[icor1031]

I put on a New, 80-tooth ATB blade.
I made a zero clearance throat plate.
And I put masking tape on the bottom of the board I'm cutting.


It's still splintering, although there's Much less of it than before. I'm cutting pine 1x6 boards.

What else can I do, to improve it? Is a 100+ tooth, Hi-ATB the last 'fix' I can make?

 

[GoNavy429]

Exactly what blade are we talking about, because not all 80 tooth ATB blades are created equal, what is the hook angle, and what is your definition of splintered. Can you post a pic. Have you double checked the blade mount, etc...hard to diagnose a problem with sparse information. Give us as much info as possible. I have gotten glue up smooth cuts using 40 tooth blades. More teeth isn't the end all be all to smooth cuts.

 

[JGarver]

I'm using a cheap 40 tooth DeWalt blade with my 12" Dewalt miter saw, and there's absolutely no splintering whatsoever. I'm using pine and poplar to make some trim repairs. Not sure what you have going on there.

 

[icor1031]

DEWALT DW3128P5 80 Tooth and 32T ATB Thin Kerf 12-inch Crosscutting Miter Saw Blade, 2 Pack - Amazon.com

Exactly what blade are we talking about, because not all 80 tooth ATB blades are created equal, what is the hook angle, and what is your definition of splintered. Can you post a pic. Have you double checked the blade mount, etc...hard to diagnose a problem with sparse information. Give us as much info as possible. I have gotten glue up smooth cuts using 40 tooth blades. More teeth isn't the end all be all to smooth cuts.

 

[BassBlaster]

I use a Fread Diablo 40 tooth combination blade in my miter saw and get no splintering or tear out in soft or hard woods.:thumbsup:

 

[GoNavy429]

DEWALT DW3128P5 80 Tooth and 32T ATB Thin Kerf 12-inch Crosscutting Miter Saw Blade, 2 Pack - Amazon.com

Those are not bad blades, they only carry a +5 degree hook. I usually only use neg hook blades on a miter saw, but 5 degrees shouldn't be doing that, possible the wood itself, might be a too dry maybe, I don't know. The only thing I can suggest is maybe a neg hook blade. Have you tried cutting other types of board, do you get the same results.

 

[Pirate]

A friend uses that blade, on his Dewalt scms, and I was impressed with the smoothness of the cut. Is the cut real smooth, but splintered? Are you cutting "splinter wood" Joke!

 

[icor1031]

I think it's my fault, because I'm a noob.



The table I'm working on rocks back and forth, so the board moves a little before I cut.

I was pulling the blade up and turning off the power right after finishing the cut. I don't know the proper technique, but it seems to work best if I press the blade down all of the way, and hold it there while I wait for it to stop spinning.

My boards were unsupported - that is, they fell (a short distance) after I made the cut, while the blade was spinning.



I changed these things, and the splintering is noticeably improved. The top is still clearly better, though.

And yes, the cuts are smooth.

 

[tonyuno]

One of the best sites to go on ( In My Opinion) is the wood whisperer. Watch his version of MS use, not saying he gets everything absolute but it is a good basis to start from.

 

[rrich]

There are two kinds of DeWalt blades, Construction and Woodworking. The ones with the "Halo" or yellow ring are construction blades and very adequate for construction work.

I would suggest getting a miter saw blade intended for woodworking. although I'm not a fan of Forrest, their blades intended for mire saw use are very good.

Home Depot carries Freud and Lowe's carries (Irwin) Marples blades. I prefer the Marples, but that is just me.

DO NOT use a table saw blade in the miter saw. A blade with a NEGATIVE hook angle must be used in a miter saw for safety. (A smoother cut also.)

BTW - If you look at the blade, you can see that the teeth lean away from the cut rather than into the cut. This is a negative hook angle. Hold the blade in both hands and arms straight out, the negative hook angle is obvious.

If your saw is a slider, technique can help a lot. Lower the blade through the back (against the fence) of the cut. All that you want to do is to just barely cut all the way through the wood at the back edge. Raise the blade and just barely score the top of the wood all the way across the wood. (1/16" to 1/8") Finally lower the blade through the wood and push cut through the wood.

 

[alaskacedar]

I noticed you're using a 12" blade, and your saw looks a fair bit older, have you checked the arbor size of the blade? If your saw has a 5/8" arbor and your blade is for a 1" arbor (I'm not certain but I think these dewalt blades are indeed for a saw with a 1" arbor), you'll run a bigger chance of getting dirty cuts. Sounds like you got your technique figured out though! Good job! Never forget to always have the board supported and always let your blade stop spinning before you bring the saw out of the cut for the cleanest cut possible. That, coupled with your zero clearance insert, you'll be able to produce some beautiful cuts on almost any miter saw.

 

[Trav]

Is your zero clearance insert flush with the rest of the saw? If there is any space between the board and the insert it will not be able to do it's job. If the piece you are cutting is fully supported, it is my experience that it won't tear out.

 

[Hammer1]

Your zero clearance insert would have to be flush with the tables to prevent splintering, or you could use a sacrificial piece underneath the work. Leave the saw down until it stops, that is usually stated in the owners manual. If you use tape, it has to be burnished down tightly but it doesn't help if the insert is too low.

 

[icor1031]

Thank you, gents.

 

[rbk123]

I bought that set of blades last Xmas and returned them after making 1 cut; they were horrible. There are much better blades out there - get one from a blade manufacturer vs. a tool brand and you'll be far more impressed with the results.

Outside of that, a sacrificial board underneath will also help.