I have a General 350 TS. I bought a pair of Freud blade stiffeners and several Freud TS blades. Should I install only one stiffener outboard of the blade or one on each side of the blade? My concern is shifting the blade too far to the left such that the blade is not centered in the table insert or may even touch it from the bottom. Sure, I can try it both ways and see, but I thought you guys would save me the trouble of doing that.
Hoyt Weathers asks:
Unless you're using thin kerf blades, you shouldn't need stiffners. I've used a lot of Freud blades over the years, and even with the thin kerf have never felt a need for stiffners. I'd return the stiffeners. Or try the blades, check your cuts and then return the stiffeners.
Charlie Self "Take care of the luxuries and the necessities will take care of themselves." Dorothy Parker
You can use both stiffeners but you'll have to remove the splitter or move it the same distance as the blade.
UA100
I would use just one outboard of blade.
Blade stiffeners are usually hollow ground or relieved in the center so that pressure is applied at the periphery of the discs - farther from the saw blade center than the arbor's mounting flange and nut washer provide. If you only mount one stiffener on the shaft, it's going to apply pressure on only one side of the blade. Use both or none.
Tom Flyer
I know it isn't necessary to to follow up with a "me too" on Charlie's post, but.... Until I got a Woodworker II for Christmas (thanks Dad!), I had been using thin kerf Freuds in all kinds of woods. I tried a blade stiffener and the only thing I found was that the blades took longer to change. They did help an Oldham blade I bought but even with the stiffener it wasn't as good as the Freud.
That said, I was amazed at how much smoother the WWII ran. There was literally NO vibration. It was obvious both in the sound of the saw and the lack of..well.. vibration. I'm still not sure it is worth 2x the Freud, but it is definately better.
Jim
snipped-for-privacy@aol.comnotforme (Charlie Self) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@mb-m05.aol.com:
I use a CMT "General" and have been thrilled with it, but as much as I read about the WWII, I'm going to have to invest in one I think. The CMT is a thin kerf and I would like a standard width blade. Will take the advise of the group.
Don
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