# Should I be worried about a few damaged blade teeth?



## DustyM (May 16, 2016)

As I was changing from my 10" combo blade to my rip blade the other night, I noticed 3-4 teeth with very slight dings/chips in them. I've been using the blade without incident, and I did check where the carbide meets the blade (no apparent damage). My question is: Is it safe to continue using with just a few teeth with minor damage, or am I just asking for trouble?

If necessary, I can upload some pictures later.


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

Just me, but I DON'T use a damaged blade under any circumstances.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

I do it. They seem to get chipped here and there
just cutting wood.

I suppose a blade could throw a chip. I use a guard
and don't recall ever finding one.


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## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

If it's a decent blade, have it sharpened. If its a cheap blade, replace it with a better one.


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## woodbutcherbynight (Oct 21, 2011)

> If it s a decent blade, have it sharpened. If its a cheap blade, replace it with a better one.
> 
> - knotscott


*+1 * because Father Murphy tends to show up and a trip to the ER is alot more than a new blade.


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

Do you have pictures of the damage? Some blades should be replaced or repaired (if worth it) and some damage isn't something you might need to worry about.


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## BurlyBob (Mar 13, 2012)

+2 for what knotscott said as well as wood butcher.


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## DustyM (May 16, 2016)

Well, I said I'd take pictures, then totally forgot 

The damage to the teeth being where it is (there are two teeth chipped on the side of the carbide, and 2 with significant dings on the top of the teeth), I think it's likely necessary for those teeth to be replaced rather than sharpened. The blade is the Freud P410t, and has served me pretty well, so I'm looking at 2 options:

Contact a sharpening service and get an estimate to have it sharpened and the damaged teeth replaced (depending upon the cost, I'll either get it repaired or buy a replacement), or

Buy a true cross-cut blade rather than another combination blade. As it is, I do take the time to swap out blades for ripping operations, so I'm interested to hear feedback on this one.


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## enazle (May 18, 2018)

Man, that's a name brand blade. Do you remember hitting anything? If no it may be defective.


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## DustyM (May 16, 2016)

> Man, that s a name brand blade. Do you remember hitting anything? If no it may be defective.
> 
> - enazle


Oh yeah. I mean, I've had it for almost two years, but I distinctly remember when I turned it on and a nearby drill bit fell off my fence (we just had a thread about keeping stuff off your fence, but I learned my lesson the hard way) and hit the blade.

By the by, I did find a number of sharpening services online, and it looks to run me around half the cost of the blade or less to get the teeth repaired/replaced and the blade sharpened, so I think that's my plan. Any sharpening services you all recommend highly? Or at least, any that I should particularly avoid?


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## GR8HUNTER (Jun 13, 2016)

I take mine to an Amish guy who does an incredible job sharpening them to better then new :<))
should be some in KY :<))


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## DustyM (May 16, 2016)

> I take mine to an Amish guy who does an incredible job sharpening them to better then new :<))
> should be some in KY :<))
> 
> - GR8HUNTER


Lol. Yeah, there are plenty. I'm on the outskirts of a major metropolitan area, with a very rural area/farmland only about 10 miles Northeast of me. I see 'em around all the time. Maybe I should just carry my tools with me everywhere, so I can request an impromptu sharpening?


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## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

Forrest sharpens blades other than their own. The exceptions are on their web site. I'm sure there are other outstanding companies doing sharpening, but they would be a sure thing.


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

> Buy a true cross-cut blade rather than another combination blade. As it is, I do take the time to swap out blades for ripping operations, so I m interested to hear feedback on this one.
> 
> - Dustin


If you're swapping blades when you switch between cross-cutting and ripping, I don't see any reason to stick with a combination blade. I get much better results with dedicated X-cut and rip blades.


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## DustyM (May 16, 2016)

> Buy a true cross-cut blade rather than another combination blade. As it is, I do take the time to swap out blades for ripping operations, so I m interested to hear feedback on this one.
> 
> - Dustin
> 
> ...


Kenny,

That was my thought, but wanted some input. I know the difference in ripping from the combo blade to rip blade is night and day. Would you say it's a fairly dramatic improvement in cross cutting? I do already use a sled for these operations to avoid bottom/back tearout.

Either way, I'll likely have this blade serviced as it's too good to let go (plus, nice to have a backup).


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

> Buy a true cross-cut blade rather than another combination blade. As it is, I do take the time to swap out blades for ripping operations, so I m interested to hear feedback on this one.
> 
> - Dustin
> 
> ...


In my opinion, yes, the cut quality is much improved. But, my combo blade is a 50T Diablo blade and my X cut is a 60T Freud Industrial thin kerf. So I went up in tooth count and blade quality so it's not exactly apples-to-apples comparison.


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## John Smith_inFL (Dec 15, 2017)

*What ~ me worry ?? Naahhhhh - I don't worry about a broken tooth.*









.


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## DustyM (May 16, 2016)

LOL,

Thanks, John, a little slow around the office today, and I needed a laugh.

Kenny, I appreciate the feedback. If I get a dedicated crosscut blade, I think I'll likely go to an 80 tooth count. I know they get pricey, but then there's that 80 tooth think kerf Oldham blade that KnottScott's mentioned a few times on his blade posts. For $20, it may be worth a gamble. From the photos, it looks like a surprising amount of carbide for such an inexpensive blade.


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

> LOL,
> 
> Thanks, John, a little slow around the office today, and I needed a laugh.
> 
> ...


I use an 80T blade on my miter saw. It definitely leaves a clean surface.


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## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

In general, most 60T to 80T crosscut blades will leave a cleaner cut than a 40T, however the P410T Fusion has a Hi-ATB grind and does very well in crosscuts…probably not as good as a good 60T but it's cleaner in crosscuts than all the 40T blades I've tried except for the Infinity Super General, which is a similar Hi-ATB 40T design. If you're a Freud guy, the LU88R010 is a really nice 60T crosscut blade that will also rip very cleanly up to an inch or so, depending on the material, so it can really be used for lots of general purpose work, and should be cleaner than the P410T. Ebay is offering 20% off a minimum $50 purchase today only til 7pm ET….code - "PICKDADSGIFT". That'd make the LU88 around ~ $47 shipped after the discount. It'd also make the P410T around ~ $64 shipped.

I haven't tried that Oldham Pro 100PT80, but it looks to be identical to the DeWalt DW3218 (~ $60) that I have tried….it's a very good crosscut blade that just happens to be ~ $34 shipped….add a 24T ripper to get your Ebay cart over $50, and get that 20% discount. 

Another awesome 60T blade that will excel in crosscuts, ply, and do very clean ripping to ~ 1" is the Infinity 010-060….just a great all around blade for everything except thicker ripping. No Ebay discount, but a great blade.


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## Redoak49 (Dec 15, 2012)

I find that my Premier Fusion blade cuts c k leaner than almost any blade I have and does really well in plywood.

My guess is that because of the design not many can sharpen it well and may be expensive to sharpen or replace teeth.

I will use a blade with a Nick in the carbide but not one damaged due have a drill bit fall into it.


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## DustyM (May 16, 2016)

I appreciate all the feedback.

Scott…man, that Oldham blade is really tempting, but I realized something after reading your post.

You mentioned "if I'm a Freud guy". My initial thought was, "not really." Then I realized that I have the P410, the LU87R010, and am looking pretty hard at their LU91M010 to replace the stock blade on my 10" Delta Cruzer.

So I guess I am kind of a Freud guy after all 

And I certainly don't mind paying for something of quality. I just dropped the same amount of money, give or take a couple bucks, on a 3/8" spiral upcut bit from Whiteside for mortises the other day, so there's that.


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