How To Choose A Circular Saw Blade

Circular saw blades: the right choice and application
To choose the right blade for working with a circular saw, you need to know the main characteristics and differences of saw blades. In our material, we will tell you in detail about the most famous discs and tell you how to make the right choice.

How is a circular saw blade made?

A saw blade is a circular saw attachment that is used to cut workpieces from different materials.

The main material for manufacturing is chrome vanadium steel or high speed. Molybdenum and tungsten are added to the metal of the tool, which give the necessary strength. Such discs are marked with CV or HSS.

Cut-off for metal

Such a metal is not fragile, but there are also more carbide materials on which the vehicle is marked. than half of these discs are made of chrome vanadium steel, the teeth are made of tungsten carbide.

In the process of manufacturing parts, they are soldered onto the main part of the disk. This circular disc will last ten times longer than a regular steel disc.

There are circular saw blades with diamond segments that are laser-welded to the main body.

Such products are distinguished by their high strength and the ability to use them for cutting durable materials, for example, concrete or natural stone.

Different tool models differ in shape, length, angle of inclination and type of tooth setting.

The most commonly used types of teeth are:

  1. Trapezoidal
  2. Divorced
  3. Multidirectional
  4. Straight-sided profile

Circular saw blade for wood

This type of product is used when working with lumber or solid wood. They, in turn, also differ, but according to the operations they perform.

Wood blade for circular saw

There are discs of this type for fast cutting of wood. They differ from others in a small number of teeth, which gives a rough cut. There are also products on the market for a clean cut, on the edges of which there are many small teeth and for ripping with large teeth.

If the cut is supposed to be made across the workpiece, then a disc with fine teeth is used. There are also universal products, on the edges of which there are small and large teeth. With their help, you can do any woodwork without changing the tool.

What circular saw blades are there?

In production and in everyday life, discs of different types are used. They differ among themselves not only in the material of manufacture, the position of the teeth, but also in the scope of use.

All products on the market can be divided into 4 types:

Before choosing saw blades for wood, decide on the goals

The first thing to decide for yourself. What kind of work you need a blade: cross or rip sawing. In each case, you need to select your own type of saw blades for wood. For the sake of fairness, it’s worth noting that there are so-called universal options. Manufacturers claim that they are equally good at all the tasks that their owners put before them. However, masters with extensive experience still do not advise placing high hopes on such saw blades. If you want your circular saw to last for many years, and the quality of the effort applied meets the expectations, get the clean models. That is, separately for the cross cut, separately for the rip sawing. They differ from each other in two parameters:

  • The size of the cutting teeth;
  • The number of cutting teeth.

The basic rule for choosing a saw blade for wood looks like this: the larger the size of the teeth of the blade, the more confident it goes during ripping, and vice versa, the fewer of them, the better the cross cut.

You may be wondering what happens if you do not adhere to the above rule? Then read:

  1. If you use a blade with coarse teeth for cross-cutting, you can get a rather sloppy cut. After that, additional processing of the part with hand tools will simply be necessary.
  2. Using a blade with fine teeth for ripping can compromise the performance of the tool. During operation, such a canvas heats up a lot, and this, you see, is dangerous. In addition, the rip sawing process will be very time consuming.

Now it’s worth saying a few words about the number of teeth. The larger they are, the fewer there will be on the saw blade. Today, the most popular models are 12-120 teeth.

How to choose saw blades for wood: expert advice

Automatic saw or circular saw. Simply an indispensable tool during construction and repair work. Wood, laminate, plastic, aluminum This is not the whole list of materials that can be cut with a circular saw. But in this article we propose to talk only about how to choose saw blades for wood for this tool. For some reason, it is this question that baffles many masters.

How to choose a circular saw blade for wood based on the parameters?

If you have decided on the type of work for which you need a saw blade for wood, then it’s time to look at:

  1. Disc type. It can be monolithic or carbide. The first option is made from a solid piece of high speed or high carbon steel. Among their advantages, it is worth noting the low cost, and among the disadvantages – fragility. The teeth become dull pretty quickly, so they periodically have to be bred and sharpened. Carbide wheels are considered to be more reliable. They are made from tool steel with cobalt and tungsten solders. Their cost is slightly higher than that of their carbide counterparts, but they provide a clean and fast cut. And they need to be sharpened much less often.
  2. Outside diameter. It is limited by the internal dimension of the saw guard and directly affects the cutting depth. To find out which saw blade outer diameter your circular saw model is designed for, read the instructions that came with the tool.
  3. Inner diameter. Modern saw models are most often designed for the following bore diameters: 16 mm, 20 mm, 22 mm, 30 mm, 32 mm, 50 mm, 65 mm. This parameter is also defined by the manufacturer. When choosing, keep in mind that the disc must sit tightly on the landing pin, otherwise the consequences can be unpredictable.
  4. Tooth shape. It is worth choosing here based on your goals. The most versatile is a saw blade for wood with variable teeth. It will cope with any type of wood, besides, its cost is quite loyal.
  5. Teeth inclination. It can be positive or negative. In the first case, the deviation is directed towards the back side of the blade of the teeth, in the second – on the contrary, from it.
  6. Saw blade thickness. The standard thickness is 3.2 mm, but there are other models. Thinner blades are used for accurate cutting of valuable wood species, thicker ones are designed to perform more rough work.
  7. The presence of slots. Quality saw blades should have special holes with grooves at the ends. This design allows you to reduce noise during sawing, absorb vibration and reduce the heating temperature of the blade. The grooves at the end of the slots have their own purpose – to reduce the risk of blade breakage during sawing.
  8. Brand. This is one of the most important parameters. The rating of the world’s best saw blade manufacturers includes such brands as Makita, INTERTOOL, Sparta, Matrix. Their quality and durability are undeniable, which is confirmed by a large number of positive responses from users.

Before choosing saw blades for wood, decide on the goals

The first thing to decide for yourself. What kind of work you need a blade: cross or rip sawing. In each case, you need to select your own type of saw blades for wood. For the sake of fairness, it’s worth noting that there are so-called universal options. Manufacturers claim that they do equally well with all the tasks that their owners present to them. However, masters with extensive experience still do not advise placing high hopes on such saw blades. If you want your circular saw to last for many years, and the quality of the effort applied meets the expectations, get the clean models. That is, separately for the cross cut, separately for the rip saw. They differ from each other in two parameters:

  • The size of the cutting teeth;
  • The number of cutting teeth.

The basic rule for choosing a saw blade for wood looks like this: the larger the size of the teeth of the blade, the more confident it goes during ripping, and vice versa, the fewer of them, the better the cross cut.

You may be wondering what happens if you do not adhere to the above rule? Then read:

  1. If you use a blade with coarse teeth for cross-cutting, you can get a rather sloppy cut. After that, additional processing of the part with hand tools will simply be necessary.
  2. Using a blade with fine teeth for ripping may compromise the performance of the tool. During operation, such a canvas heats up a lot, and this, you see, is dangerous. In addition, the rip sawing process will be very time consuming.

Now it’s worth saying a few words about the number of teeth. The larger they are, the fewer there will be on the saw blade. Today, the most popular models are 12-120 teeth.

How to choose saw blades for wood: expert advice

Automatic saw or circular saw. Simply an indispensable tool during construction and repair work. Wood, laminate, plastic, aluminum This is not the whole list of materials that can be cut with a circular saw. But in this article we propose to talk only about how to choose saw blades for wood for this tool. For some reason, it is this question that baffles many masters.

How to choose a circular saw blade for wood based on the parameters?

If you have decided on the type of work for which you need a saw blade for wood, then it’s time to look at:

  1. Disc type. It can be monolithic or carbide. The first option is made from a solid piece of high speed or high carbon steel. Among their advantages, it is worth noting the low cost, and among the disadvantages – fragility. The teeth become dull pretty quickly, so they periodically have to be bred and sharpened. Carbide wheels are considered to be more reliable. They are made from tool steel with cobalt and tungsten solders. Their cost is slightly higher than that of their carbide counterparts, but they provide a clean and fast cut. And they need to be sharpened much less often.
  2. Outside diameter. It is limited by the internal dimension of the saw guard and directly affects the cutting depth. To find out which saw blade outer diameter your circular saw model is designed for, read the instructions that came with the tool.
  3. Inner diameter. Modern saw models are most often designed for the following bore diameters: 16 mm, 20 mm, 22 mm, 30 mm, 32 mm, 50 mm, 65 mm. This parameter is also defined by the manufacturer. When choosing, keep in mind that the disc must sit tightly on the landing pin, otherwise the consequences can be unpredictable.
  4. Tooth shape. It is worth choosing here based on your goals. The most versatile is a saw blade for wood with variable teeth. It will cope with any type of wood, besides, its cost is quite loyal.
  5. Teeth inclination. It can be positive or negative. In the first case, the deviation is directed towards the back side of the blade of the teeth, in the second – on the contrary, from it.
  6. Saw blade thickness. The standard thickness is 3.2 mm, but there are other models. Thinner blades are used for accurate cutting of valuable wood species, thicker ones are designed to perform more rough work.
  7. The presence of slots. Quality saw blades should have special holes with grooves at the ends. This design allows you to reduce noise during sawing, absorb vibration and reduce the heating temperature of the blade. The grooves at the end of the slots have their own purpose – to reduce the risk of blade breakage during sawing.
  8. Brand. This is one of the most important parameters. The rating of the world’s best saw blade manufacturers includes such brands as Makita, INTERTOOL, Sparta, Matrix. Their quality and durability are undeniable, which is confirmed by a large number of positive responses from users.

Saw blade for wood Intertool CT-3052 250x30x60 teeth

Circular saw blade for wood 300x32x48 teeth MTX Professional 73269

Saw blade for wood for mini circular 200x32x60 teeth MTX 732649

Carbide Saw Blade for Wood

This type has carbide tipped inserts. Note that the steel grade is not very important for sawing. Cobalt and tungsten carbide inserts are soldered onto a disc made of this material. With this design, the cutting speed is increased. The teeth can only be sharpened on machine tools. A saw blade for wood for an angle grinder with carbide cutters is very popular, as it gives a clean cut.

  • Keep sharpness well;
  • Durable;
  • Have high quality workmanship.
  • High cost;
  • Impossibility of sharpening to the original sharpness.
how to choose a circular saw blade

Types of saw blades for wood

Depending on the design, circular saw blades for wood are divided into categories: monolithic (made from a single piece of metal) and carbide (having carbide inserts on the teeth). For the intended purpose, there are devices for sawing ends and for longitudinal cutting. By the shape of the cutter, discs are:

  1. Flat cutter. For ripping all types of wood.
  2. With replaceable cutter. The teeth have a variable inclination to one side and the other. A disc is used to cut wood up and down.
  3. With trapezoidal flat cutter. Half of the teeth have a trapezoid shape. Such a saw cuts not only wood, but also polymers and non-ferrous metals.
  4. With combined set of cutters. Four replacements alternate with one flat tooth. If you need a saw blade for wood for a clean cut, then it has this configuration.
  5. With a triangular curved incisor. Applied over laminate.
  6. With feed stops (protrusions behind the incisor). Reduces saw speed and protects knots from hard wood.

According to the cutting depth, the discs are divided into:

  • Small (depth from 4 to 4.6 cm);
  • Medium (5-5.5);
  • Large (6.5-7);
  • Saw pro (6.5-14).

Saw blade for wood – features of monolithic, carbide and universal devices, how to choose the right one?

The saw blade is presented in a wide range on the market and when buying it is important to understand which option you should choose for work. Making a purchase without thinking will significantly increase the risk of injury and degrade the quality of work.