Saw blade "flutter" on my table saw

“Flutter” can be caused by using a thin kerf blade as opposed to a 1/8” thick blade. Also a blade with too many teeth for ripping. Sounds like you have a well tuned saw…problem must be in the blade.

Bob

All of my blades are Freud full thickness – I’ve never owned a thin kerf blade, so that can’t be the problem. This happens with a rip blade installed too…......i just don’t get it!!

-- Wag more, bark less.

Matt,

Just a thought; have you sent this question to both the Saw mfg and Freud? They might have insight into the issue.

-- Chris

I’ve had it happen on more than one saw, so I don’t think that is the cause, but i might shoot an email to Freud to get their opinion – that’s a great idea! Thanks!

-- Wag more, bark less.

Have you checked the Arbor bearings? I don’t think that this is the case sense you’ve got the saw dialed in to a couple of 0.001. I would think that if the it were the arbor bearings that your setup would be further out and not repeatable. But it might be worth a look.

cc

-- Chunk

Hi Matt

You are saying that “I’ve had this happen with newly sharpened blades, blades with and without stiffeners, on thick and thin wood, hard and soft wood”,...I would exclude the blade as the problem and check the Arbor and/or the belts tension….it happened to me – on the drill press – that the belts are suddenly flattering and causing the chuck to flutter….

All of my blade are thin kerf and I never had this problem…

Regards
niki

Are you using a blade splitter? Sometimes the harmonics get wacky when ripping stock that is binding the back side of the blade. Is this happening when you are ripping hardwoods or softwoods also? Heat buildup on the blade will cause the blade to warp and cause fluttering.

-- Oldworld, Fair Oaks, Ca

Wacky harmonics – that sounds like my problem! Could be a heat issue or pitch buildup leading to a heat issue. My new 3 hp Jet saw has a riving knife, that, come to think about it – has reduced the occurance of this fluttering problem. But I did have it happen yesterday when I was raising the blade through a new phenolic ZCI with a newly sharpened Freud 40T combo blade. I got about 3/4” above the table when the first of several “flutterings” occurred before the blade reached full height. Now my brand new ZCI has a jagged, wide opening that doesn’t match the blade width! AARRGGHHHH!!

-- Wag more, bark less.

I have no advice, but wanted to comment on your profile photo of the GSP or GWP. I have a 13 year old GSP. Love of my life. Just don’t tell my wife and kids. Best of luck with the blade problem.

-- Measure, cut, curse, repeat.

Thanks, McLean. She’s a 12+ year old wirehaired and the love of our whole family – the best dog we’ve ever had – and I don’t know what I’d do without her.

-- Wag more, bark less.

Could it be runout from the arbor or flange? How are the belts?