What are some tips for guaranteeing long life and peak performance from a table saw blade?
A. Karin Deutschler, president, GUHDO USA Inc.: The most important thing to do to optimize life and performance on a table saw blade is to select the proper blade for the material being cut. Many shops use an “all-around” blade to perform cuts on a variety of materials, and while this approach can do the job, it doesn’t provide optimum tool life or best cutting results. Just as important to optimizing blade performance is having a good, sturdy and solid-built saw to begin with. Saving money on a lower quality saw will trickle down to increased cost for blades, sharpening, lesser cutting quality, etc., which is penny-wise and pound-foolish. A. John Michel, director of sales and technical services, Leuco Tool Corp.: First and foremost is to be sure you have the correct type of saw blade for the material you are cutting. The tooth shape is a very important aspect of guaranteeing maximum edge life. The “wrong tooth shape” may work, but only for a very short time before you experience poor
