Tech Talk
In woodworking, what is the "Importance of a Specific Blade"?
Use the blade the machine was designed for. Every circular sawing machine was designed for a specific diameter blade. The efficiency of the cut is determined by the speed of the saw blade at it's outer rim, not the RPM. A 12" blade and a 10" blade are not going the same speed at 3500 RPM. Too often the thickness of the material determines which blade is put on. The result can be disappointing. Conversely, it can be very unsafe. We recently ran across a shop where someone had modified a saw to take a blade twice the diameter of the blade it was built for, without changing the motor, pulleys or arbour size. He was quite upset when we refused his request for a custom blade for it, and decided he could live with a blade 2" smaller and he'd put his own bushing in it. Of course we still refused, but I'm sure he placed an order with someone without telling them all the details. You wonder if the sawdust doesn't affect some people a little too much.
by: Doug Reid, President, B.C. Saw
