# Replacement blade for circular saw?



## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

They are good baseline blades. 

More important is the arbor size, If the B&D is smaller than this, it ain't gonna work.



ED


----------



## a1481155 (Dec 2, 2012)

Thanks!
Both are 5/8.
What is a good baseline 10" miter blade?


----------



## Yodaman (Mar 9, 2015)

They will work fine. Probably very thin blades. A little short on the life cycle.


----------



## a1481155 (Dec 2, 2012)

What is considered a thin blade?


----------



## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

a1481155 said:


> What is considered a thin blade?


The plate is less than 1/8" making the kerf about 1/8".


----------



## ddawg16 (Aug 15, 2011)

A lot depends on what you want to do with it.

The blades you picked are good for general cutting. But if you expect to cut some hardwood or cleaner cuts for say furniture, then look into getting something with 40 or more teeth.

I have several blades for different purposes. It doesn't bother me to spend $50 for a good


----------



## a1481155 (Dec 2, 2012)

ddawg16 said:


> A lot depends on what you want to do with it.
> 
> The blades you picked are good for general cutting. But if you expect to cut some hardwood or cleaner cuts for say furniture, then look into getting something with 40 or more teeth.
> 
> I have several blades for different purposes. It doesn't bother me to spend $50 for a good


Thanks!
Other than general purpose cutting, I have the following projects and/or goals:
1) Repair & replace sections of wooden bench, fencing and gates. 
2) Remove & repair section of 3/4 plywood subfloor under 2nd floor toilet.
3) Flooring: install baseboards, scrape adhesive from plywood subfloor, under cut door threshold trim.
4) Refinish oak staircase and rails. 
5) Begin to learn basic woodworking/DIY Furniture building i.e. Adirondack chairs, wooden benches, bookcases/shelving, cabinets/doors, etc. FWIW, I'm saving up for a table saw, router and clamps.


----------



## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

For finish work, particularly hardwoods and plywood, you should go with a finer toothed blade. As mentioned, it is well worth your money to have a variety of good quality blades. A general purpose blade is great for subfloors, 2x lumber and outdoor work but you likely won't be happy if the cuts are visible.

In post 3 you ask about a mitre saw blade - same answer, go with a finer blade if most of your work will be trim.


----------



## Yodaman (Mar 9, 2015)

a1481155 said:


> Thanks!
> Other than general purpose cutting, I have the following projects and/or goals:
> 1) Repair & replace sections of wooden bench, fencing and gates.
> 2) Remove & repair section of 3/4 plywood subfloor under 2nd floor toilet.
> ...



With exception to the sub floor every cutting task on your list would be better served by a miter saw. Cutting very accurate lengths with a circular saw will be difficult, (even for the experienced).


----------



## Canarywood1 (May 5, 2012)

This blade will do what you want it too.


http://www.homedepot.com/p/Diablo-7-1-4-in-x-40-Tooth-Finish-Saw-Blade-D0740R/100017783


----------



## Californiadecks (Aug 30, 2012)

40 teeth Diablo are rarely needed and have two many teeth for framing lumber. If I am doing a project that requires a 40t blade I'm not going to be using a circular saw. Hardwoods would be cut with my miter saw. Typical 2x material is wet and 24 teeth is your friend! Contrary to what some people believe the more teeth isn't necessarily better. In fact geometry is more important and as dawg was saying, task specific. 

As a 31 year carpenter I can count on one hand where I've needed more than 24 teeth, on a circular saw. Too many teeth cause too much heat for most lumber. 

Heat is what dulls a carbide blade. Heat breaks down the cobalt that holds the particles of carbide together.
Here's some of the basics, when it comes to blades.


----------



## Scottg (Nov 5, 2012)

Once you get into any kind of fine work, (as mentioned), you'll need something with a cleaner cut. Also as mentioned, a lot of that work would ideally be on a miter saw. But it doesn't have to be. Ideally, once you start doing furniture, you have a decent table saw, miter saw, maybe a jointer and planer. As a practical matter, spooling up as a DIYer, you might not.

Fortunately, there's lots of options for help with a circular saw these days. Bora makes saw guides that can be attached together such that you can use them to rip down a whole 4'x8' sheet. Or Kreg has an attachable saw guide as well. Not as good as a table saw, but you can do it nicely if you're careful and have a decent blade. Easier on good sawhorses. Or some people use a large sheet of 4'x8' foam on the ground. Same for better crosscuts; you can do them with circular saw ok if you've got a good guide. But ideally a miter saw, which will be useful and not horribly expensive for the work you've talked about anyway.

To the original discussion, those blades are fine for basic framing, hacking stuff up for projects people mostly won't see or care too much about. For anything else, it's more $$$ for fancy blades. Remember, the more expensive blades can also be sharpened if you've got a woodworking shop nearby that does that. (To send out and back might start to get to where it's cheaper just to re-buy.)

For everything you mentioned, rough cuts won't matter at all. For some of it, a tiny bit of cleanup with a sander will be fine. For fine oak staircase? I'd be using an 80T blade on miter saw. Chances are the edges are cleaned up with some kind of roundover bit on a router and sanding.


----------



## a1481155 (Dec 2, 2012)

lenaitch said:


> For finish work, particularly hardwoods and plywood, you should go with a finer toothed blade. As mentioned, it is well worth your money to have a variety of good quality blades. A general purpose blade is great for subfloors, 2x lumber and outdoor work but you likely won't be happy if the cuts are visible.
> 
> In post 3 you ask about a mitre saw blade - same answer, go with a finer blade if most of your work will be trim.





Yodaman said:


> With exception to the sub floor every cutting task on your list would be better served by a miter saw. Cutting very accurate lengths with a circular saw will be difficult, (even for the experienced).


Thanks!
I do have a low-end HF Chicago Electric 61971, 10" Sliding Compound Miter Saw and two HF 93893 10" 40T Carbide saw blades


----------



## Yodaman (Mar 9, 2015)

Sounds like you should be good to go. We'll be looking foreword to a photo of that first Adirondack chair.


----------



## a1481155 (Dec 2, 2012)

Californiadecks said:


> 40 teeth Diablo are rarely needed and have two many teeth for framing lumber. If I am doing a project that requires a 40t blade I'm not going to be using a circular saw. Hardwoods would be cut with my miter saw. Typical 2x material is wet and 24 teeth is your friend! Contrary to what some people believe the more teeth isn't necessarily better. In fact geometry is more important and as dawg was saying, task specific.
> 
> As a 31 year carpenter I can count on one hand where I've needed more than 24 teeth, on a circular saw. Too many teeth cause too much heat for most lumber.
> 
> ...


Very helpful, thanks!
For my general purpose cutting needs, how do you feel about the thin kerf on the 24T Dewalts, I linked to earlier?


----------



## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

a1481155 said:


> Thanks!
> Other than general purpose cutting, I have the following projects and/or goals:
> 1) Repair & replace sections of wooden bench, fencing and gates.
> 2) Remove & repair section of 3/4 plywood subfloor under 2nd floor toilet.
> ...


I like your plan and the blade you linked in your original post will work just fine for portable saw projects. Save the fine furniture building until you get your tools you're saving for.

For your portable saw use, I recommend building a saw guide(s)to accompany it. I have one each, 4 ft. and 8 ft., for 4x8 sheets and another for cross cutting 2x4s - 2x8s and occasional 2x12 etc. Once you are accustomed to those the speed square will draw dust hanging on the peg board.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/tools/reviews/a3602/4283497/


----------



## Crazyjake8493 (Sep 26, 2014)

Canarywood1 said:


> This blade will do what you want it too.
> 
> 
> http://www.homedepot.com/p/Diablo-7-1-4-in-x-40-Tooth-Finish-Saw-Blade-D0740R/100017783


I can't say enough good things about Diablo blades. I picked up a bunch for my circular saws when they had a buy one get one free sale a while back. Now I want to get some for my miter and table saws, although they're a bit more expensive for the 10"


----------



## a1481155 (Dec 2, 2012)

SeniorSitizen said:


> I like your plan and the blade you linked in your original post will work just fine for portable saw projects. Save the fine furniture building until you get your tools you're saving for.





Crazyjake8493 said:


> I can't say enough good things about Diablo blades. I picked up a bunch for my circular saws when they had a buy one get one free sale a while back. Now I want to get some for my miter and table saws, although they're a bit more expensive for the 10"


Cool...Now, that said...To me, it seems like a no brainer but without seeing/using the blades, I have to ask...If you were saving for the future, like I am, and had $10, which would you buy? 

A) Single Diablo 7-1/4 in. x 24-Teeth Tracking Point Framing Saw Blade 
B) The 2-pack Dewalt 7-1/4in Saw Blade (DW3578D2), I linked to in op.
C) This 5-pack Hitachi Circular Saw Blade Set (115402).


SeniorSitizen said:


> For your portable saw use, I recommend building a saw guide(s)to accompany it. I have one each, 4 ft. and 8 ft., for 4x8 sheets and another for cross cutting 2x4s - 2x8s and occasional 2x12 etc. Once you are accustomed to those the speed square will draw dust hanging on the peg board.
> 
> http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/tools/reviews/a3602/4283497/


Thanks!
I like that idea...Too bad, I just tossed the scraps from an old bathroom cabinet, I just demoed.


----------



## a1481155 (Dec 2, 2012)

Thanks all! 
FWIW, I went with A) Single Diablo 7-1/4 in. x 24-Teeth Tracking Point Framing Saw Blade $9.97


----------

