shaft saw blade

kiinstructor

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have a shaft saw that I built. Thing seem to work good with a 60 tooth blade FTG with a 5 minute pass. Shafts a fairly smooth but I thought Id get even smoother so I purchased a good quility 80 tooth blade and had it ground. Shafts seem not to be smooth have short grainy lines running length wise. The guy who sharpened the blade is very reliable but maybe the 80 tooth blade is not sharpened right. Anyone know what I might have going wrong? Also any good deals on shaft machines out there?
 
Believe it or not the sharper the blade the more lines you see. I try to put heavy first cuts on shaft dowels with a new blade until it breaks in and starts cutting smoother. I never have the sides ground flat like Blud suggested, but that may stop the problem from the beginning. Just curious if you have a source for 60 tooth Flat Top Grind factory blades? Freud quit making them and I have just been having them resharpened.
Chris
www.hightowercues.com
www.internationalcuemakers.com
 
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cueman said:
Believe it or not the sharper the blade the more lines you see. I try to put heavy first cuts on shaft dowels with a new blade until it breaks in and starts cutting smoother. I never have the sides ground flat like Blud suggested, but that may stop the problem from the beginning. Just curious if you have a source for 60 tooth Flat Top Grind factory blades? Freud quit making them and I have just been having them resharpened.
Chris
www.hightowercues.com
www.internationalcuemakers.com

Years ago when I built my first shaft machine I was told that a saw company in Chicago was regrinding most of the blades for shaft machines. I talked to the owner for some time and he told me a number of cuemakers who were getting blades from him. He said for a 10" blade most used 60 teeth. He said some had tried 80 teeth but that they went back to 60. I had him make me up two blades which were Amana normal kerf, 60 tooth blades. Amana blades are industrial blades that had thick carbide and ran true although they are a little pricey. The next 6 machines that I built I used 12" blades so I went to 72 teeth per blade to keep the circumferance to teeth ratio pretty close.
Bull Sharpening service in Chicago is where I got my blades and regrinds from. The regrinds and resharpenings were 10.00.
I haven't used their services for awhile as now I have finally found a local place who does the regrinds as I ask.
As everybody knows that what causes the slight grooves or sterations in a shaft is the edge of the tooth hitting the shaft. You want the blade to act as a plane to make a perfectly smooth surface. When using a standard, thin kerf blade the shaft and blade must be perfectly aligned and the blade has to run absolutly trueto eliminate these unwanted scratches. Not long ago I had a blade made with a 3/8ths. inch kerf. It's a 12" blade and had to have a double thick plate and is quite heavy but I'm sure it will work real well. I'm putting it on a new CNC shaft machine I'm building.
Dick
 
cueman said:
Believe it or not the sharper the blade the more lines you see. I try to put heavy first cuts on shaft dowels with a new blade until it breaks in and starts cutting smoother. I never have the sides ground flat like Blud suggested, but that may stop the problem from the beginning. Just curious if you have a source for 60 tooth Flat Top Grind factory blades? Freud quit making them and I have just been having them resharpened.
Chris
www.hightowercues.com
www.internationalcuemakers.com
Hi Chris, Wanted to thank you for your book. Its been a real adventure and a down to earth learning tool. I highly recommend it to any cue maker. Some of the tips have saved me bundles of money. Anyway, I called Freud and they said they may have some 60 tooth blades available with FTG. I asked if I could get one and they didnt return my call. I called again and got the same response. I know they dont make them any longer but they said they still had inventory. If I can get one or more I will call you. Thanks again for your help.
 
blades

cueman said:
Believe it or not the sharper the blade the more lines you see. I try to put heavy first cuts on shaft dowels with a new blade until it breaks in and starts cutting smoother. I never have the sides ground flat like Blud suggested, but that may stop the problem from the beginning. Just curious if you have a source for 60 tooth Flat Top Grind factory blades? Freud quit making them and I have just been having them resharpened.
Chris
www.hightowercues.com
www.internationalcuemakers.com
Hi Chris and others,
I do not recomend an 80 tooth blade. Believe it or not, you get air push-off with to many teeth. 60 teeth is plenty.The RPM's are important also. I turn my saws at 3,450 RPM's.

No need to have a thicker blade[saw blade plate ] made,[I use a standard blade and have it re-ground]. Just use two stablizers, one on each side of the blade. Factory stablizers are no good. They are mass produced. If that's all you have, jig up [ hold them with a mandral like a bolt], and re-face them flat, or make a new set.They should be at least 3-1/2" or up to 4" depending on the room you have, and not to thick, maybe up to a 3/8" up to a 1/2". Again, depending on the room your have.


Grinding the sides flat helps a lot to keep from getting swirle lines in the shaft, or butt.
Factory sharpened blades are dull. Have a saw guy re-sharpen your blades. Have him grind the sides square, [flat on the sides], and grind as much releife and rack as possible.

This has really worked well for me. No vibration, no wiggle just smooth running.

Time, why not slow down your feed rate to about 6-1/2 to 7 minute per 30".

This will also help with smoothness of the finished product.A minute or so will not cause you any extra work, infact it may just save you a lot of extra sanding.
blud
 
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blud said:
Hi Chris and others,
I do not recomend an 80 tooth blade. Believe it or not, you get air push-off with to many teeth. 60 teeth is plenty.The RPM's are important also. I turn my saws at 3,450 RPM's.

No need to have a thicker blade[saw blade plate ] made,[I use a standard blade and have it re-ground]. Just use two stablizers, one on each side of the blade. Factory stablizers are no good. They are mass produced. If that's all you have, jig up [ hold them with a mandral like a bolt], and re-face them flat, or make a new set.They should be at least 3-1/2" or up to 4" depending on the room you have, and not to thick, maybe up to a 3/8" up to a 1/2". Again, depending on the room your have.


Grinding the sides flat helps a lot to keep from getting swirle lines in the shaft, or butt.
Factory sharpened blades are dull. Have a saw guy re-sharpen your blades. Have him grind the sides square, [flat on the sides], and grind as much releife and rack as possible.

This has really worked well for me. No vibration, no wiggle just smooth running.

Time, why not slow down your feed rate to about 6-1/2 to 7 minute per 30".

This will also help with smoothness of the finished product.A minute or so will not cause you any extra work, infact it may just save you a lot of extra sanding.
blud
Thanks Blud, realy apprecaite your help and enjoy reading your posts. Quick question. I have a 5/8 arbor, can you recommend a source for stabilizers. Thanks
 
blades

kiinstructor said:
Thanks Blud, realy apprecaite your help and enjoy reading your posts. Quick question. I have a 5/8 arbor, can you recommend a source for stabilizers. Thanks
Got to your local hardware store, [not homedepot or lowes] just a good home town store, or a saw shop, they should be able to help. Better yet, buy a piece of alumiumn 3 to 4" in dia, bore a 5/8 hole cup one side, use a parting tool and part off the other side and your done. Takes about 45 minutes or so per set. Or go to a local machine shop, and have them made out of steel for about $60.00.....
You most likly going to ask, so, I don't sell these. Sorry.........
blud
 
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