Anyone use a negative rake blade in a table saw?

[FortJefferson]

Do you have any problems with doing so?

 

[Dave54]

I never have used one, and I wouldn't. Not with a hand fed table saw. Too much increase in rejection force I'd have thought. Dangerous.

 

[big-all]

negative rake i assume laminate
completely normal

 

[Dave54]

negative rake i assume laminate
completely normal

I'm a solid wood man (between the ears anyroad! . Limited experience with laminates and so on really. I thought negative rake blades were for chop type "overhead" saws more than anything. I'd assume then that you need to make sure everything is set up right (as it should be anyway) so the work is held down if it tries to lift? And / or power feed?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I have to agree with Dave here - negative rake is designed for use in chop or crosscut saws and is NOT normal on a table saw. Using negative rake on a table saw is just asking for much increased kickback and is neither safe nor sensible for anyone who is relatively inexperienced. A better way to handle laminated timber on the table saw is to use either a triple chip grind (TCG) with minimal or zero rake or a high angle alternative top bevel (Hi-ATB) blade. Some firms such as Tenyru also do special hollow top tooth grinds on conventional ATB blades to achieve a similar result

 

[FortJefferson]

Thanks for all your replies.

I have a sliding mitre saw and a table saw (254mm) that take the same blades. I realize that the blade would produce some push/kick back on the table saw. I was thinking if I set the blade hight to it's maximum, then the angle the teeth were cutting the wood at, may be enough to limit the push back?

 

[catlad]

Crack on let us know the result.

 

[FortJefferson]

Well, I've "cracked on" and have had no trouble at all. Fantastic finish cutting laminate, plywood or melamine.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Even though it's regarded as a relatively unsafe practice? The safest way to set-up a blade is to have the teeth projecting just above the surface rather than raised to the maximum. Your trechnoque may work initially but is much more prone to chipping out as the blade blunts as well.

 

[FortJefferson]

Even though it's regarded as a relatively unsafe practice? The safest way to set-up a blade is to have the teeth projecting just above the surface rather than raised to the maximum. Your trechnoque may work initially but is much more prone to chipping out as the blade blunts as well.

I only have the blade projecting just above the surface, just like any other. I did try fully up, but, as you say it chipped out very badly, and made no difference with feed or kickback.

I have tried to "make it go wrong" but it won't. If you can suggest a situation where it will be dangerous, let me know and I'll try it out.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I have tried to "make it go wrong" but it won't. If you can suggest a situation where it will be dangerous, let me know and I'll try it out.

Call me risk averse, but I'd have to refuse that request. I've seen enough stupid accidents with table saws in a forty plus year career to want to be the instigator of another one. IMHO table saws are not an ideal tool to fool around with.

The fact is that negative rake teeth are specifically designed for use on crosscut saws, more specifically pull-over saws (e.g. radial arm and conventional pull-overs) and in those cases they push the work backwards towards the fence as well as downwards onto the bed of the machine - which is what they are designed to do. Put them onto a table saw and they will tend to push the work back towards the operator as well as be more liable to lift the material in a kickback than a conventional positive rake blade. So you may well be OK when cutting low-strength MFC or MDF, but you are working with increased risk of a kickback and it's always as well to understand the process you are undertaking.