Your Favorite 12" Miter Saw Blade

[Belle City Woodworking]

Hi All,

I am looking to improve the quality of my miter saw cuts and I was wondering what blade you guys prefer on your miter saws?  I have a 12" Bosch Sliding Miter Saw.  I am looking to get something that will lessen blow out on the back end of the cuts.  Thanks in advance for your assistance.

[jteneyck]

Hi All,

I am looking to improve the quality of my miter saw cuts and I was wondering what blade you guys prefer on your miter saws?  I have a 12" Bosch Sliding Miter Saw.  I am looking to get something that will lessen blow out on the back end of the cuts.  Thanks in advance for your assistance.

I have a 12" Bosch CMS, not the sliding version.  The stock 60 tooth blade cut great.  I tried a 96 tooth Freud on it and it bogged down in anything very hard and cut no cleaner.  I went back to a 60 tooth blade, a Diablo I believe, and it cuts very well, clean enough for trim work and generally for furniture work as well. 

Blow out can happen with any blade unless the work is supported where the blade exists the work.  When I need "perfection" I put a piece of MDF or plywood under the work and also against the back fence giving me a zero clearance insert.  I would try this approach before replacing the stock blade.  Of course a sharp blade is important, too, and if yours has seen a lot of miles getting it sharpened will help a lot.  

John

[Belle City Woodworking]

I have a 12" Bosch CMS, not the sliding version.  The stock 60 tooth blade cut great.  I tried a 96 tooth Freud on it and it bogged down in anything very hard and cut no cleaner.  I went back to a 60 tooth blade, a Diablo I believe, and it cuts very well, clean enough for trim work and generally for furniture work as well. 

Blow out can happen with any blade unless the work is supported where the blade exists the work.  When I need "perfection" I put a piece of MDF or plywood under the work and also against the back fence giving me a zero clearance insert.  I would try this approach before replacing the stock blade.  Of course a sharp blade is important, too, and if yours has seen a lot of miles getting it sharpened will help a lot.  

John

Thanks for that info John!

[iublue]

Hi All,

I am looking to improve the quality of my miter saw cuts and I was wondering what blade you guys prefer on your miter saws?  I have a 12" Bosch Sliding Miter Saw.  I am looking to get something that will lessen blow out on the back end of the cuts.  Thanks in advance for your assistance.

I love my Forrest Chopmaster blade.  Cuts smooth as silk, virtually no saw lines.

[Steve N]

I swapped from a Bosch slider (gifted to my BIL) to a DeWally DW715 miter saw Absolutely no bells and whistles, just a chop. or miter cut. I love the saw, and no longer doing a lot of trim work it fits my needs nicely. I hated the included blade, harsh, splintered cuts on everything. I put on the Freud Ultimate crosscutting blade and have never been happier with a blade choice. Crisp very clean cuts on hard or soft woods. It's only dink would be if you cut a miter, and don't hold the board still, it will creep some across the cut due to the massive amount of teeth. Hold it tight, and you are good to go.

[Belle City Woodworking]

Thanks guys!!!!

[K. L. McReynolds]

I also have a DeWalt 12"(been rebuilt once due to heavy use)---still have the original OEM blade, which is fine for relatively rough work.

For job site trim, a Freud 80 tooth Fine Finish blade is the go to. I have two, one stainless and one red coated.

It is not a slider(not a slider fan, too imprecise). The problem with miter saws(fixed or slider) is step cutting when cutting angles. The stock moves just a tiny bit part way through the cut, making miters gap.

Two remedies. One, as John said, securing the stock; and two, slowing down the travel of the blade through the stock.

[Steve N]

Mac what you describe I have always called creep. Virtually any high tooth count (Crosscut) blade is a potential problem. You absolutely have to secure your work, either a very firm hand, or a mechanical clamp. As the number of teeth start to make an angled cut all of those teeth hitting will start to move the work piece. It makes a fishbowl like cut. Sometimes you don't see them, until you try to close the miter. This problem tends to increase on a slider, same amount of teeth, but now you are coming across the cut in a swiping manner. I'm in agreement a straight miter saw is far more stable, and gives a better line that a slider. But you can also get creep on a TS miter. Clamped to a miter sled/dubby is the easiest way to eliminate it, but the sled needs to be tight in the miter slots, or you just make the entire sled slide.

[Tapper]

Hi All,

I am looking to improve the quality of my miter saw cuts and I was wondering what blade you guys prefer on your miter saws?  I have a 12" Bosch Sliding Miter Saw.  I am looking to get something that will lessen blow out on the back end of the cuts.  Thanks in advance for your assistance.

The only effective way, I've found, to completely prevent blowout using a miter saw or a SCMS is to use a backer board. The backer board will absorb the blowout and give you a clean cut on the primary board. Blades with high teeth count will definitely give you a smoother cut. FWIW, I have a 12" Dewalt miter saw and a Milwaukee 12" SCMS.

Doug

[Belle City Woodworking]

Thanks again guys!