Any Carpenters Here? Question about blade tooth count.

[Frodebro]

Good take for home projects - why invest in a wood shop if your use is occasional? I use a simple skil saw that projects a laser line. Snap a chalk line (or draw with a straight edge) where you want to cut, then get to work, keeping the laser line on top of the chalk line. You don't even need a very steady hand to make good cuts as long as you don't rush or sneeze. I've used it to cut shelving and even do surprisingly precise 8' plywood rips when I built a king bed base. According to the chart posted by @Vio above, its 7.25" blade will handle a 3" thick piece of stock, more than you'd need for cabinet work. Worth the $60.

If you're planning to "go pro" with your cabinet building prowess, I'd recommend something more robust, though! This thing gets used about twice per year. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BD81BLO?tag=bravesoftwa04-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&language=en_US

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They also sell guide rails for circular saws, or you can easily make one.

 

[sprint]

Thanks all for the great responses - Looking like track saw will be the cat's meow for the projects I have in mind and minimal wear and tear on my old body when moving it around.

 

[TG3K]

Thanks all for the great responses - Looking like track saw will be the cat's meow for the projects I have in mind and minimal wear and tear on my old body when moving it around.

I think you'll be happy with that choice.

...I figured for longer cuts I can get HD to break down sheets to smaller work pieces on their in-store saw.

I've had mixed results with having the store break down sheet goods. Their panel saws are not always dialed in to be perfectly square, and I've had cases where the employee running the saw figured cutting something within 1/8" of spec was good enough.

 

[spagthorpe]

That saw gets decent reviews on the woodworking forums I frequent. That said, a small table saw is less than ideal for cutting sheet goods like plywood or OSB. It can be difficult to get a straight and square cut with the small table and limited fence depth. My preference would be a track saw. I know this is more money, but you'll get better results with something like this:

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/ry...with-4-0-ah-hp-battery-and-charger/1001696480

As it comes in that package, it will cut a 4' wide sheet of material. With the addition of a second track, it will cut a 4' x 8' sheet of material lengthwise. There are other more robust brands than Ryobi, but they are also more expensive. To me, tools are the same as music gear. The cheap ones are more expensive in the long run.

I would agree with this. I don't have the space for an actual shop anymore, so I have things like a Dewalt job site table saw. Not having a big bench definitely makes you work differently. For example, I'm building something for my van, and got a sheet of 4 x 8 0.75" Baltic Birch. That shit is heavy. Like, a really heavy sheet of plywood. Zero chance I could do anything with a portable table saw without a few people to help. So, I cut it down to approximate measurements with a circular saw on sawhorses, and then do the finer cuts on the table saw. Mine will do 24" no problem, and people make all kinds of crap to extend that if you want.

If you want to break down sheet though, and think you'll get the use from it, get something like a Festool or Makita track saw. The linked Ryobi is okay in a pinch, but not in the same league. IMHO. The big thing with Makita and Festool, is they use compatible tracks, which means that other companies make tracks, and accessories. It's a better ecosystem to be in.

Maybe get something like a 1" foam board from Home Depot as a sacrificial piece, and make the sheet cuts with the track saw. Those things cut so nice. I just can't justify dropping the coin on one for the little I use one, when I know I can do the above with a little bit of waste.

You can also do this, sort of, with a good circular saw. A good blade, and make your own "track" for it with a couple of pieces of wood, or get a piece of extruded aluminum, clamp it to the material, and run the saw along that. Not as slick, but I've built a bunch of things that way.

 

[Sixstring]

The higher the tooth count the finer the cut! That said I prefer carbide tipped blades as they tend to last longer!

In the market for a light compact table saw to do some speaker cab projects etc but a bit confused about tooth count: does the tooth count on a 10" blade result in the same cut fineness/roughness as with the same tooth count on an 8 1/4" blade? (I'm deciding between 10" and 8 1/4" compact saw options and wondering if different sized blades associated with the different saw options result in different cut character - couldn't find much googling this question).

Pretty much decided on this one - any thoughts?

The higher the tooth count the finer the cut! If you are working with really expensive ply I would not skimp on a blade! Tearout is a bitch when you are ripping down a $150 sheet of Baltic Birch. I prefer carbide tipped blades with a 40 - 60 or even an 80 tooth count! it just depends on the material being cut down.

I would also look for a zero clearance throat plates that will fit that saw, it will reduce if not but all eliminate tear out! Just know that you will need a specific one for angled cuts! these can be bought already cut or you can buy a blank and cut them yourself which the way I like to di this as it will be cut buy the blade making a perfect zero clearance fit!

Also let the blade do the cutting, don't force the work through! A thin kerf blade does a good job for glue joints but you really want a dovetail jig if you want the best joint possible which is a completely different topic requiring different tools.

 

[sprint]

The higher the tooth count the finer the cut! That said I prefer carbide tipped blades as they tend to last longer!

The higher the tooth count the finer the cut! If you are working with really expensive ply I would not skimp on a blade! Tearout is a bitch when you are ripping down a $150 sheet of Baltic Birch. I prefer carbide tipped blades with a 40 - 60 or even an 80 tooth count! it just depends on the material being cut down.

I would also look for a zero clearance throat plates that will fit that saw, it will reduce if not but all eliminate tear out! Just know that you will need a specific one for angled cuts! these can be bought already cut or you can buy a blank and cut them yourself which the way I like to di this as it will be cut buy the blade making a perfect zero clearance fit!

Also let the blade do the cutting, don't force the work through! A thin kerf blade does a good job for glue joints but you really want a dovetail jig if you want the best joint possible which is a completely different topic requiring different tools.

Thanks for the info - most of the saws I've considered ship with lower tooth count blades so I'll def be looking at getting an additional blade for smoother finish cuts. I'm also reading that there is a higher risk of burning edges with the higher tooth count blades. Is there a trick to avoiding that? (I guess letting the blade do the cutting as you mention above?).