blades for cutting frames

[Grandpaw]

I want to start making my own custom frames and need a 10inch blade for my saw. I was wondering if any of you would have a recommendation of which blade to get and where you would suggest buying it from, Jeff

[freygr]

I'm using a 90 tooth combo blade in my compound miter saw. It was not cheap, and I had to sharpen it once when the kits used it on progo flooring. But I paid over $70 of it, and it gives glass like cut surfaces.

[drg]

I use a Makita Tungsten Carbide Tipped tooth blade that is designed to cut everything from wood to soft steel. Big wide spaces and set welded teeth means a wide cut but each tooth can be honed and it makes ultra smooth cuts in aluminum channel as well as woods and composites. It is a production blade built for home builders that came from the contract supplier I know who works for a local lumber yard/materials supplier. You can even cut copper pipe with the thing. $75-90 roughly these days. It is a 32 or 36 tooth blade. I'll look later.

I've used the same one for several years and not had to sharpen it. It only cuts framing materials as that saw and table are set up just for frames and moldings. A similar blade used to cut aluminum siding, PVC and Copper pipes during the last great remodeling is sill quite sharp and serviceable, but doesn't produce quite as smooth a cut any more.

I've pretty much used DeWalt Carbide blades in my smaller saws as they just run for ever. If you hit a nail or a knot it just goes through them with only a minor hitch at most. Safer.

The finer tooth blades (higher tooth count) are usually a little less expensive but I don't care for them in a sliding compound saw as the want to bind in some materials like plastics because they clog up.

I run the edges across a high speed belt sander after cutting to remove remaining burrs.

[jetrim]

The smoothest cuts are achieved with a 5 deg negative bevel, they're especially good when working with prefinished materials. As a general rule of thumb, more teeth is better than less (60t min.) and carbide is an absolute necessity. Talk to a local cabinetmaker about where he gets his stuff or look for a saw sharpening shop in your town - they'll usually have new and rebuilt blades for sale along with with their sharpening services. The blade you're looking for will not be found in Home Depot, Lowe's, or the neighborhood hardware store. Others have mentioned prices ranging from $75.00-90.00 this is the bargain basement end of the spectrum (not that you need to spend $600+ on a hobby blade, but just to alleviate a bit of the sticker shock)

[Grandpaw]

Thanks freygr, drg, and jetrim for you responces. I was thinking of a blade in the 80 to 100 tooth range would do it at a price range of $100.00 or less. Thanks again to everyone for your input, Jeff

[drg]

I got to thinking about what is on the big saw and actually went and looked. Should have done that in the first place!

It has a 64 tooth blade with 2 tooth gaps every 8 teeth so it cuts as if it were an 80 tooth blade. Carbon tips and inserts. They come in three packs for industrial use from Makita and are nearly $100 each now. I called the supplier!

I have a finishing table saw with a special 6 inch blade from Makita that has a 32 tooth blade that I may have been thinking of originally. Those little jewels aren't cheap either. There's a 150th tooth 7 1/2 blade in my arsenal (carbon steel) that I recall took forever to cut something but it was almost as smooth as the carbide blades. Maybe less tear out in certain woods??

The Miter Saw/Compound/Radial approach to frame making lets you cut the complimentary angles of each corner at the same time for a better fit. You cut down into the material or across both edge pieces at once. Even on a really good table saw it isn't as good. Even on sliding table you cut one then the other piece of the frame.

Now if it was just as easy to cut glass. Well practice make one better I guess!