Mitre blades

Create a Post
B

Bill Taylor

True Grumbler
Joined
Mar 17, 2002
Posts
89
Loc
Waterville,Maine 04901
Hello fellow framers,
It's time for me to get some new blades for my Omega double mitre saw. I have been using ULTRAMITRE 12" / 5/8" / 100 TEETH PART # U1210TC. The one I want to replace somehow got warped. The replacement cost is $198.00. I just wanted to see if anyone had any ideas on another brand. I don't mind paying for the good blade but if there's something a lot cheaper that works and sharpens as well I would be interested.
Thanks,
Bill
P.S. Betty, you go girl!
 
Bill,

You are using a pretty good blade with an Ultramiter. I have a set of Forrest which are on the level of Ultramiter in terms of quality, accuracy, and tip hardness.

I buy my Forrest blades at one of the Woodworker shows when they come into my area. The 10" blades normally retail for $159.00 and they mark them down to $129.00 at the shows and you save on shipping too. I am not up to date on the prices for the 12" blades from Forrest but they should be in line with The Ultramiter blades. I always send my blades (whatever brand) back to the manufacturers for sharpening also. Forrest micro-sharpens all surfaces of each ATB tooth which means that they remove just enough carbide to get the tooth back to proper sharpness. I had a set of blades ruined totally by one of these "knife and saw" sharpening companies. They ground so much off of the teeth I couldn't use the blades again. And it was the first sharpening on those blades.

Don't put over $350 into a good set of blades and then have them ruined by a hack saw sharpening company.

Framerguy

Edit: You may want to run a "search" in the archives for "saw blades". This has been discussed many times over the last few years.

[ 07-13-2003, 06:37 PM: Message edited by: Framerguy ]
 
Shoot! I was going to suggest Freud blades, but I guess they don't compare with the ones you guys are using.
All the woodworkers I know always told me they were good ones.
 
The Freud thin kerf blades are good. They can be purchased from Tool Crib of the North (Amazon dot com) for around $100, perhaps half price. They cut smooth for the low price. I have also gotten some good blades from Lee Valley Tools. I believe the brand was DIMAR.
 
Originally posted by Bill Taylor:
The one I want to replace somehow got warped.
Click to expand...
Have you checked with Ultramiter? They may be able to fix your blade. I believe it's called "hammering". Oh, and sharp blades are less likely to overheat and warp. Also keep any pitch cleaned off the blades, oven cleaner works, or denatured alcohol.
 
Originally posted by Gerard:
The Freud thin kerf blades are good. They can be purchased from Tool Crib of the North (Amazon dot com) for around $100,
Click to expand...
My Home Depot here in town carries these at $80.00
They are made here in North Carolina in Greensboro. You may be able to buy direct.

They are the BEST for cutting metals.

Jerry
 
I knew I could count on "The Grumblers" to give me some good advice. Thanks very much to you all!
~ Bill
 
Be careful with using Oven cleaner on some Carbides. It can make it brittle!
 
i have only used a few different companies, but i found amana to be good. they were new blades...that is so nice to cut wood with fresh blades, what a feeling when you see that clean cut....how nice it is.
dnnnisss
 
Freud makes very good blades. We have 10 sets of LU 85's with 5 sets usually at the sharpeners. Our experience is that a sharp blade is more important than an expensive "industrial" blade and that no blade will stay sharp long cutting plastered mouldings (read leafed mouldings with "gesso"). Blades that cost $150 or more are too expensive for frequent sharpening. We usually use two sets a week and that works out to about 70 frames before the blades are too dull, maybe less. Someone mentioned the pleasure of using a new blade; well, a blade sharpened properly is vitrually a new blade. We probably spend $100 a month on sharpening (Insustrial Saw and Knife)and it's worth every penny. Blades dull so gradually, it's very difficult to tell when one is too dull. When a blade begins to chip out the backs of leafed frames, it's dull even though it'll cut a non leafed frame perfectly. We use a lot of Decor and Omega leafed moulding which chips easily unless the blade is very sharp.

I can't see any reason for using a thin kerf blade for cross cutting (mitering). The thickness of the kerf is immaterial for picture framers. I think it's 3/32 as opposed to 1/8" for a regular blade. FWIW, a saw with a 10" blade will cut better than one with a 12" or larger blade.
 
Create a Post
Back
Top