Guides
Saw blades are the replaceable toothed cutting elements used in a variety of hand tools and portable and stationary power tools. They are used to cut wood, masonry, metal, bone, etc. and are distinguished from other mechanical cutting forms by their toothed designs (as opposed to abrasive cutoff wheels) and their generally single-piece construction (unlike chain-saw chains, for example). Many saw blades can be re-sharpened.
The principal types of saw blades in common use include:
Despite significant differences in the shapes of these various blades, they share many similarities when it comes to describing their teeth and the tooth-forms. Among them:
For cutting wood, circular saw blades are available in three primary styles: rip, crosscut, and combination. The distinction is based on tooth form and gullet size. For ripping, teeth are flat-topped and gullets are deep. For crosscutting, teeth alternate between left- and right-handed bevels and gullets are shallow to slow the feed rate. For many users, the combination blade produces an acceptable cutting speed and finish for with- and cross-grain cutting, as it combines flat-top and alternating bevel teeth with deep and shallow gullets. Its use precludes having to change blades or saws between operations.
Tooth count will dictate a blade’s suitability for various tasks. Generally, for circular saws, tooth count is based on the total number of teeth, and for a typical 7-1/4 in. diameter blade, 16-24 teeth would be suited to framing and demolition while 100-140 teeth would be used for cabinetry. A miter saw with a 12 in. diameter blade might be set up with a 60-80 count blade for trim work. A table saw with a 10 in. diameter 50 tooth combination blade would be suitable for ripping lumber and cutting plywood – typical table saw operations.
Circular saw blades are also available for cutting metal and masonry. Tooth counts for typical metal-cutting circular saw blades will start quite a bit higher than those used for wood. Also, the thinner the material, the higher the tooth count needs to be.
Masonry blades are either segmented or continuous rim. Segmented blades are typically used for rough work such as cutting bricks while continuous-rim designs are better suited to tile cutting and other fine work.
While many traditional saws include a handle, some saws use replaceable blades. Bow saws, coping saws, hacksaws, and so on are typical special-purpose saws for which blades are purchased separately. There is not a great variety of choice when it comes to these replacement blades, as their purposes are explicitly designated. Hacksaw blades are selectable based on length and TPI within a narrow range with faster cutting types available for softer metals.
Bandsaw blades are sold as continuous loops of metal that are welded to form stock and custom sizes and are used in portable and horizontal and vertical machines. They can be used to cut most materials including steels, aluminum, and non-ferrous alloys, wood, plastics and foam, meat, etc. but the material of the blade and the tooth design has a large bearing on its suitability for any particular application. They can be used dry or lubricated, again depending on the application. The bandsaw blade produces a narrow kerf. The width of the blade can be selected as the blade is capable of making contoured cuts. As the saw action depends on having several teeth in contact with the cut, cutting thinner stock requires a higher tooth pitch, which will cut slower but produce a finer finish. Bandsaw blades are sized for length according to the saw-makers’ specifications.
Reciprocating saws are identified as portable units designed primarily for demolition but used for other activities such as pipe cutting. Other saws, such as jigsaws, scroll saws, etc. rely on the reciprocating motion of the saw and as a general category could be classified as reciprocating, rather than rotary, saws. Reciprocating saws mimic the motion of most hand saws, but usually cut in only one direction of the stroke. Reciprocating saw blades are identified as to use, for wood, for metal, for metal and wood, etc. Shapes are generally sloped for plunge cutting or straight for edge cutting and are available in assorted lengths and mounts. Short, narrow reciprocating blades are available for scroll cutting.
Similar in action to reciprocating saws, jigsaws are primarily intended for fine, contoured cuts in thin wood. Jig, or saber, saw blades are much less aggressive than those used for demolition, with tooth pitches typically in the 6-20 range for soft woods and 14-36 for hard materials and soft metals. Most blades today are fitted with T-shank mounts but older saws used U-shank mounts. Material choices for jigsaw blades are mainly carbon or high-speed steel or bi-metal. Tungsten coated blades, used for fiberglass and metals, cut with abrasive action.
Stationary scroll saws do much the same work as jigsaws but with increased precision owing to their blades being held in the saw at both ends. The blades are available in sizes from 3/0 to 12 covering the range from very fine to cut-to-size applications. Blades are either clamp-less pin-end styles or clamped, flat styles which are able to slide through small starter holes.
Beyond the more common saw blades discussed above, blades are available for specialized industries and applications: stone sawing, gang sawing, veneer making, etc.
This article presented a brief summary of some of the common types of saw blades. For more information on related products, consult our other guides or visit the Thomas Supplier Discovery Platform to locate potential sources of supply or view details on specific products.
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