SawStop Blade

[patlaw]

There are warnings against using the wrong blade on a SawStop. The wrong blade can cause the safety mechanism not to work as well as it should. The blade that comes on the saw is "not a very good one" according to the rep I talked with. Maybe it's time for me to get a good one. Which one of the Klingspor blades is the right one for general purpose use, including ripping? I don't really understand blades yet. It seems that a blade with more teeth makes a finer cut, but those blades are not good for ripping. I haven't made a crosscut sled yet, so all I do is ripping and plywood.

Klingspor Blades

 

[ScottM]

I am not an expert but from what I understand a standard 10" table saw blade with work. The only exception is thin kerf blade.

 

[patlaw]

I am not an expert but from what I understand a standard 10" table saw blade with work. The only exception is thin kerf blade.

Actually, that's part of the question. As I recall, the SawStop blade is 0.118", which is thin kerf as far as I know.

 

[Jeff]

Actually, that's part of the question. As I recall, the SawStop blade is 0.118", which is thin kerf as far as I know.

A regular kerf blade is 1/8" t (8/64") and a thin kerf blade is 5/64" t. I think that your SawStop will handle both sizes so thick/thin kerf is your choice. Your blade is probably a full kerf combination cut blade used for crosscutting or ripping which is fine for most uses. You can also get a dedicated cross cut blade or a dedicated glue line rip blade. See the Saw Stop FAQs below.

https://www.sawstop.com/support/faqs/

The SawStop safety system is designed for use with standard 10” blades with kerfs from 3/32” to 3/16”. Blades with kerfs much thinner than 3/32” should not be used because those blades might not be strong enough to withstand the force applied by the brake when it activates. As a result, those blades might deform and stop more slowly in the event of an accident, resulting in a more serious injury. Blades with kerfs much thicker than 3/16” are heavier than standard 1/8” kerf blades. Therefore, those blades should not be used because they may stop more slowly than standard blades in the event of an accident, resulting in a more serious injury. Similarly, stacks of 2 or more 10” blades should never be used on your SawStop saw as the combined weight of the blades may be too heavy to stop quickly. If you need to use a blade with a kerf thicker than 3/16”, use an 8” dado set with the optional SawStop 8” dado cartridge. The dado cartridge is designed for use with 8” dado sets up to 13/16” wide.

Here's a table saw blade primer.

https://www.rockler.com/learn/choosing-the-right-saw-blade-for-your-project/

 

[KenOfCary]

I don't like thin kerf blades (personal preference.) I have 3 blades I primarily use in my SawStop. A Rip blade with about 40 teeth a Crosscut blade with around 80 and also a 90 tooth Alternate Bevel Melamine/Plywood blade for that purpose - it reduces tearout in the layered plys. All of them are the premium line of Freud blades. Not the economy Diablo line of Freud. I also have a Dado Set of blades.

It is easy to change blades on the SawStop so I don't mind doing so in order to have the right blade for the job at hand.

 

[mquan01]

I run a thin kerf blade on my sawstop - no issues

 

[riggsp]

Sawstop recommends not to use blades with anti-kickback “shoulders” behind each tooth because in slows the reaction of the brake by keeping the blade from engaging deeply into the aluminum stop...also don’t use a wobble type dado blade for the same reason...I’ve been using thin kerf Freud blades as long as I’ve had my Sawstop with no problems.

 

[JimD]

I like a full kerf 50 tooth blade that has 40 ATB teeth and 10 flat top ripping teeth for most things. I have them from DeWalt, Freud and most recently Infinity. They are not great for deep rips but do almost everything else well. For deep rips, I like a 24 tooth flat top ripping blade. I've been using Freud but I just bought a 2 blade set from Infinity for $100. My saw is the 1.75 hp but I use full kerf blades. I have thin kerf but notice little difference and I think the thin ones wear out quicker.

I don't pay much attention to the Sawstop comment about blades. The stock one is worth about $20 - not terrible but definitely not a great blade. It cuts OK but the cut is somewhat rough because the blade is not ground well. It is just cheap. The depth limiting shoulders they don't like are to reduce the chance of kickback which their brake does nothing for. They are just saying that the blade will stop a tiny bit slower if you use that kind of blade.

 

[Matt Furjanic]

I have used thin kerf, crosscut, rip,combo... all kinds of blades on my Sawstop Pro. No issues. With every blade change, the safety mechanism needs to be adjusted for the proper clearance (3/32") between it and the blade. It is not a critical adjustment (I eyeball it) but many blades are not exactly 10" in diameter and the gap changes with most blade changes.

 

[mpholway]

Note that I have had issues with a thin kerf blade being to thin for the standard riving knife. Saw Stop does offer a thin kerf riving knife for $15 on some models.

 

[JimD]

I wonder if the SawStop riving knife might be different based upon the HP of the saw. I have the 1.75 hp PCS and the riving knife is quite thin. It also came with a thin kerf blade. I like full kerf blades and may make myself a thicker riving knife. SawStop probably sells one but their prices are high enough it probably makes sense to spend a few minutes and make it.