Adding set to a table saw blade

[Bob Gramann]

I'm guessing it's high speed steel. It is not carbide. I had it made so I could cut fret slots on my new SawStop table saw. Since I was having it made, I saw no reason to go to 8" and have to buy another cartridge for the SawStop, so I asked for 10". $131 included the shipping. The guy that I talked to at the Blade Manufacturing Company (that's the name of the company--http://www.blademfg.com )was easy to work with. I don't know that he'll remember making it for me, but if so, it will save you some time in explaining what you want. He started with a normal thickness 10" blank, cut the rim thickness down, and then cut the saw teeth. If he can cut it down to only .022", you won't have the problem with the set that led to this thread. He said that I can send it back for sharpening--I may never have to buy another one of these blades again.

There is at least one other SawStop solution that I found out about before I bought the saw: You can hotwire the saw to use the standard 6" fret slotting blade that StewMac sells. You screw a relatively thick copper wire into the brake block and bend it up beside the blade so that the blade clearance detector circuit in the saw thinks that the blade is within 1/16" of the blade brake block and allows the saw to run. When I found I could get a blade made to use the saw without fooling it, I went that route.

I like the SawStop a lot. I've used it enough in 6 months that I might be down to less than $1 a cut. If not, I will be there soon. There are many of its design features that seem pretty smart. It has reinforced my prejudice to buy good tools. I used my Dad's old Craftsman table saw for decades not realizing that a better saw makes a difference.

[Randolph Rhett]

It is great that you solved your problem, however for others it may be useful to note that Jescar has mostly .020" tang. I buy 47095 or the 47104 and both are loose in a .023" slot. Your blade would be perfect as it was.

[Christ Kacoyannakis]

Thanks Bob. I read the thread where you explained how to hot wire the saw. I just never got around to doing that, and to be honest, I never really felt comfortable doing it either. For the money, the blade looks and sounds as good as the power systems sold by StewMac and LMII (not that they are bad, they just don't work with the Saw Stop.).