|
|
For those who aren't experts in
saw blade design (which is probably most of us) we
thought it would be a good idea to explain some of the
terminology to make some sense of all the words and
abbreviations you'll see as you go through the pages of
blades on this site.
The most basic of terms
are pretty self-explanatory, like diameter, number of
teeth, and arbor size (make sure you get THAT one
right). Then there's "plate" (the thickness of
the steel from which the blade is cut) and
"kerf" (the width of the cut the blade makes,
or the width of the carbide tips). From there, it
can get quite technical and confusing if you're not
familiar with the language.
Below you'll find basic
explanations of two important criteria you need to
understand when choosing the right blades and a guide to
recommended RPM limits.
|
READING
SYSTIMATIC'S BLADE "DESCRIPTIONS"
|
| Example:
10BB40-085 |
| 10
- Saw Diameter |
BB
- Saw Type |
40
- Tooth Count |
085
- Plate Thickness |
| BB
- BUDKE BLADE |
GR
- GLUE JOINT RIP |
PM
- PLYMASTER |
TL
- THIN LINE |
| CC
- CHOP CHAMP |
HM
- HEAVY DUTY METAL |
PT
- PRECISION TRIM |
WM
- WOOD/ METAL |
| CT
- CONTRACTOR |
HR
- HEAVY DUTY RIP |
RM
- RADIAL METAL |
The
following will |
| DM
- DOUBLE MITER |
LV
- LAMINATE/ VENEER |
RT
- RADIAL TRIM |
appear
at the end: |
| DS
- DADO SAW |
MC
- METAL CUTTING |
SF
- SUPERFINISH |
G
- HSR GOLD |
| DW
- DOUBLE WOOD |
MV
- MELAMINE/VENEER |
SR
- SAFETY RIP |
N
- NEGATIVE HOOK |
| GP
- GEN. PURPOSE |
PC
- PLASTIC CUTTING |
TF
- TEFLON COATED |
NG
- NEGATIVE GOLD |
Some descriptions will
continue with a number 1 or 1" and that would
be a one inch arbor size. And some will have two or
three letters, like TL (Thin Line) following the
normal description, indicating that the blade is
actually a Thin Line but is being shown under a
different category. Example: Under Plastic and Trim
you'll find a 37296 described with 12PC100-080TL.
It's a Plastic and Trim blade (PC) but its plate
thickness is only .080", making it a Thin Line
(TL). Take a look at the tables on the pages and
it'll make sense.
|
| THREE
BASIC TOOTH DESIGNS |
| Each different grind has a
different purpose. A ripping blade will have a Flat Top
Grind (FTG) for fast cutting with the grain. A cross cut
blade will do the best job with an Alternating Top Bevel
(ATB), cutting across the grain like a knife and
producing a very smooth cut. A blade with Triple Chip
Grind (TCG) is good for all-purpose cutting and also
gives you a very clean cut. TCG blades are also good for
cutting non-ferrous metals and plastics. Of course, no matter which
tooth design you're looking at, more teeth will give you
a smoother cut than fewer teeth. |
 |
| To understand the term
itself, imagine a vertical line through the middle of
each of the illustrations below. The "hook
angle" is the angle you'd see between your line and
the face of the tooth, or the difference between the
tooth face and true vertical.
Where tooth grind or
shape is important to choose based on the type of
material you're cutting and the type of cut you're
doing, the choice of hook angle is based more on the
type of machine you're using. As well as the type of
cut. In general, a blade with a positive hook angle is a
faster-feeding blade and one with a negative hook is
less aggressive. One thing we need to add here is that
you ALWAYS want a negative hook for cutting metal and the
new SystiMatic Melamine blade is a negative hook - it
seems to work better for cutting Melamine.
In the illustration on the left we have a blade with
about a 10º positive hook. A ripping blade might have a
positive hook of 22º, with long, arching teeth. As you
can imagine, a blade with that much angle wouldn't work
well on a radial arm saw; it would literally
"hook" the material and dig in, stalling the
saw motor.
On the right we have a blade with a 6º negative hook,
which is ideal for radial arm and miter saws. However,
it would have to work overtime to rip an 8' oak
2x4. And maybe start a fire in the process! Lots of heat
buildup.
All that being said, as
long as you stick to the recommended uses on these
product pages you won't have to worry about deciding
what blade to use for the job you want to do.
|
 |
 |
| MAXIMUM
BLADE RPM RATINGS |
|
8" - 8000
RPM |
|
12"
- 6500 RPM |
|
16"
- 5000 RPM |
|
9" - 8000
RPM |
|
14"
- 5500 RPM |
|
18"
- 4200 RPM |
|
10" - 8000 RPM |
|
15"
- 5000 RPM |
|
20"
- 4000 RPM |
These ratings are to be used as a
guideline only. Consult your machine's owner's manual if you're not
familiar with the RPM rating for it. |
