# Saw blade for bamboo ply?



## Jackietreehorn (Feb 3, 2013)

Hope this right area to ask, I want to get a new blade before I start next project and am curious what blades have worked well with bamboo ply.
Thanks in advance!


----------



## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

I use a 40 tooth Freud Diablo and get very clean cuts BUT I always use a zero clearance insert.


----------



## Loren (May 30, 2008)

It's splintery so a blade suited for fine crosscuts or melamine
will give the the cleanest cut. A zero clearance insert, properly
set up so there is no gap between the insert and the
work when feeding (check saw table flatness, etc) is
a cheaper way to use a less-than-premium blade. If
you check the prices on melamine blades you'll see what 
I mean.


----------



## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

I have noticed that "Tiger Strand" bamboo splinters MUCH worse than conventional (non-stranded) bamboo ply.

Taping the cutline with blue painter's tape does NOT seem to help much when crosscutting stranded bamboo.


----------



## Jackietreehorn (Feb 3, 2013)

Got it! My last project involved melamine and instead of using a melamine blade I used a thin kerf 80 tooth blade I had with zero clearance insert. It actually worked out better than the melamine blade I had used in my other shop. Thanks for the input!


----------



## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

A blade with a high tooth and a Hi-ATB grind will give the least amount of tearout. Infinity makes some of the best blades I've used….their Ultrasmooth 010-080 would be ideal, but their 010-060 would also be a great choice. A Forrest Duraline, Freud LU79/LU80, or CMT 210.080.10 would also be fine choices. One of those blades and the technique suggest by gfadvm should give you great results.


----------

