January 4, 2023
You need to use the best table saw blade for cutting plywood when building plywood furniture. Plywood is prone to splintering than other types of wood if you use an incorrect saw blade.
Major Factors to Consider When Choosing Table Saw Blades for Cutting Plywood
Before buying something like a table saw blade for cutting plywood, it will be best to reduce your possible options to the best choices. It is likewise useful to know the important factors to consider about the product. Hence, you should check the following essential factors to consider when buying a table saw blade for cutting plywood:
Types of Plywood You will Cut
Plywood is not natural, for you will not find it naturally existing in nature. It consists of several thin layers of hardwood or softwood. These thin layers got glued together. Afterward, they got compressed under intense heat.
The layers are usually around three millimeters thick. Moreover, manufacturers also make use of odd numbers when referring to plywood. Hence, you get the names 5-ply and 3-ply. You got ample size options when buying plywood. You can buy, for example, 2×2, 4×4 up to 4×10. The thickness of the plywood, of course, is determined by the number of plies.
Plywood usually has softwood inner layers made of cheaper wood. The outer layers, however, are made of more expensive ones. The strength of the plywood depends on the number of layers it has. Plywood, of course, is mainly used for paneling, flooring, and furniture.
Plywood Sheet Types
Plywood comes in different sheet types. So, it will be good to know these different plywood sheet types. Here is a rundown of the sheet types of plywood:
MDF: MDF stands for a core made of medium-density fiber. Besides, the veneers of MDF feature a tight bond. MDF also seldom chip.
MDO and HDO: These acronyms stand for medium and high-density overlay plywood. These two are ordinary veneer but comes with MDF coating.
VC Plywood: VC plywood means it has a veneer core. You will see the layers of VC plywood made of alternate layers of plywood. But it has a veneer finish. VC plywood is light and strong. It is also quite easy to deal with and work with.
Lumber Core Plywood: Lumber core plywood is wrought in hardwood veneers. It can be very costly, for you will often find it used as external plywood.
Particle Board Core (PBC) Plywood: PBC is wrought in coarse dust. It features very smooth and light characteristics.
Melamine Plywood: The Melamine plywood gets bonded by resin or comes with a finish akin to a plastic finish. It gets often used for kitchen cupboards.
Crosscut or Ripping Cut
When choosing a saw blade for cutting plywood, you should also consider whether you will make a rip cut or crosscut. A rip cut is cutting in along the wood grain. Crosscut is cutting against the wood grain.
Cutting along the grain is easy. You can use a saw with large teeth and larger gullets when cutting along the grain. Crosscut, on the other hand, is cutting against the grain. When you crosscut, you see tiny wood fibers coming off.
Consider the Issues Concomitant with Cutting Plywood
When cutting plywood, you will find yourself beset with some cutting issues. The cut edge can become splintered if you use the wrong saw blade. You can also hurt your hand if there are many splinters. Moreover, plywood tends to bind significantly if the saw blade heats up.
Of course, you don’t want the plywood to end up with splintered edges after cutting. So, more often, it will be good to score the plywood before cutting.
Number of Teeth
Table saw blades come in a different number of teeth. The number of teeth will also factor well in the cut type you would like to achieve. If you do rip cut, you should go for forty teeth or less. You should also consider using something with ATB or alternate tooth bevel rating when ripping plywood.
Check likewise if the saw blade comes with sharp tips. Yet, you can use the forty-toothed saw blade for general purpose ripping of wood.
On the other hand, if you desire a clean-cut, go for saw blades with fifty teeth or more. You can also go for TCG saw blades, designed to withstand the hardness of materials. If you want a more delicate cut on plywood, you should go for saw blades with more teeth.
Most Recommended Table Saw Blades for Cutting Plywood
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1) Freud 10″ LU80R010
One brand that keeps on rolling out excellent table saw blades for cutting plywood is Freud. It also has the LU80R010, which is one of the best saw blades for cutting plywood. The Freud LU80R010 features a chip-free cut when used in plywood. Yet, you can also use it in fine moldings, laminates, and melamine.
You can also use it to make crosscuts on solid wood. Besides, it utilizes advanced technology in saw manufacturing. It also comes with slots (anti-vibrations) to reduce or do away with vibrations.
Moreover, it cuts like a laser. It has a ten-inch diameter with eighty teeth. Since it has more teeth, it cuts finely. It has a thin kerf (.126″), likewise. Moreover, it features a high-density carbide blade for optimum performance on plywood. It also comes with a coating (Perma-shield) to protect this blade from rusting.
2) DEWALT DW3106P5D60I
The DEWALT DW3106P5D60I might be the best saw blade for cutting plywood out there. It features a thin kerf that allows the blade to cut smoothly through the plywood without chips. Its design has been computer balanced. Thus, it has a plate that reduces vibrations.
With its use, you get enhanced accuracy leading to an excellent finish. It also comes with sixty teeth, and the teeth contain carbide tips. These carbide tips make it highly resistant to rusting.
Moreover, it comes with a shoulder design that features more steel on every tip. Thus, its durability is without question. Besides, you get two blades in each pack. It is also not expensive.
3) Freud LU79R010
Another great offering by Freud is the Freud LU79R010. If you’re searching for a saw blade for cutting plywood, you can check this out too. It is a ten-inch diameter blade that comes with eighty teeth. Its kerf is thin at .098″. Thus, it is perfect for making fine cuts through the plywood. You can also use this to cut other sheets like laminate and melamine.
The Freud LU79R010 features carbide tips with a coating (Perma-Shield) that is rust-resistant. Thus, you can expect this saw blade to withstand the test of time. It is also a heavy-duty saw blade that can provide you with high precision and chip-free cuts.
It also doesn’t heat up quickly, reducing the binding of the saw blade. It also prevents the buildup of the pitch.
4) Irwin Tools 1807367
If you’re looking for a general-purpose table saw blade, you can check out the Irwin Tools 1807367. The tooth design of this saw blade features an alternate bevel. This tooth arrangement comes with a knife-like edge for a clean cut on plywood.
The teeth are sharp, being made of carbide. You can also re-sharpen its teeth. Moreover, you can expect a flawless cut from this saw blade. This saw blade is a heat-resistant blade that comes with a non-stick coating. This coating lessens gumming. In turn, this leads to easy cleanup.
The Irwin Tools 1807367 is a bit expensive. But you can use it for cutting tough stuff. Additionally, this blade was initially made in Italy, but nowadays, you can find Irwin Tools blades made in China.
The 1807367 is a best-selling blade on some online selling platforms. It also has a diameter of ten inches. Besides, it comes with forty teeth with an alternate bevel design.
5) Diablo by Freud D1060X
The Diablo by Freud D1060X features a ten-inch saw blade that comes with sixty teeth. It has a .625″ arbor and comes with a PermaShield coating. Moreover, you can use this with ease when cutting hard materials.
You can use this with plywood, and it performs well. It also offers excellent cuts on the hardwood. Moreover, when you buy a pack of this saw blade, you get five blades. It also works well on thin veneer sheets.
This saw blade has proven itself to be very effective in cutting different thicknesses of plywood. Yet, despite being a top pick for cutting plywood, this saw blade is likewise an all-purpose blade. It can produce excellent results even with other types of materials like maple, oak, and mahogany. Hence, it is also a perfect choice for cutting hardwood.
Conclusion
As mentioned above, the best table saw blade for cutting plywood is usually relative to the kind of cuts you would like to make and the material you would like to cut. If you want to make quick long rip cuts, you can go for the raker. The raker usually comes with 24 teeth. This raker can cut like a rake along the grain of the wood.
You can also go for ATB blades with forty to eighty teeth. These blades are all-purpose blades, allowing you to rip and crosscuts. With these blades, you will not need to switch blades when ripping and cutting. You can also use TCG blades with high-tooth count if you want to cut dense materials.
Liam is a 37-year-old woodworker and interior designer who loves to make every furniture project an art piece. He is very experienced in furniture design and woodworking project planning.