Anybody use CMT saw blades a lot. Love em, hate em?

Woodline USA, which is right down the road from me, has started carrying
them and has good prices. They seem to run a good amount below the
equivalent Freud and Forrest models.



--

-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

In article , -MIKE-
wrote:

Anybody use CMT saw blades a lot. Love em, hate em?

Woodline USA, which is right down the road from me, has started carrying
them and has good prices. They seem to run a good amount below the
equivalent Freud and Forrest models.

I'm going to pick up an 8" 24-tooth CMT dado set later today. May use
it over the weekend (have to cut an insert for the saw first). If I do,
I'll post my impressions.

--
Woodworking and more at http://www.woodenwabbits.com

On Oct 14, 10:47*am, -MIKE- wrote:
Anybody use CMT saw blades a lot. * Love em, hate em?

Woodline USA, which is right down the road from me, has started carrying
them and has good prices. *They seem to run a good amount below the
equivalent Freud and Forrest models.

I see them in lots of commercial shops. I used them a few times and
never noticed any downside. I did see them go through a few sharpening
cycles and they still cut fine for me when I grabbed one.

Fully realising I am about to commit heresy of the first order, I am going
to charge ahead anyway :-)

I use a blade from Harbor Freight, that costs under $20 and I have seen it
on sale. Its their 50 tooth C3 blade. The cross cuts are very smooth and
the rips are also good.

Considering the cost, its almost as cheap to get a new blade as have it
sharpened.

I know, I know. But for 20 bucks, it could at least be your green wood and
treated wood blade.

Deb



-MIKE- wrote:

Anybody use CMT saw blades a lot. Love em, hate em?

Woodline USA, which is right down the road from me, has started carrying
them and has good prices. They seem to run a good amount below the
equivalent Freud and Forrest models.

On Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:47:55 -0500, -MIKE- wrote:

Anybody use CMT saw blades a lot. Love em, hate em?

Woodline USA, which is right down the road from me, has started carrying
them and has good prices. They seem to run a good amount below the
equivalent Freud and Forrest models.

Earlier in the summer I picked up three CMT blades (brand new in original
package) at a yard sale. I paid $10 each. About 10 days ago I pulled my
Forrest WW2 off to send it back for resharpening and stuck a 50T combo ATBR CMT
model 215.050.10 on in its place.

It is a piece of ****.

Solid pine, oak, poplar crosscuts are all hairy. Poplar and pine rips are very
fuzzy. There is heavy chipping to 3/8 inch on the bottom side of 1/2 inch
Baltic Birch and plenty of fuzz where there is no chipping. The BB has to be
scored first, then cut to reduce the tearout, and there is still some chipout
and fuzz.

I don't have a ZCI on the saw, but never needed it with the WW2. I played with
the CMT blade for about an hour then said screw it since I was partway through a
project and put the WW2 back on. It's still dull, but even so it cuts much
better than the CMT blade using the same solid wood and BB ply used to test the
CMT. The Freud Diablo blades ($30 at the Borg) are much better than this CMT
blade.

The other two CMT blades I have are 251.042.10 "General Purpose" blade and
210.080.10 "Melamine and Fine Cut Off" blade. I have not used either of these
yet, but have the sneaking suspicion a fool and his money have been parted when
it comes to CMT saw blades.

If I complete the work in progress while weekend warrioring the next few days I
will try to drop these other two blades into the TS and see if the other one is
just a bad blade or if the whole line is a POS. This is my first experience
with a CMT saw blade and you can tell I'm underwhelmed. Probably ok for cutting
up PT crap and boards with staples, sand and grit embedded.

To the OP: Just go buy yourself a Forrest WW2. Buy the best and only cry
(whine, bitch and moan) once. I may just take a leaf out of Leon's book and buy
a second WW2 to be my backup blade while the other one is being sharpened. I've
wasted more than the price of a WW2 buying other cheaper blades over the years,
and they have just about all been disappointments. I'd have been money ahead to
just buy two of them years ago.

Regards,
Roy

Fully realising I am about to commit heresy of the first order, I am going
to charge ahead anyway :-)

I use a blade from Harbor Freight, that costs under $20 and I have seen it
on sale. Its their 50 tooth C3 blade. The cross cuts are very smooth and
the rips are also good.

Considering the cost, its almost as cheap to get a new blade as have it
sharpened.

I know, I know. But for 20 bucks, it could at least be your green wood and
treated wood blade.

Deb


Thank you for that very helpful and insightful information didn't
address my question in the slightest bit.


--

-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

On 10/14/11 7:01 PM, Roy wrote:
On Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:47:55 -0500, wrote:

Anybody use CMT saw blades a lot. Love em, hate em?

Woodline USA, which is right down the road from me, has started carrying
them and has good prices. They seem to run a good amount below the
equivalent Freud and Forrest models.

Earlier in the summer I picked up three CMT blades (brand new in original
package) at a yard sale. I paid $10 each. About 10 days ago I pulled my
Forrest WW2 off to send it back for resharpening and stuck a 50T combo ATBR CMT
model 215.050.10 on in its place.

It is a piece of ****.

Solid pine, oak, poplar crosscuts are all hairy. Poplar and pine rips are very
fuzzy. There is heavy chipping to 3/8 inch on the bottom side of 1/2 inch
Baltic Birch and plenty of fuzz where there is no chipping. The BB has to be
scored first, then cut to reduce the tearout, and there is still some chipout
and fuzz.

I don't have a ZCI on the saw, but never needed it with the WW2. I played with
the CMT blade for about an hour then said screw it since I was partway through a
project and put the WW2 back on. It's still dull, but even so it cuts much
better than the CMT blade using the same solid wood and BB ply used to test the
CMT. The Freud Diablo blades ($30 at the Borg) are much better than this CMT
blade.

The other two CMT blades I have are 251.042.10 "General Purpose" blade and
210.080.10 "Melamine and Fine Cut Off" blade. I have not used either of these
yet, but have the sneaking suspicion a fool and his money have been parted when
it comes to CMT saw blades.

If I complete the work in progress while weekend warrioring the next few days I
will try to drop these other two blades into the TS and see if the other one is
just a bad blade or if the whole line is a POS. This is my first experience
with a CMT saw blade and you can tell I'm underwhelmed. Probably ok for cutting
up PT crap and boards with staples, sand and grit embedded.

To the OP: Just go buy yourself a Forrest WW2. Buy the best and only cry
(whine, bitch and moan) once. I may just take a leaf out of Leon's book and buy
a second WW2 to be my backup blade while the other one is being sharpened. I've
wasted more than the price of a WW2 buying other cheaper blades over the years,
and they have just about all been disappointments. I'd have been money ahead to
just buy two of them years ago.

Regards,
Roy


Thanks. Good advice.



--

-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

On 10/14/2011 7:01 PM, Roy wrote:
On Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:47:55 -0500, wrote:

Anybody use CMT saw blades a lot. Love em, hate em?

Woodline USA, which is right down the road from me, has started carrying
them and has good prices. They seem to run a good amount below the
equivalent Freud and Forrest models.

Earlier in the summer I picked up three CMT blades (brand new in original
package) at a yard sale. I paid $10 each. About 10 days ago I pulled my
Forrest WW2 off to send it back for resharpening and stuck a 50T combo ATBR CMT
model 215.050.10 on in its place.

It is a piece of ****.

Solid pine, oak, poplar crosscuts are all hairy. Poplar and pine rips are very
fuzzy. There is heavy chipping to 3/8 inch on the bottom side of 1/2 inch
Baltic Birch and plenty of fuzz where there is no chipping. The BB has to be
scored first, then cut to reduce the tearout, and there is still some chipout
and fuzz.

I don't have a ZCI on the saw, but never needed it with the WW2. I played with
the CMT blade for about an hour then said screw it since I was partway through a
project and put the WW2 back on. It's still dull, but even so it cuts much
better than the CMT blade using the same solid wood and BB ply used to test the
CMT. The Freud Diablo blades ($30 at the Borg) are much better than this CMT
blade.

The other two CMT blades I have are 251.042.10 "General Purpose" blade and
210.080.10 "Melamine and Fine Cut Off" blade. I have not used either of these
yet, but have the sneaking suspicion a fool and his money have been parted when
it comes to CMT saw blades.

If I complete the work in progress while weekend warrioring the next few days I
will try to drop these other two blades into the TS and see if the other one is
just a bad blade or if the whole line is a POS. This is my first experience
with a CMT saw blade and you can tell I'm underwhelmed. Probably ok for cutting
up PT crap and boards with staples, sand and grit embedded.

To the OP: Just go buy yourself a Forrest WW2. Buy the best and only cry
(whine, bitch and moan) once. I may just take a leaf out of Leon's book and buy
a second WW2 to be my backup blade while the other one is being sharpened. I've
wasted more than the price of a WW2 buying other cheaper blades over the years,
and they have just about all been disappointments. I'd have been money ahead to
just buy two of them years ago.


LOL, Now let me talk you into maybe getting a 3rd. ;~) I now have 3,
"thanks you Swingman". I sent my oldest back to Forrest and had a flat
grind added to the resharpening process. I do a lot of groves and stub
tennon joints when making paneled cabinet doors, the flat grind makes a
great flat bottom cut.

On 10/15/2011 12:43 PM, Leon wrote:
On 10/14/2011 7:01 PM, Roy wrote:


To the OP: Just go buy yourself a Forrest WW2. Buy the best and only cry
(whine, bitch and moan) once. I may just take a leaf out of Leon's
book and buy
a second WW2 to be my backup blade while the other one is being
sharpened. I've
wasted more than the price of a WW2 buying other cheaper blades over
the years,
and they have just about all been disappointments. I'd have been money
ahead to
just buy two of them years ago.


LOL, Now let me talk you into maybe getting a 3rd. ;~) I now have 3,
"thanks you Swingman". I sent my oldest back to Forrest and had a flat
grind added to the resharpening process. I do a lot of groves and stub
tennon joints when making paneled cabinet doors, the flat grind makes a
great flat bottom cut.

In spite of that little circumstance, I still owe you, Bubba! ....

--
www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

On 10/15/2011 12:49 PM, Swingman wrote:
On 10/15/2011 12:43 PM, Leon wrote:
On 10/14/2011 7:01 PM, Roy wrote:


To the OP: Just go buy yourself a Forrest WW2. Buy the best and only cry
(whine, bitch and moan) once. I may just take a leaf out of Leon's
book and buy
a second WW2 to be my backup blade while the other one is being
sharpened. I've
wasted more than the price of a WW2 buying other cheaper blades over
the years,
and they have just about all been disappointments. I'd have been money
ahead to
just buy two of them years ago.


LOL, Now let me talk you into maybe getting a 3rd. ;~) I now have 3,
"thanks you Swingman". I sent my oldest back to Forrest and had a flat
grind added to the resharpening process. I do a lot of groves and stub
tennon joints when making paneled cabinet doors, the flat grind makes a
great flat bottom cut.

In spite of that little circumstance, I still owe you, Bubba! ....


Hockey puck! There was more to it than just that blade.

On 10/14/2011 3:12 PM, Dave Balderstone wrote:
In ,
wrote:

Anybody use CMT saw blades a lot. Love em, hate em?

Woodline USA, which is right down the road from me, has started carrying
them and has good prices. They seem to run a good amount below the
equivalent Freud and Forrest models.

I'm going to pick up an 8" 24-tooth CMT dado set later today. May use
it over the weekend (have to cut an insert for the saw first). If I do,
I'll post my impressions.

I hope it's better than my 8" Freud Dado set I bought earlier this year.
I hate that sucker.

--
Jack
Add Life to your Days not Days to your Life.
http://jbstein.com

On 10/18/11 11:24 AM, Jack wrote:
I hope it's better than my 8" Freud Dado set I bought earlier this year.
I hate that sucker.


I bought a set and it worked great... perfectly flat bottoms.... for a
while. Now the bottoms are stair stepped.
I emailed the company... no reply.


--

-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

On 10/18/2011 11:59 AM, -MIKE- wrote:
On 10/18/11 11:24 AM, Jack wrote:
I hope it's better than my 8" Freud Dado set I bought earlier this year.
I hate that sucker.


I bought a set and it worked great... perfectly flat bottoms.... for a
while. Now the bottoms are stair stepped.
I emailed the company... no reply.

Flat then not? Any broken teeth or arbor hole that is no longer 5/8"

OR could the blade be thin enough to be falling down in the thread of
the arbor?

On Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:52:39 -0500, Leon lcb11211@swbelldotnet
wrote:

On 10/18/2011 11:59 AM, -MIKE- wrote:
On 10/18/11 11:24 AM, Jack wrote:
I hope it's better than my 8" Freud Dado set I bought earlier this year.
I hate that sucker.


I bought a set and it worked great... perfectly flat bottoms.... for a
while. Now the bottoms are stair stepped.
I emailed the company... no reply.

Flat then not? Any broken teeth or arbor hole that is no longer 5/8"

OR could the blade be thin enough to be falling down in the thread of
the arbor?

Yeah, did a big amount of vibration show up at the same time it went
to stairsteps?

--
Good ideas alter the power balance in relationships, that is why
good ideas are always initially resisted. Good ideas come with a
heavy burden. Which is why so few people have them. So few people
can handle it.
-- Hugh Macleod

On 10/18/11 1:52 PM, Leon wrote:
On 10/18/2011 11:59 AM, -MIKE- wrote:
On 10/18/11 11:24 AM, Jack wrote:
I hope it's better than my 8" Freud Dado set I bought earlier this year.
I hate that sucker.


I bought a set and it worked great... perfectly flat bottoms.... for a
while. Now the bottoms are stair stepped.
I emailed the company... no reply.

Flat then not? Any broken teeth or arbor hole that is no longer 5/8"


No broken teeth. I can't imagine the hole growing. :-)


OR could the blade be thin enough to be falling down in the thread of
the arbor?


Arbor is plenty long enough to have blades sitting on un-threaded
portion, I believe.
In either case, the blades are pretty thick and would sit across several
threads.


--

-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

On 10/18/11 2:20 PM, Larry Jaques wrote:
On Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:52:39 -0500, Leonlcb11211@swbelldotnet
wrote:

On 10/18/2011 11:59 AM, -MIKE- wrote:
On 10/18/11 11:24 AM, Jack wrote:
I hope it's better than my 8" Freud Dado set I bought earlier this year.
I hate that sucker.


I bought a set and it worked great... perfectly flat bottoms.... for a
while. Now the bottoms are stair stepped.
I emailed the company... no reply.

Flat then not? Any broken teeth or arbor hole that is no longer 5/8"

OR could the blade be thin enough to be falling down in the thread of
the arbor?

Yeah, did a big amount of vibration show up at the same time it went
to stairsteps?


Nope.


--

-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

On 10/18/2011 2:32 PM, -MIKE- wrote:
On 10/18/11 1:52 PM, Leon wrote:
On 10/18/2011 11:59 AM, -MIKE- wrote:
On 10/18/11 11:24 AM, Jack wrote:
I hope it's better than my 8" Freud Dado set I bought earlier this
year.
I hate that sucker.


I bought a set and it worked great... perfectly flat bottoms.... for a
while. Now the bottoms are stair stepped.
I emailed the company... no reply.

Flat then not? Any broken teeth or arbor hole that is no longer 5/8"


No broken teeth. I can't imagine the hole growing. :-)


OR could the blade be thin enough to be falling down in the thread of
the arbor?


Arbor is plenty long enough to have blades sitting on un-threaded
portion, I believe.
In either case, the blades are pretty thick and would sit across several
threads.

Sounds like the hole on one, or more, of the chippers is no longer
concentric. Doesn't take much wear to do that, and considering the
quality, or lack thereof, of steel products these days ...

--
www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

On 10/18/2011 12:59 PM, -MIKE- wrote:
On 10/18/11 11:24 AM, Jack wrote:
I hope it's better than my 8" Freud Dado set I bought earlier this year.
I hate that sucker.


I bought a set and it worked great... perfectly flat bottoms.... for a
while. Now the bottoms are stair stepped.
I emailed the company... no reply.

Mine never was "perfectly" flat, but neither was my old set. There are
other things I don't like about them. My old 40 year old 7" set, which
was not carbide was easier to set up, and cut just as well. I should of
bought the 6" set of Olson or got my old set sharpened again. My Freud
set is the "cheap" $100 set, not the expensive set. It was however my
first, and last, Freud purchase.

--
Jack
Add Life to your Days not Days to your Life.
http://jbstein.com

On Wed, 19 Oct 2011 10:28:54 -0400, Jack wrote:

On 10/18/2011 12:59 PM, -MIKE- wrote:
On 10/18/11 11:24 AM, Jack wrote:
I hope it's better than my 8" Freud Dado set I bought earlier this year.
I hate that sucker.


I bought a set and it worked great... perfectly flat bottoms.... for a
while. Now the bottoms are stair stepped.
I emailed the company... no reply.

Mine never was "perfectly" flat, but neither was my old set. There are
other things I don't like about them. My old 40 year old 7" set, which
was not carbide was easier to set up, and cut just as well. I should of
bought the 6" set of Olson or got my old set sharpened again. My Freud
set is the "cheap" $100 set, not the expensive set. It was however my
first, and last, Freud purchase.

I have a Freud set that I now use for dimensional lumber and MDF. It's OK,
but certainly not perfect. I recently bought the Forrest 8" set. Yes, there
is a difference. ;-)