# Circular saw burning my wood. Help please!



## WoodSailor (Jan 4, 2018)

Hey guys,

So I am attempting to make a Canadian maple and Bloodwood cutting board. I don't have a table saw so I got a Kreg Accucut as a less expensive work around to make a long straight cut to rip the Canadian maple into strips the size I needed. However when I started trying to rip a very small section off of the maple (its currently just rough cut so I was trimming it so I could get a nice straight edge) I didnt get more than a inch in when I started smelling smoke and noticed that the edge was turning black.

I am using a Kobalt 24V wireless circular saw with a 6.5in Dewalt 40T carbide blade.

Not sure what the issue is; Any ideas?


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## dfisher (Mar 4, 2012)

you need better saw and a good blade better yet find someone to use there table saw with a good blade like ts100 by carbide tool


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

This may seem like a silly question but is your blade installed correctly? It happens all the time. The teeth should be facing away from you and cutting up into the wood.


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## 000 (Dec 9, 2015)

I don't use that small blade on any of my tools, 
but I think 40 teeth is too many. 
I would look for a 24 tooth or even an 18 tooth blade.


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## WoodSailor (Jan 4, 2018)

Andy- that is how I have the blade on. (though I admit it did install it backward to begin with but figured it out before I used the saw haha).

Duane- I don't think the blade itself should be an issue in terms of quality like I said its a 40 tooth dewalt carbide blade, I would think that would be more that sufficient to cut the maple. (it was also really my only option for a higher tooth count in a 6.5in blade at lowes lol). But when you say I need a better saw what kind of things would make for a better saw that would possibly fix this issue? And why is this saw only starting to do this now and hasn't ever done it on other woods I cut?

Thanks for helping out a newbie!


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## WoodSailor (Jan 4, 2018)

Jbay- I thought you wanted to use a higher tooth count when ripping wood to reduce splinters? Is that not right? (Also the kreg accucut said to use a blade with at least 40 teeth)


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## 000 (Dec 9, 2015)

> Jbay- I thought you wanted to use a higher tooth count when ripping wood to reduce splinters? Is that not right? (Also the kreg accucut said to use a blade with at least 40 teeth)
> 
> - WoodSailor


In plywood this may be true, but not for hardwoods, like maple.
I'm sure Kregs recommendation is for cutting panels.


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

> But when you say I need a better saw what kind of things would make for a better saw that would possibly fix this issue? And why is this saw only starting to do this now and hasn t ever done it on other woods I cut?
> - WoodSailor


I agree. It's just a spinning piece of metal. Unless there is something wrong with the saw any saw should be able to handle it.

Curious.


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## Gilley23 (May 9, 2017)

When you were cutting, did your saw bog down at all? How thick are the pieces that you are cutting?

When you are cutting thicker material the gullets (the empty space between the teeth of the saw blade) of the saw blade will fill up faster than with thinner material. With high tooth count blades, the small areas of the gullets don't have time to clear out, thus the teeth of the blade can't cut into the material the way that they are designed to do and generate excessive heat.

First thing to do is try a good blade with something closer to 18tpi. Even so, unless the material is only 1/2" thick I bet it will still burn some and you'll have some cleaning up to do. That little circular saw blade is going to deflect, so expect some clean up.


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## Kelster58 (Dec 2, 2016)

Agree with JBAY. For 6.5" saw 40T is too many for ripping. Especially maple. I would go to 24T on a 6.5 inch saw.


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## johannel (Nov 27, 2014)

It could be that your fence is not in line with your blade that can also burn the wood


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## Sark (May 31, 2017)

40 tooth blade is definitely a problem. You need ripping blade. A 40 tooth blade is for cross cutting or plywood. The ripping blade for my table saw has 24 teeth. That's a 10" diameter blade. A ripping blade has fewer teeth and bigger gullets than a cross cut or combination blade. Try diablo contractor blade with 24 teeth and red teflon coating.


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## Sark (May 31, 2017)

40 tooth blade is definitely a problem. You need ripping blade. A 40 tooth blade is for cross cutting or plywood. The ripping blade for my table saw has 24 teeth. That's a 10" diameter blade. A ripping blade has fewer teeth and bigger gullets than a cross cut or combination blade. Try diablo contractor blade with 24 teeth and red teflon coating.


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## josephf (Aug 29, 2012)

my first thought was the fence was not aligned to the blade also .though i agree more teeth heat up faster this should not be an issue in the first inch .the cobalt saw should do the job though you might have to go very slow and it will go through batteries .do not over heat saw or batteries .do not let the smoke out .


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

Ill burn maple on my 3hp tablesaw with a dedicated rip blade. I dont think youll ever get a picture perfect edge with a circ saw no matter what ya do. Cleaning up the edge is going to be something that just comes with the territory.

If youre talking like catching fire type burning … thats a different ball of wax.


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