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Good blade you can make better!

After reading several other reviews I thought this information would be helpful.

Some users report short-life from this blade. That may be true under certain circumstances, but it usually isn’t the blade’s fault. Here’s how you can get cleaner, safer, smoother cuts and MUCH more life from this or any other good blade.

1- Keep it clean. “pitch” — that gummy residue from wood— increases friction and heat. There are several products marketed specifically for keeping blades clean. They work fine, but I have found that no product works better than rubbing alcohol. Rubbing alcohol is inexpensive and widely available at any pharmacy. I will assume anyone reading this is careful enough to UNPLUG THE SAW before cleaning the blade or making any other adjustment.

2- Material considerations… Cutting plywood is tough on any blade because plywood has multiple layers of glue. Glue heats up and gets sticky FAST. Long rips and multiple rips make the blade hot anyway, and a hot blade melts glue faster than a cool blade. So just be aware, ANY BLADE from any manufacturer will wear faster in plywood.

3- Lubrication… You can minimize friction with a light coat of paste-wax or paraffin. You don’t need to be perfectly even in the application of either. A quick dab of wax or a few strokes with the paraffin stick will quickly spread itself in about one-second into the first cut. Lube both sides of the blade roughly equally to reduce warping, and don’t forget to lube the teeth. Once you make the first cut, the wax or paraffin will spread evenly everywhere and the excess will disappear.

Again… please UNPLUG THE SAW when you lubricate the blade. I have seen some pros turn their saws upside down and hold a paraffin stick against the running blade. It makes me cringe to think what might happen. The fact is all pros know the value of lubricating cutting tools, but most of us are not in that big of a hurry. Take your time and unplug the saw. A trip to the emergency room costs time, money and pain.

4- Cut Straight! Wandering cuts cause excess friction, heat and wear. Free-hand cutting is a skill that requires concentration and practice to achieve good technique. Using a straight-edge saw-guide is easier and works for novices and pros alike. Whenever I hear someone complain about their saw-blades getting dull too fast, I look at how they use the saw. The problem is most-often the user, not the blade. You do NOT need an expensive saw-guide, although many of them work well. A cheap straight edge can be quickly made ( in about ten minutes ) from ANY board with a straight factory-cut edge and a piece of scrap plywood.

This blade ( and other blades like it from Freud) have a slippery coating designed to reduce wear, but I have found that even these good blades work better and last longer with frequent lubrication.

I have used this blade and other Freud edge-tool products for decades and never experienced premature wear. Their products are consistent and very well-made. Considering the low price, I consider them to be a great value too. This 40-tooth model makes smooth cuts, especially when you use the tips presented here.

IF you want joinery-quality cuts from this blade, you can get them. You just need to install an abrasive sheet ( sandpaper ) to the sides. You can buy the commercially made round sheets for this, (they ARE convenient!) or make your own. I cut mine from cheap 180 grit aluminum-oxide sheets, using a compass and an X-acto knife, then attach them with 3M super 77 spray adhesive. This is about one-tenth the cost of commercial products like “Final-Cut.”

For clean-straight cuts, you must be certain that your saw-blade is parallel to the cutting-guide and that it is at a perfect 90 degrees to the work. DeWalt, and Bosch saws have adjustments for that. Most saws do not. Even if you have a cheap saw, you can make the blade run parallel to the cutting-guide by shimming the edges with UHMW tape. Setting the blade perpendicular to the work can be adjusted similarly by shimming the base-plate. You can do both adjustments roughly with a decent square, or you can get them “dead” perfect with a dial indicator. I get the best results with a dial indicator and the TS aligner.

Update (2/6/2012): This item is currently on sale here for the lowest price I’ve seen.

The featured review for this product, Freud D0740X Diablo 7-1/4 40 Tooth ATB Finishing Saw Blade with 5/8-Inch Arbor, Diamond Knockout, and PermaShield Coating Tools & Hardware, was written by G. Conner.

The average rating for this item is 5 out of 5 stars, according to 3 reviews.