Acrylic blade for tablesaw (James?)

[ChrisRD]

I have a fine cut 80 tooth (10" - 5/8" arbor) woodworking blade that I've used for cutting cast acrylic sheet in the past when building internal overflow boxes, sump baffles, etc. It seems good enough for crude purposes but I'd like to get a proper blade for acrylic work.

Would something like this work well?
http://www.carbide.com/catalog/CTSB_details.cfm?ID=LTZ-130022639

The cheaper blade (above) is not actually listed as a plastics blade, but it seems to have similar specs to the "real" acrylic blades like these:
http://www.carbide.com/catalog/CTSB_details.cfm?ID=AMA-LB10801
http://www.carbide.com/catalog/CTSB_details.cfm?ID=FST-LNM250

Will any of these blades produce edges that don't require additional prep before gluing (assume something that needs good, strong joints like a sump or display tank for example)?

 

[Acrylics]

Hi Chris,

Any of them will be fine for simply cutting with minimal chipping but IMO all materials should be prepped prior to gluing, esp on aquaria and no blade that I've seen creates a good enough edge to not require edge preparation. Based on the above, I see no reason to spend the extra $$ on "plastics" blades as they simply aren't worth the $$ IMO/IME. I personally use NF (non-ferrous) blades for almost everything, these can be found at www.everlastsaw.com and look for blade NF1080M (similar to the Leitz NF blade) but the Leitz should be just fine though I personally have no experience with them. I personally like the 0deg hook angle found on the Everlast blades. A positive hook tends to chip and a negative hook tends to melt but a 0deg hook is juuust right again IMO.

HTH,
James

 

[ChrisRD]

Thanks James!

BTW, what do you recommend for edge prep? Routing, or something more?

 

[Anonymous]

Routing is fine if you do a good job to ensure the edge is smooth. I usually go over it with sand paper (becareful not to round the edge!). Can't remember the grit, but I think it is 420 or something.

 

[Anonymous]

We didn't prep the edges in the MACO skimmer or reactor classes. Fergy said that the edges from the table saw were fine for gluing. James is the expert though, so I now expect my stuff to start leaking any day now.

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

We didn't prep the edges in the MACO skimmer or reactor classes. Fergy said that the edges from the table saw were fine for gluing. James is the expert though, so I now expect my stuff to start leaking any day now.

Louey

:lol:

drip drip drip





drip drip


:evil:

 

[Acrylics]

For *most* purposes, a good saw cut is fine for gluing, it'll stick & hold. But I am picky, conservative, and quite neurotic about my stuff so the extra 10-15 minutes to route all the edges is no biggy. For display tanks, I'd consider this much as mandatory.

I haven't needed to do any further prep other than just routing but I have advantages most hobbyists won't have; 5 x 8' & 5 x 10' router tables with 3/4" inlayed steel plates for attaching router bases so no vibration. All covered in polished Formica, makes moving big stuff easy I am in the process of building another 5 x 10' router table (next coupla weeks), maybe I'll take pics this time.

James

 

[ChrisRD]

Definitely post pics - would be interesting to see what the pros use.

 

[Anonymous]

The blade that I ordered was from this page:

http://www.thefabricatorssource.com/products/10sawblades.htm

Can't remember exactly which blade it was at the moment, but it was pricey.

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

it usually set you back by a Benjamine or so.

 

[Anonymous]

Here's the one I got. I checked it out when I got home tonight:

Model TRL10804

Diameter 10"

Teeth 80

Kerf .095"

Bore 5/8"

Price $183.50

Seem that I recall it was only $140 when I bought it 2.4 years ago.

Cuts acrylic like butter.

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

louey


what kind of teeth are they?

Is it a triple chip cut blade?

 

[Anonymous]

By the way....


NO matter what blade you get, it will not cut straight edges unless the fence is set parallel to the blade. There are adjustments for that on most saws, and most saws are not adjusted correctly.

it should be exactly the same distance from a tooth on the front of the blade to the fence as it is from that same tooth rotated to the back of the blade.

Most of the time they are set so that as the work slides through the saw the blade gets looser.

Mine at work is really sloppy, and it made just horrendous cuts on the acrylic I bought. But, there is no use in me setting it, we abuse it by cutting 4 inch oak on it as well as running aluminum and brass through it.

 

[Anonymous]

It is a triple chip grind.

Don't recall what "kind" of teeth it has.

 

[Anonymous]

I think the teeth is metal....

Sorry.

 

[Anonymous]

It is a triple chip grind.

Don't recall what "kind" of teeth it has.

That is what I was asking about.