Need blade advice for miter saw.

R

R.H.Clark

Joined
Aug 23, 2007
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I've been making a few stick tang knives lately.The only saw I have is a 10" compound miter saw.I've been cutting exotic wood and a little horn.Can you recommend a better blade for the harder horn and some of the harder exotic woods.I'm getting a lot of saw marks I have to sand out on the harder material.

I can't read the numbers on the blade that is on it now.It looks very much like any rip saw blade.I might just get a new finer tooth blade but didn't know if it would burn too much on the harder materials.

I also thought of clamping the material and then cutting to make sure there is zero movement on my part.Is this a good idea?

Thanks for any help.I'm just getting started.
Randy
 
I use a thin-kerf (.079") ripping blade by Tenryu on my table-saw. The thin kerf takes less energy to cut and wastes less material. The only material that's given me trouble is 4" thick desert ironwood burl.

You'd need to find something specific for a miter-saw, but I really like this blade.
 
I know the selling point for me was moreso the thinner kerf, that's why I put the 7.5" on my 10" tablesaw. I am not suggesting you do the same but thinner kerf removes less material. It works great on any wood, even Ipe which is the second hardest wood in the world. Cutting horn? I have only ONE cut of horn cutting experience, and that was with my super dull bandsaw, then finish the last half with a handheld coping saw (perpendicular to the length, not trying to make horn scales). I would be afraid to use a miter saw to cut horn, how could you hold it still and not have it jump around?
 
Clamping the material is a good idea. It is very important that the workpiece not shift while being cut, you can bend a blade or shoot chunks of workpiece out of the saw... Make sure the horn is against the fence, or add a sacrificial fence to support the horn on both sides of the cut, maybe even wood V-blocks...

I would go with a triple chip tooth style blade, or if you want to do general woodworking with the same blade, an ATB (alternate top bevel) tooth style. The ATB will probably dull a little faster in horn and may chip the horn a little, but unless you are processing a lot of horn...

Triple chip blades are sold for cutting plastics and soft metals like aluminium, so they should do well on the horn, and they will work well crosscutting dense hardwoods. Get 60-80 teeth on a 10" blade. If you have a sliding head compound miter saw get a negative rake angle blade for safety, or clamp the head in position (so it does not slide) when using the blade.

If your current blade is not flat, or the arbor is wobbling, that can cause saw marks as the blade wobbles back and forth in the cut.
 
Thanks everyone for the help.

I don't think the arbor is wobbling any.The marks were only at the extreme edge as if the piece had moved slightly while cutting.

My saw is a 15 amp Dewalt compound miter but not sliding.I will look into a triple chip blade,thin kerf if I can find one.

I've only cut some buffalo horn rolls so far but I have a box of elk horn on the way that I traded for.The horn should be dry as the guy uses large pieces that would be useless for him if it shrank in any way.
 
An advantage of using a smaller diameter blade is a lower peripheral surface speed, which will reduce heat and certain harmonics and blade flex.

I use a 10" blade in my 14" saw to cut aluminum. Might work for other harder-than-wood stuff also.
 
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