6 Factors to Consider when Choosing a Circular Saw Blade

Circular saw blades are discs with teeth that can cut a range of materials using a spinning motion. They can be fitted to power saws cutting many materials such as wood, masonry, plastic, or metal. Choosing a high-quality circular saw blade can effectively improve the quality of sawing. The followings are some factors to consider when choosing your circular saw blade.

For safety reasons, it's very important that the blade is the correct diameter for your cutting requirements and the specific RPM (speed) of your blade and saw. This means that the diameter of the saw blade you select must not exceed the maximum diameter of the blade designed to use with your saw.

When selecting your blade, be sure to carefully read the measurements of the label and to check the requirements of your power tool. The blade diameter will usually be printed on the face of a circular saw blade, along with the arbor hole size, a number of teeth, and kerf (the thickness of the cut the blade creates).

The correct number of teeth is important to ensure that you achieve a smooth cut with optimal chip removal and as little friction as possible whilst sawing. The correct number of teeth will also place less strain on your equipment, extending the lifespan of your power saw.

Generally, blades with fewer teeth will cut through materials faster, but blades with more teeth will create a finer finish and smoother cut. For example, a typical 10-inch rip blade that is designed for ripping up lumber might have just 24 teeth.

The aim of the blade is to quickly remove material along the length of the grain. The blade isn’t designed to yield a mirror-smooth cut, instead, it will move through hardwood with little effort and leave a clean cut with minimal scoring.

A crosscut blade, on the other hand, is designed to produce a smooth cut across the grain of the wood, without splintering or tearing. This type of blade will usually have 60 to 80 teeth, and the higher tooth count means that each tooth has to remove less material.

A crosscut blade makes many more individual cuts as it moves through the stock than a ripping blade and, as a result, requires a slower feed rate. The result is a cleaner cut on edges and a smoother cut surface. With a top-quality crosscut blade, the cut surface will appear polished.

The gullet is the size of the space between the teeth on your saw blade. When choosing a blade, the gullet is equally as important as the number of teeth on the blade. This is because a smaller blade with fewer teeth might have the same gullets as a larger blade with more teeth. For example, a 130 mm blade with 24 teeth will have the same gullets as a 260 mm blade with 48 teeth. So it’s important to take both into consideration. The size and depth of the gullet determine how much waste material is cleared out as the blade spins.

Blades with larger teeth spaces further apart are ideal for making rip cuts (cuts made in woodworking to sever a piece of wood parallel to the grain). This is because large spaces between the teeth (gullets) allow the sawdust to be expelled quickly. Smaller teeth, on the other hand, allow for a better finish, so are ideal when making crosscuts (cutting across the grain of the wood or material).

The angle of the hook or rake refers to the position the blade tooth is in when it hits the cutting surface. Hook angles can be positive, negative, or neutral.

A positive hook angle points downwards towards the cutting surface, creating a faster and rougher cut. For some cutting applications such as metal cutting, a positive hook can be dangerous. A more negative hook angle will provide a less aggressive cut and create a smoother finish. This will be a slower cut that removes less waste, however. A neutral hook angle means that the face of the cutting tool is perpendicular to the cutting edge at the inner side.

The bore is the hole at the center of your saw blade, which is where you attach the blade to your saw. You can select a saw blade with a bore that has a higher diameter than the bore shaft of your saw, however, you must use a reducer ring to get the right fit.

If you want to learn more about circular saw blades after reading the above, you can contact MORETOP for professional advice.

As a professional manufacturer of multi-function power tool accessories and equipment, we have accumulated rich design and production experience in this field. We have established a complete quality inspection system, and the products we provide are of excellent quality and can cope with a variety of complex situations. At the same time, we always put customers' needs first and can provide customers with thoughtful one-stop services and effective solutions. If you want to buy our circular saw blade for metals, please contact us immediately!