Circular saw blades are available in various options, shapes, and sizes and are made with varying materials for alternate purposes. With circular saw blades, one thing is for sure.
They are not universal and cannot be used interchangeably on any circular saw. So, the answer is no, and circular saw blades are not universal at all.
But we’ll dig a little more and find essential facts about these circular saw blades. Please stay in touch
Can You Use Any Saw Blade On Circular Saw?
No, you cannot use any saw blade on a circular saw unless and until you don’t know the exact specifications of the saw blade to be used with your circular saw.
When manufacturing Circular Saws, they recommend certain blade specifications to be used with that particular saw. And in case you use a different one, there will be consequences.
You might damage a specific part of your tool, or you might lose the whole tool. To prevent that, learn about the exact size, i.e., the larger or smaller saw blade your circular saw needs.
Because either using undersized or above-sized blades will not correctly work on your cutting saw.
What Is The Difference Between Circular Saw Blades?
Circular saw blades vary depending on their sizes, materials of construction, number of teeth, and material they will be cutting.
In that case, we have different types of Circular Saw Blades based on the factors described below.
Blades Differences Based Upon Anatomy and Construction
Saw blades are manufactured by keeping in mind various cutting operations. They include cutting or ripping lumber, cutting veneered Plywood and panels, cross-cutting lumber, laminates, and plastics, cutting aluminum and steel, etc.
Therefore, they all have different shapes and geometry to perform specific cutting jobs on a circular saw.
For the construction, they are to fit on a circular saw, and they vary differently based on the following features.
- Diameter
- Arbor Size
- Tooth Grind
- Kerf and Blade Grind
- RPM(Revolutions Per Minute)
Blade Selection Based Upon Types of Woods
A Circular Saw blade has to cut a specific type of wood. Therefore, there are different blades available based on different wood-cutting requirements.
- Natural Wood (24T or 30T Premium Quality blade)
- Plywood (40T to 80T quality wood blades)
- 2×4 lumber (24T blade)
- MDF (varying from 50T to 80T blades)
- Plastic Laminate (80T blades)
- 10 General Purpose blades (50T/60T blade)
- Metal (abrasive carbide blades)
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Saw Blade Selection Based Upon Materials
An inferior saw blade designed to cut inferior wood is not recommended for hardwood because it won’t work well. Hence, these blades also vary depending on their construction.
- HSS (High-Speed Steel blades)
- Carbide Teeth (rugged teeth blades)
- Cermet (ceramic and metallic teeth) teeth blades
What Are The 3 Basic Types Of Circular Saw Blades?
The top 3 basic types of circular saw blades are described as follows.
Rip Blades
Rip blades work great for performing smooth and efficient cutting jobs. They often come with a tooth count of 24 to 40.
Such blades have large gullets that are combined to get the smoothest cuts. These blades are more aggressive and more assertive.
Crosscut Blades
Cross-cut blades come with tooth specifications of 60 to 80. Their gullets are somewhat in shallow shape. The purpose of having more teeth and closer gullets is due to the structure of the cross grain.
These blades work well in creating more minor chips. Moreover, their cuts are cleaner than ripping blades, and they work with incredible speed.
Combination And specialty Blades
These blades are a combination of both ripping and cross-cutting blades. They have a more significant number of teeth for cross-cutting needs, whereas some large gullets are required for ripping.
It’s more like an all-purpose blade.
Like, if you are to perform cross cut and ripping on a circular saw, you won’t need to change the blade each time. Use a custom-made blade and perform both functions at the same time.
Does Blade Size Matter On a Circular Saw?
Yes, blade size matters a lot on a circular saw. Suppose your circular saw is designed to accept a blade 7 inches in diameter.
In that case, you can only fix the blade coming with 7 inches diameter. No other blade will work fine on that circular saw.
FAQS
Look for the blade size instructions for your Circular saw. Circular saws generally need 6.5 inches to 7.25 inches blade sizes.
When you cut the wood with the circular saw too slowly, and the blade stays in contact with it for too long, it causes the wood to burn.
It is worth sharpening your circular saw blades as they help you save money and run for extended periods.
Last Words
A Circular Saw blade is never designed for universal operations and cutting needs. So, you’ll always have to decide which will work best with your circular saw.
Also, specify the type of wood you need to cut and the shape of cuts you expect from that blade.
I am Imtiaj Islam. I am a wood working enthusiast, having 6 years of experience in carpentry work. I have a BBA graduate degree from Chittagong College. I got vocational training on wood works from Korean Polytechnic out of the quest and zest he has for carpentry as well. I take several wood projects and keep testing different woodworking tools for comfortable and perfect work. I just love playing with woods and machines.