I’ve had something similar happen, and it WAS the blade. A dull blade generates MUCH more heat than a sharp one … it is digging away at the piece instead of slicing through it. That’s why the burn marks appear … and … wood begins to incinerate at about 450 deg F. ... so you KNOW it’s getting pretty hot. Along with the wood getting hot, so does the blade … BUT … instead of scorching, the blade, being made of steel will warp … and it can warp a LOT. I once had a cheap plywood blade warp so bad, it looked like a potato chip. I tried to get a picture of it, but when I got the camera, it had cooled off and was as straight as an arrow !!! If your blade is warping in use … it can be grabbing the piece and pinching it against the fence … by the time you shut it down to check alignment … it can straighten back up, defying detection.
-- - dabbling in sarcasm is foolish … if you’re not proficient at it, you end up looking stupid … ... ...
