam" ground blade on softer
wood, but I have no idea what it will think of the maple. The saw uses
the the old style blades with a hole, not thenewer Bosch T style.

Alternatively, should I use this as an excuse to buy a super-duper new
saber saw? If so, what should I look for?

Any ideas, warnings or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Doug White

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

"Doug White" wrote in message
...
I'm building a special work bench, using one of Grizzly's 1.5" thick
"butcher block" bench tops. I need to cut two irregular pockets into one
edge of the bench to mount equipment.

The top is 25" x 48", and way too big (and heavy) to manuever around my
bandsaw. I'm assuming the best approach is to use my trusty ancient B&D
saber saw. I'm wondering which the best sort of blade might be to A)
minimize the load on the saw, and B) minimize the risk of scorching the
maple. I was planning on drilling out the corners to start, which will
keep most of the cuts fairly straight. That way I can use a moderately
wide blade. I've had good luck with a "fleam" ground blade on softer
wood, but I have no idea what it will think of the maple. The saw uses
the the old style blades with a hole, not thenewer Bosch T style.

Alternatively, should I use this as an excuse to buy a super-duper new
saber saw? If so, what should I look for?

Any ideas, warnings or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Doug White


Get a Bosch. {:-)

Max ( has two)

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

"Doug White" wrote:

I'm building a special work bench, using one of Grizzly's 1.5" thick
"butcher block" bench tops. I need to cut two irregular pockets
into one
edge of the bench to mount equipment.
snip

As a point of reference, I have a Bosch 1587 saber saw BUT it would
not be my tool of choice for this task.

I would make a template from 1/4" ply, grab my handy dandy plunge
router equipped with a guide bushing and a 1/2" pattern bit, then go
to work.

If I were to use a saber saw, it would be to cut a hole leaving about
1/2" of material for router clean up.

BTW, great excuse to buy a real saber saw.

Have fun.

Lew

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in news:4b74ae7d$0$24273
:


"Doug White" wrote:

I'm building a special work bench, using one of Grizzly's 1.5" thick
"butcher block" bench tops. I need to cut two irregular pockets
into one
edge of the bench to mount equipment.
snip

As a point of reference, I have a Bosch 1587 saber saw BUT it would
not be my tool of choice for this task.

I would make a template from 1/4" ply, grab my handy dandy plunge
router equipped with a guide bushing and a 1/2" pattern bit, then go
to work.

If I were to use a saber saw, it would be to cut a hole leaving about
1/2" of material for router clean up.

BTW, great excuse to buy a real saber saw.

Have fun.

I'm actually planning on cleaning up the hole with my router & a
template, but that a lot of hardwood to go through with a router to cut
out the hole to begin with.

I've been looking into the new saw option. Unfortunately, the last time
Fine Woodworking did a thorough comparison was issue #126, which I figure
was about 6 years ago. Even if I still had that issue, it's seriously
out of date.

Bosch seems to be popular, and they have some new "clean" blades that are
supposed to cut really well. The price tag is also impressive, although
the long weekend might produce some good sales.

Doug White

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

Doug White wrote:
"Lew Hodgett" wrote in news:4b74ae7d$0$24273
:


"Doug White" wrote:

I'm building a special work bench, using one of Grizzly's 1.5" thick
"butcher block" bench tops. I need to cut two irregular pockets
into one
edge of the bench to mount equipment.
snip

As a point of reference, I have a Bosch 1587 saber saw BUT it would
not be my tool of choice for this task.

I would make a template from 1/4" ply, grab my handy dandy plunge
router equipped with a guide bushing and a 1/2" pattern bit, then go
to work.

If I were to use a saber saw, it would be to cut a hole leaving about
1/2" of material for router clean up.

BTW, great excuse to buy a real saber saw.

Have fun.

I'm actually planning on cleaning up the hole with my router & a
template, but that a lot of hardwood to go through with a router to
cut out the hole to begin with.

I've been looking into the new saw option. Unfortunately, the last
time Fine Woodworking did a thorough comparison was issue #126, which
I figure was about 6 years ago. Even if I still had that issue, it's
seriously out of date.

Bosch seems to be popular, and they have some new "clean" blades that
are supposed to cut really well. The price tag is also impressive,
although the long weekend might produce some good sales.

Bosch has had clean cut blades for as long as I can remember (like, going
back 30 years) that make a remarkably smooth cut. Also others that do rapid
rough cuts and others that are specialized in various ways.

Now, if you read that article in Fine Woodworking and then take a look at a
Bosch 1590 you'll find that it is pretty much what their ideal design would
be. Amazon has them in stock for under 150 bucks, which is the same
ballpark as Milwaukee,
DeWalt, and other high quality jigsaws.

In power tools there's no other in which the difference between cheap and
good is so radical as in jigsaws--if it's a tool you use regularly you'll be
very happy that you spent the money.

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

"J. Clarke" wrote in message
...
Doug White wrote:
"Lew Hodgett" wrote in news:4b74ae7d$0$24273
:


"Doug White" wrote:

I'm building a special work bench, using one of Grizzly's 1.5" thick
"butcher block" bench tops. I need to cut two irregular pockets
into one
edge of the bench to mount equipment.
snip

As a point of reference, I have a Bosch 1587 saber saw BUT it would
not be my tool of choice for this task.

I would make a template from 1/4" ply, grab my handy dandy plunge
router equipped with a guide bushing and a 1/2" pattern bit, then go
to work.

If I were to use a saber saw, it would be to cut a hole leaving about
1/2" of material for router clean up.

BTW, great excuse to buy a real saber saw.

Have fun.

I'm actually planning on cleaning up the hole with my router & a
template, but that a lot of hardwood to go through with a router to
cut out the hole to begin with.

I've been looking into the new saw option. Unfortunately, the last
time Fine Woodworking did a thorough comparison was issue #126, which
I figure was about 6 years ago. Even if I still had that issue, it's
seriously out of date.

Bosch seems to be popular, and they have some new "clean" blades that
are supposed to cut really well. The price tag is also impressive,
although the long weekend might produce some good sales.

Bosch has had clean cut blades for as long as I can remember (like, going
back 30 years) that make a remarkably smooth cut. Also others that do
rapid
rough cuts and others that are specialized in various ways.

Now, if you read that article in Fine Woodworking and then take a look at
a
Bosch 1590 you'll find that it is pretty much what their ideal design
would
be. Amazon has them in stock for under 150 bucks, which is the same
ballpark as Milwaukee,
DeWalt, and other high quality jigsaws.

In power tools there's no other in which the difference between cheap and
good is so radical as in jigsaws--if it's a tool you use regularly you'll
be
very happy that you spent the money.

I have the 1584 and a 1591 and I much prefer the older 1584.

Max

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

On Fri, 12 Feb 2010 01:07:15 GMT, Doug White wrote:

I am very happy with my $20 recip saw from good ol' Harbor freight..
Put a decent blade in it, like a dewalt or something, and give your jig saw a
break.. YMWV

I'm building a special work bench, using one of Grizzly's 1.5" thick
"butcher block" bench tops. I need to cut two irregular pockets into one
edge of the bench to mount equipment.

The top is 25" x 48", and way too big (and heavy) to manuever around my
bandsaw. I'm assuming the best approach is to use my trusty ancient B&D
saber saw. I'm wondering which the best sort of blade might be to A)
minimize the load on the saw, and B) minimize the risk of scorching the
maple. I was planning on drilling out the corners to start, which will
keep most of the cuts fairly straight. That way I can use a moderately
wide blade. I've had good luck with a "fleam" ground blade on softer
wood, but I have no idea what it will think of the maple. The saw uses
the the old style blades with a hole, not thenewer Bosch T style.

Alternatively, should I use this as an excuse to buy a super-duper new
saber saw? If so, what should I look for?

Any ideas, warnings or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Doug White


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

On 02/11/2010 09:59 PM, Max wrote:

I have the 1584 and a 1591 and I much prefer the older 1584.

This statement would be a lot more useful to others if you gave some
reasons for the preference.

Chris

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

"J. Clarke" wrote in
:

Doug White wrote:
"Lew Hodgett" wrote in news:4b74ae7d$0$24273
:


"Doug White" wrote:

I'm building a special work bench, using one of Grizzly's 1.5"
thick "butcher block" bench tops. I need to cut two irregular
pockets into one
edge of the bench to mount equipment.
snip

As a point of reference, I have a Bosch 1587 saber saw BUT it would
not be my tool of choice for this task.

I would make a template from 1/4" ply, grab my handy dandy plunge
router equipped with a guide bushing and a 1/2" pattern bit, then go
to work.

If I were to use a saber saw, it would be to cut a hole leaving
about 1/2" of material for router clean up.

BTW, great excuse to buy a real saber saw.

Have fun.

I'm actually planning on cleaning up the hole with my router & a
template, but that a lot of hardwood to go through with a router to
cut out the hole to begin with.

I've been looking into the new saw option. Unfortunately, the last
time Fine Woodworking did a thorough comparison was issue #126, which
I figure was about 6 years ago. Even if I still had that issue, it's
seriously out of date.

Bosch seems to be popular, and they have some new "clean" blades that
are supposed to cut really well. The price tag is also impressive,
although the long weekend might produce some good sales.

Bosch has had clean cut blades for as long as I can remember (like,
going back 30 years) that make a remarkably smooth cut. Also others
that do rapid rough cuts and others that are specialized in various
ways.

Now, if you read that article in Fine Woodworking and then take a look
at a Bosch 1590 you'll find that it is pretty much what their ideal
design would be. Amazon has them in stock for under 150 bucks, which
is the same ballpark as Milwaukee,
DeWalt, and other high quality jigsaws.

In power tools there's no other in which the difference between cheap
and good is so radical as in jigsaws--if it's a tool you use regularly
you'll be very happy that you spent the money.

I looked into buying a 1590 locally (Boston area), and NOBODY has them in
stock. I finally caved & ordered one through Amazon. Ordinarily I
probably would have tried to make due with my old one, but all of the
fancy newer blades (which are supposed to be a big improvement) are in
the Bosch T style mount. I've looked in the local hardware stores, and
the choices for the old style blades with a hole are mostly junk.

As I get older, the vibration from the B&D also gets more wearing. The
Bosch is supposed to be super smooth. It's odd, because I usually find a
lot of mixed opinions when I go tool shopping. The Bosch has the most
unanimous praise of any tool I think I've ever seen.

Thanks!

Doug White

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

On Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:46:14 +0000, Doug White wrote:

As I get older, the vibration from the B&D also gets more wearing. The
Bosch is supposed to be super smooth. It's odd, because I usually find
a lot of mixed opinions when I go tool shopping. The Bosch has the most
unanimous praise of any tool I think I've ever seen.

All I can say is that I replaced a B&D with a Bosch several years ago and
I couldn't believe the difference. They also make a blade with variable
tooth pitch (I can't recall the name) that does a remarkably clean cut
for its aggressiveness.

--
Intelligence is an experiment that failed - G. B. Shaw

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

Doug White wrote:
I'm building a special work bench, using one of Grizzly's 1.5" thick
"butcher block" bench tops. I need to cut two irregular pockets into
one edge of the bench to mount equipment.

The top is 25" x 48", and way too big (and heavy) to manuever around
my bandsaw. I'm assuming the best approach is to use my trusty
ancient B&D saber saw. I'm wondering which the best sort of blade
might be to A) minimize the load on the saw, and B) minimize the risk
of scorching the maple. I was planning on drilling out the corners
to start, which will keep most of the cuts fairly straight. That way
I can use a moderately wide blade. I've had good luck with a "fleam"
ground blade on softer wood, but I have no idea what it will think of
the maple. The saw uses the the old style blades with a hole, not
thenewer Bosch T style.

Alternatively, should I use this as an excuse to buy a super-duper new
saber saw? If so, what should I look for?

Any ideas, warnings or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Doug White

i'd use my tripod drill with a forstner bit.

http://glasscuttingwheels.com/tripod-glass-drill.html

i suppose you don't have a tripod drill. most glass shops have one. they'd
probably drill this out for a few dollars for you.

regards,
charlie
http://glassartists.com/ChaniArts

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

Larry Blanchard wrote:
On Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:46:14 +0000, Doug White wrote:


As I get older, the vibration from the B&D also gets more wearing. The
Bosch is supposed to be super smooth. It's odd, because I usually find
a lot of mixed opinions when I go tool shopping. The Bosch has the most
unanimous praise of any tool I think I've ever seen.


All I can say is that I replaced a B&D with a Bosch several years ago and
I couldn't believe the difference. They also make a blade with variable
tooth pitch (I can't recall the name) that does a remarkably clean cut
for its aggressiveness.


I had and B&D when I used a friend's Bosch. I bought one the next day.

--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

"Chris Friesen" wrote in message
...
On 02/11/2010 09:59 PM, Max wrote:

I have the 1584 and a 1591 and I much prefer the older 1584.

This statement would be a lot more useful to others if you gave some
reasons for the preference.

Chris



The "barrel" of the 1584 is easier to grasp and maneuver for me. I just
like the feel better.
The 1591 has the "blower" feature but I haven't noticed that it has that
much effect.
I have learned over the years that the more "comfortable" a tool feels the
more one enjoys using it.
........YMMV

Max

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

Larry Blanchard wrote in
:

On Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:46:14 +0000, Doug White wrote:

As I get older, the vibration from the B&D also gets more wearing.
The Bosch is supposed to be super smooth. It's odd, because I
usually find a lot of mixed opinions when I go tool shopping. The
Bosch has the most unanimous praise of any tool I think I've ever
seen.

All I can say is that I replaced a B&D with a Bosch several years ago
and I couldn't believe the difference. They also make a blade with
variable tooth pitch (I can't recall the name) that does a remarkably
clean cut for its aggressiveness.

That brings me back to the original question of which blade to use on
1.5" maple. The saw should be here tomorrow, but I was planning on
picking up the blades for the maple locally. They have roughly 40
options for wood:

http://www.boschtools.com/Products/A...ccessoryDetail
..aspx?pid=327

The working length of even the shortest ones will be OK, so that's not an
issue. They have a 4" "Speed for hardwood" blade that sounds
interesting. They also have "clean for wood" blades, as well as
"Precision" blades. The ones that are supposed to be splinter-free on
both sides are supposedly only for up to 3/4" thick, which is a good bit
less than the listed working length.

Anyone care to help whittle this down?

Thanks!

Doug White

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

Doug White writes:
I'm building a special work bench, using one of Grizzly's 1.5" thick
"butcher block" bench tops. I need to cut two irregular pockets into one
edge of the bench to mount equipment.

The top is 25" x 48", and way too big (and heavy) to manuever around my
bandsaw. I'm assuming the best approach is to use my trusty ancient B&D
saber saw. I'm wondering which the best sort of blade might be to A)
minimize the load on the saw, and B) minimize the risk of scorching the
maple. I was planning on drilling out the corners to start, which will
keep most of the cuts fairly straight. That way I can use a moderately
wide blade. I've had good luck with a "fleam" ground blade on softer
wood, but I have no idea what it will think of the maple. The saw uses
the the old style blades with a hole, not thenewer Bosch T style.

Alternatively, should I use this as an excuse to buy a super-duper new
saber saw? If so, what should I look for?

Any ideas, warnings or suggestions would be appreciated.

I'd handsaw the end crosscuts, then handsaw (or sabersaw) a series
of crosscuts between them and chisel out the waste.

scott

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

On 2/12/10 11:30 AM, Doug White wrote:
That brings me back to the original question of which blade to use on
1.5" maple. The saw should be here tomorrow, but I was planning on
picking up the blades for the maple locally. They have roughly 40
options for wood:

http://www.boschtools.com/Products/A...ccessoryDetail
.aspx?pid=327


Doug White


Do you have a router?
If so, I wouldn't worry about clean, I would go for fast...big
aggressive teeth.
Make a rough cutout, and a final, clean cut with the router.


--

-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

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

On Feb 11, 5:07*pm, Doug White wrote:
I'm building a special work bench, using one of Grizzly's 1.5" thick
"butcher block" bench tops. *I need to cut two irregular pockets into one
edge of the bench to mount equipment.

Treat it like a mortise; you can auger near the edges of the cutout,
use a
keyhole saw to connect the dots, then finish with a chisel. Power
tools
are OK, but sharp chisels make big chips and work fast.

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

On Fri, 12 Feb 2010 12:10:19 -0500, Nova wrote:

Larry Blanchard wrote:
On Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:46:14 +0000, Doug White wrote:


As I get older, the vibration from the B&D also gets more wearing. The
Bosch is supposed to be super smooth. It's odd, because I usually find
a lot of mixed opinions when I go tool shopping. The Bosch has the most
unanimous praise of any tool I think I've ever seen.


All I can say is that I replaced a B&D with a Bosch several years ago and
I couldn't believe the difference. They also make a blade with variable
tooth pitch (I can't recall the name) that does a remarkably clean cut
for its aggressiveness.


I had and B&D when I used a friend's Bosch. I bought one the next day.

I had a Crapsman that I hated from the day I bought it. Two years ago
I bought a 1590 and didn't use it for a year. When I finally got to a
project that I really needed a jig saw I dreaded taking the thing out.
What a surprise! I don't dread using a jig saw anymore. ;-)

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

-MIKE- wrote in
:

On 2/12/10 11:30 AM, Doug White wrote:
That brings me back to the original question of which blade to use on
1.5" maple. The saw should be here tomorrow, but I was planning on
picking up the blades for the maple locally. They have roughly 40
options for wood:

http://www.boschtools.com/Products/A...chAccessoryDet
ail .aspx?pid=327


Doug White


Do you have a router?
If so, I wouldn't worry about clean, I would go for fast...big
aggressive teeth.
Make a rough cutout, and a final, clean cut with the router.

That's the plan, but my router is an old Porter Cable that works fine,
but isn't up to hogging out a ton of maple. My hope was to cut it
reasonably close (within a 1/16th of an inch or so) with the saw, and
then just clean things up with the router. My concern with "big
aggressive teeth" is that it will be easy to overcut, and it will have
more chipout & splinters to deal with.

I'm off to the hardware store to buy mousetraps, and will check out their
blades while I'm there. Nothing like a first hand look to help narrow
the field.

Doug White

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

"Doug White" wrote:

That's the plan, but my router is an old Porter Cable that works
fine,
but isn't up to hogging out a ton of maple. My hope was to cut it
reasonably close (within a 1/16th of an inch or so) with the saw,
and
then just clean things up with the router.
snip

If that P/C router can't handle cleaning up at least 1/4" of maple per
pass, probably time to look at a replacement.

Lew

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

On 2/12/10 2:29 PM, Doug White wrote:
Do you have a router?
If so, I wouldn't worry about clean, I would go for fast...big
aggressive teeth.
Make a rough cutout, and a final, clean cut with the router.

That's the plan, but my router is an old Porter Cable that works fine,
but isn't up to hogging out a ton of maple. My hope was to cut it
reasonably close (within a 1/16th of an inch or so) with the saw, and
then just clean things up with the router. My concern with "big
aggressive teeth" is that it will be easy to overcut, and it will have
more chipout& splinters to deal with.

I'm off to the hardware store to buy mousetraps, and will check out their
blades while I'm there. Nothing like a first hand look to help narrow
the field.

Doug White

I wouldn't worry about getting it super close. 1/8-1/4" should be fine.
In my experience, any router with a decent straight bit can easily cut
1/2 the radius in one pass. If you have a 1/2" chuck and 1/2" bit,
1/4" will be butter, even in maple that deep.

If you're concerned with tear-out, cut from the bottom.


--

-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

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

On 2/12/10 2:42 PM, Lew Hodgett wrote:
"Doug White" wrote:

That's the plan, but my router is an old Porter Cable that works
fine,
but isn't up to hogging out a ton of maple. My hope was to cut it
reasonably close (within a 1/16th of an inch or so) with the saw,
and
then just clean things up with the router.
snip

If that P/C router can't handle cleaning up at least 1/4" of maple per
pass, probably time to look at a replacement.

Lew


Oops, ya beat me to it. :-)


--

-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

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in news:4b75bd1c$0$9307
:


"Doug White" wrote:

That's the plan, but my router is an old Porter Cable that works
fine,
but isn't up to hogging out a ton of maple. My hope was to cut it
reasonably close (within a 1/16th of an inch or so) with the saw,
and
then just clean things up with the router.
snip

If that P/C router can't handle cleaning up at least 1/4" of maple per
pass, probably time to look at a replacement.

Haven't tried it yet, but 1.5 inches of butcher block maple isn't like
routing oak or walnut. This stuff is HARD. My Porter Cable is a 25 year
old 1 1/2 hp router. It's a good router, but it's no match for the 3
horse monsters folks sell these days.

Having just shelled out for a new jigsaw, I don't think I can justify
getting a new router. I'll just have to nibble away at it with my feeble
old Porter Cable....

Doug White

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

On Fri, 12 Feb 2010 22:34:01 GMT, Doug White
wrote:

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in news:4b75bd1c$0$9307
:


"Doug White" wrote:

That's the plan, but my router is an old Porter Cable that works
fine,
but isn't up to hogging out a ton of maple. My hope was to cut it
reasonably close (within a 1/16th of an inch or so) with the saw,
and
then just clean things up with the router.
snip

If that P/C router can't handle cleaning up at least 1/4" of maple per
pass, probably time to look at a replacement.

Haven't tried it yet, but 1.5 inches of butcher block maple isn't like
routing oak or walnut. This stuff is HARD. My Porter Cable is a 25 year
old 1 1/2 hp router. It's a good router, but it's no match for the 3
horse monsters folks sell these days.

I've never had any trouble with my PC690. I have the 'D' handle base
and it's been a very good hand-held tool. The 3-HP monsters are good
in tables but too much to handle, IMO.

Having just shelled out for a new jigsaw, I don't think I can justify
getting a new router. I'll just have to nibble away at it with my feeble
old Porter Cable....

As Lew suggests, just put a sharp bit in it and go easy.

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

"Doug White" wrote


Having just shelled out for a new jigsaw, I don't think I can justify
getting a new router. I'll just have to nibble away at it with my feeble
old Porter Cable....

Doug White


The cuts for the ornamentation in this table were made with this sabre saw
and the blades shown.
http://picasaweb.google.com/contrari...00212SabreSaw#

No splinters. *very* little sanding required.

Max

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

Doug White wrote:
Larry Blanchard wrote in
:

On Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:46:14 +0000, Doug White wrote:

As I get older, the vibration from the B&D also gets more wearing.
The Bosch is supposed to be super smooth. It's odd, because I
usually find a lot of mixed opinions when I go tool shopping. The
Bosch has the most unanimous praise of any tool I think I've ever
seen.

All I can say is that I replaced a B&D with a Bosch several years ago
and I couldn't believe the difference. They also make a blade with
variable tooth pitch (I can't recall the name) that does a remarkably
clean cut for its aggressiveness.

That brings me back to the original question of which blade to use on
1.5" maple. The saw should be here tomorrow, but I was planning on
picking up the blades for the maple locally. They have roughly 40
options for wood:

http://www.boschtools.com/Products/A...ccessoryDetail
.aspx?pid=327

The working length of even the shortest ones will be OK, so that's
not an issue. They have a 4" "Speed for hardwood" blade that sounds
interesting. They also have "clean for wood" blades, as well as
"Precision" blades. The ones that are supposed to be splinter-free on
both sides are supposedly only for up to 3/4" thick, which is a good
bit less than the listed working length.

Anyone care to help whittle this down?

I'd go with the T101DP, T144DP, T344DP (note--the "P" matters). The thinner
blades can wander a bit in angle in thick material, that one is designed to
be stiff enough to not have that problem. Beyond that, get a 5 or 10 piece
blade assortment and a 3 piece assortment and experiment and you'll get an
idea what the different blades do.


Thanks!

Doug White

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

"Max" wrote in
:

"Doug White" wrote


Having just shelled out for a new jigsaw, I don't think I can justify
getting a new router. I'll just have to nibble away at it with my
feeble old Porter Cable....

Doug White


The cuts for the ornamentation in this table were made with this sabre
saw and the blades shown.
http://picasaweb.google.com/contrari...00212SabreSaw#

No splinters. *very* little sanding required.

Excellent. I just picked up a pack to T101BR blades, which are very
similar.

Doug White

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

The cuts for the ornamentation in this table were made with this sabre
saw and the blades shown.
http://picasaweb.google.com/contrari...00212SabreSaw#

No splinters. *very* little sanding required.

Max


I don't know who makes them but the Bosch blades I've used have
consistently been the best.


--

-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

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

On 2/12/10 8:29 PM, Doug White wrote:

Excellent. I just picked up a pack to T101BR blades, which are very
similar.

Doug White

I was going to suggest a reverse cut blade, but didn't know how much
experience you have with a jigsaw.

Normal, up-cut blades will pull the saw down tight against the surface
of whatever you're cutting. Reverse blades will push the saw up, away
from the surface. It can really catch you off guard. Make sure to push
down on the saw when running.


--

-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

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

"-MIKE-" wrote in message
...
The cuts for the ornamentation in this table were made with this sabre
saw and the blades shown.
http://picasaweb.google.com/contrari...00212SabreSaw#

No splinters. *very* little sanding required.

Max


I don't know who makes them but the Bosch blades I've used have
consistently been the best.


--

-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



I have also had good results with Lennox blades.

Max

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

"-MIKE-" wrote in message
...
On 2/12/10 8:29 PM, Doug White wrote:

Excellent. I just picked up a pack to T101BR blades, which are very
similar.

Doug White

I was going to suggest a reverse cut blade, but didn't know how much
experience you have with a jigsaw.

Normal, up-cut blades will pull the saw down tight against the surface of
whatever you're cutting. Reverse blades will push the saw up, away from
the surface. It can really catch you off guard. Make sure to push down
on the saw when running.


--

-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



Good advice. Another caution: It's easy to push the saw to one side or the
other while cutting, causing the blade to bend and you end up with an angled
cut. I used to wonder why it was happening to me and realized that in
attempting to follow a line, instead of "steering" the saw I tended to push
it slightly side ways. "Steer" the saw by moving the tail end.

Max (I hope that makes sense)

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

I don't know who makes them but the Bosch blades I've used have
consistently been the best.


I have also had good results with Lennox blades.

Max


I bet they're made by the same company.


--

-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

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

On 2/12/10 9:14 PM, Max wrote:
Good advice. Another caution: It's easy to push the saw to one side or
the other while cutting, causing the blade to bend and you end up with
an angled cut. I used to wonder why it was happening to me and realized
that in attempting to follow a line, instead of "steering" the saw I
tended to push it slightly side ways. "Steer" the saw by moving the tail
end.

Max (I hope that makes sense)


Makes perfect sense. There should be less tendency for an angled cut
with these blades. IIRC, down-cut blades are thicker than normal to
prevent bowing/bending because the stress is in the push stroke.


--

-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

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

Try before buying...most rental tool places carry the Bosch, which
is the king of jig saws in my opinion.

Doug White wrote:
I'm building a special work bench, using one of Grizzly's 1.5" thick
"butcher block" bench tops. I need to cut two irregular pockets into one
edge of the bench to mount equipment.

Alternatively, should I use this as an excuse to buy a super-duper new
saber saw? If so, what should I look for?

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

Doug White wrote:
: Anyone care to help whittle this down?

Bosch introducd a ne line in 2008 (one of many review links is below),
and they really are the best blades by far I've ever used. Really
clean cuts, top and bottom.

http://www.newwoodworker.com/reviews/bt308brvu.html

-- Ady Barss

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

Doug White wrote in
:

"Max" wrote in
:

"Doug White" wrote


Having just shelled out for a new jigsaw, I don't think I can justify
getting a new router. I'll just have to nibble away at it with my
feeble old Porter Cable....

Doug White


The cuts for the ornamentation in this table were made with this sabre
saw and the blades shown.
http://picasaweb.google.com/contrari...00212SabreSaw#

No splinters. *very* little sanding required.

Excellent. I just picked up a pack to T101BR blades, which are very
similar.

I just fired up my new Bosch saw with the T101BR blades for the first
time. The maple bench top will have to wait until next weekend, but I
used the saw on some Melamine laminate shelves this afternoon.

WOW! The saw is fantastic, and the blades are amazing. I could very
easily cut with far greater precision than I ever imagined possible with
a saber saw. The noise & vibration were much less than with my ancient
Black & Decker. The "clean" blades worked great, with almost zero chip-
out on the thin Melamine.

I can see this combination being used for all sorts of things.

Doug White

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

BTW, great excuse to buy a real saber saw.

Have fun.

Lew

ditto... the b+d will never cut 1.5 inches perpendicular - the bottom
of the cut will be wavy.

bosch for saw and blade is the way to go.

shelly

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

On Feb 12, 12:30*pm, Doug White wrote:
Larry Blanchard wrote :

On Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:46:14 +0000, Doug White wrote:

As I get older, the vibration from the B&D also gets more wearing.
The Bosch is supposed to be super smooth. *It's odd, because I
usually find a lot of mixed opinions when I go tool shopping. *The
Bosch has the most unanimous praise of any tool I think I've ever
seen.

All I can say is that I replaced a B&D with a Bosch several years ago
and I couldn't believe the difference. *They also make a blade with
variable tooth pitch (I can't recall the name) that does a remarkably
clean cut for its aggressiveness.

That brings me back to the original question of which blade to use on
1.5" maple. *The saw should be here tomorrow, but I was planning on
picking up the blades for the maple locally. *They have roughly 40
options for wood:

http://www.boschtools.com/Products/A...schAccessoryDe...
.aspx?pid=327

The working length of even the shortest ones will be OK, so that's not an
issue. *They have a 4" "Speed for hardwood" blade that sounds
interesting. *They also have "clean for wood" blades, as well as
"Precision" blades. *The ones that are supposed to be splinter-free on
both sides are supposedly only for up to 3/4" thick, which is a good bit
less than the listed working length.

Anyone care to help whittle this down?

Thanks!

Doug White

get a blade w/lotsa teeth, and go slowly. Put a piece of plywood under
the bench to avoid tearout on the bottom. get a 3" blade

shelly

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

On Feb 12, 5:34*pm, Doug White wrote:
"Lew Hodgett" wrote in news:4b75bd1c$0$9307
:



"Doug White" wrote:

That's the plan, but my router is an old Porter Cable that works
fine,
but isn't up to hogging out a ton of maple. *My hope was to cut it
reasonably close (within a 1/16th of an inch or so) with the saw,
and
then just clean things up with the router.
snip

If that P/C router can't handle cleaning up at least 1/4" of maple per
pass, probably time to look at a replacement.

Haven't tried it yet, but 1.5 inches of butcher block maple isn't like
routing oak or walnut. *This stuff is HARD. *My Porter Cable is a 25 year
old 1 1/2 hp router. *It's a good router, but it's no match for the 3
horse monsters folks sell these days.

Having just shelled out for a new jigsaw, I don't think I can justify
getting a new router. *I'll just have to nibble away at it with my feeble
old Porter Cable....

Doug White

It would be more helpful, and save our time, if you just posted your
financial particulars. that way we could help you make good FINANCIAL
tool decisions as well - maybe even a whole new shop to go with the
new bench!

shelly

Best Saber Saw Blade for 1.5" Maple Bench Top?
 

wrote in message
...

BTW, great excuse to buy a real saber saw.

Have fun.

Lew

ditto... the b+d will never cut 1.5 inches perpendicular - the
bottom
of the cut will be wavy.

bosch for saw and blade is the way to go.

shelly

I have the 18v DeWalt jigsaw and use the Bosch blades. It's one
fine combination.

--
Nonny
When we talk to God, we're praying,
but when God talks to us,
we're schizophrenic.
What's the deal?