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I recommend a round one with teeth on it ! Those square ones leave waaayyyyy to manyy chips !

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I picked up a Diablo 24 tooth at Home Depot yesterday....I'll pick up a Forrest at Woodcrafters next time I get out to that neck of the woods.

But just a note to say that the new Diablo cuts like butter compared to the old blade. The saw itself is rigid and the action along the rails is pretty smooth. Even so, I didn't expect THAT much of a difference.

Pretty cool~

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I read Emerson on the can. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds...true...but a consistent reading of Emerson has its uses nevertheless.

StuMusic

Not really, John; One still has to learn how to properly set up and use even the best tools.
Perhaps it's better said that good tools allow us to more fully access our skills.
regards
pvg

Many mistake a dirty blade for one that needs sharpening. If I am doing a days worth of ripping, I'll clean the blade several times.
I used my old CMT blade for at least 8 years, and never had to sharpen it.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

I agree on the set up of tools and maintenance .

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

Though it sounds like the OP has already made his mind up, I use Amana blades. It's not that I have a specific preference for them, it's what my sharpening shop carries. For as long as they've lasted with as well as they've performed, I've not had a need to try others.

Definitely want to go with a rip configuration, 24 teeth with deep gullets to move a lot of the wood out of the kerf. I'm with Todd on the flat top teeth...makes for nice flat bottomed grooves.

And why don't you configure some sort of guard for that blade Zlurgh?!?! That is scary looking.

Darrin

It works like an industrial paper cutter.....you need two hands somewhere other than near the blade to use it.

Reminds me of a man named Joe Abbot....an old supervisor in the litho shop at McDonnel Douglas. When teaching me how to use the paper cutter Joe showed me how you had to activate two switches, one in each hand, in order to activate the HUGE, POWERFUL guillotine blade. The blade was capable of cutting through any body part quickly and cleanly. Holding the two switches Joe said, "The only thing you can cut off is your ____ and if that is out you can't work here anyway." Sorry...that was Joe.

I borrowed the concept when designing the saw.

At any rate, the vacuum shroud that is desperately needed for this saw will double as a guard.

_________________
I read Emerson on the can. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds...true...but a consistent reading of Emerson has its uses nevertheless.

StuMusic

I saw another post with this saw in it. It's a beautiful piece of fabricating. It just seems so simple to fit a guard to it to further reduce the likelihood of contact, even though it would be extremely unlikely to occur based on how you describe it's use.

I guess it's less likely to get you than my TS with no guard on it, it just looks like it should have a starring role in Saw VI.

Again, beautiful engineering and fabricating.

Darrin