Blade for MDF

[redbirdone]

I'm going to be doing 45 feet of built ins and am planning on using MDF for most of the project.  The final product will be painted.  This project is why I bought the TS 55 as ripping that many sheets of MDF on my table saw solo was not something I wanted to be a part of.  What blade do you suggest for the TS 55?  I've always been under the impression that MDF is not blade friendly so I am looking for a Freud or Oshlun aftermarket blade that can serve as a sacrificial blade. 

Thanks!

 

[Rick Christopherson]

The blade that came with your saw is the best choice for your needs. The reason why Festool uses low-angle ATB blade design is that they continue to perform optimally for a longer time period. The high-angle ATB tooth design many manufacturers extoll work very well out of the gate, but the sharp tips dull much faster. In other words, they perform very well at the outset, but after the tips begin to dull then they degrade in their cut quality.

 

[ajones]

And as soon as it starts to dull get it sharpened, and if you buy another  blade for your saw pay attention to the blades kerf, keep it the same as the original to avoid splinter strip damage

 

[semenza]

Yup.

And get a second Fine (495377)  Festool blade so that while one is out being sharpened you still have one to use.  Not sure how re-sharpening life compares to other blades , but I have had my Festool blades sharpened about five to ten times with no perceptible degradation to longevity between sharpenings or the cut quality.

Seth

 

[ccarrolladams]

When sawing and routing MDF it is very important to frequently clean the blade and bit. MDF has a larger percentage of glue compared to plywood.

Also, to prolong life of your bits and blades which in turn reduces your cost of bits and blades per unit of production is to sharpen them before it is necessary to remove a lot of carbide.

 

[rljatl]

Seth, who do you use to sharpen your blades?

 

[JayStPeter]

I don't see a reason do differentiate between MDF and anything else with carbide blades.  MDF will kill tool steel quickly though.

I use Forrest to sharpen all my blades.

 

[festoolviking]

I think the Panther-blade might work ok for MDF, especially if you're gonna paint it anyway. In my experience the cut on the rail-side is really good with the Panther-blade. Maybe it's worth putting a sacrificial piece of wood at the end of the cut to avoid too much tear out. And do your cuts with the sheet fully supported underneath, like on a MFT or a sacrificial sheet of MDF.
It's worth a try anyway, if you don't have the Panther-blade you won't regret getting one.

Festoolviking

 

[Rick Christopherson]

I am not sure I agree with the choice of using a panther blade for MDF. I don't think it would hurt, but I don't believe there would be much benefit to the aggressive nature of using a ripping blade on MDF. The panther blade is specifically designed for cutting lengthwise down long fibers of solid material. However, MDF is composed of small fibers in random orientation.

MDF cuts nicely with any fine tooth blade. So the coarsest blade I would suggest is the 28 tooth combination blade. If you were concerned about dulling of the blade, then the fine laminate blade with TCG teeth would be the best choice.

 

[jmbfestool]

I find MDF with regular or slightly courser blade is best way to go. 

You can cut MDF even with a dull blade for AGES!    If I am working with MDF a lot my blades last ages! Okay dont fly through like they would if it was sharp but they cut fine. 

After using MDF for a while I try and cut some OAK or even plywood and I then... oh bugger my blade is not very sharp. 

So what I do is then is swap to a sharp blade  and then swap it back to the dull blade to carry on cutting MDF  till I get it sent of for resharpening.

JMB

 

[Tinker]

I find MDF with regular or slightly courser blade is best way to go. 

You can cut MDF even with a dull blade for AGES!    If I am working with MDF a lot my blades last ages! Okay dont fly through like they would if it was sharp but they cut fine. 

After using MDF for a while I try and cut some OAK or even plywood and I then... oh bugger my blade is not very sharp. 

So what I do is then is swap to a sharp blade  and then swap it back to the dull blade to carry on cutting MDF  till I get it sent of for resharpening.

JMB

I am not sure I agree with the choice of using a panther blade for MDF. I don't think it would hurt, but I don't believe there would be much benefit to the aggressive nature of using a ripping blade on MDF. The panther blade is specifically designed for cutting lengthwise down long fibers of solid material. However, MDF is composed of small fibers in random orientation.

MDF cuts nicely with any fine tooth blade. So the coarsest blade I would suggest is the 28 tooth combination blade. If you were concerned about dulling of the blade, then the fine laminate blade with TCG teeth would be the best choice.

I am sort of between Rick and JMB on this one.  If I have more than one or two cuts to do with MDF, i switch to a blade that is both finer teeth and about ready to be resharpened.  I don't use dull blades, but there is a difference between SHARP and NOT Quite SHARP. If it has trouble with Maple, it is not quite sharp.  If it zips thru Maple and White Oak with no burning, it is still sharp.  That is what I don't like to use with MDF.  I have a negative pitch blade that I will put on if I have a lot of MDF and/or plywood to cut.  i also use that blade to cut 1/4" hard board and peg board.
Tinker

 

[ifit]

I cut a lot of mdf and find the fine gp or panther all work well enough but the gp is my favorite.
I find they last on average for about 20-30 sheets

 

[jmbfestool]

I cut a lot of mdf and find the fine gp or panther all work well enough but the gp is my favorite.
I find they last on average for about 20-30 sheets

One could assume you only do one cut per Sheet?!   OR   5 cuts or 20s cut per sheet.

The amount of sheets is irrelevant unless we know the amount of cuts made per sheet.

JMB  [tongue] [tongue] [tongue]

 

[redbirdone]

So what I do is then is swap to a sharp blade  and then swap it back to the dull blade to carry on cutting MDF  till I get it sent of for resharpening.

JMB

This will be my plan.  A $23 Oshlun blade is on the way.  Save the Festool blade for the real wood, and let the Oshlun be the sacrificial blade. 

Thanks to all!

 

[luns4d]

I had a need for a "throw-away blade" for wood containing nails, so I bought the $23 Freud made for Festool.  Worked great for the job. 

 

[NERemodeling]

This will be my plan.  A $23 Oshlun blade is on the way.  Save the Festool blade for the real wood, and let the Oshlun be the sacrificial blade.  

Thanks to all!

based on amazon prices i take it you got the oshlun 48t blade?  unlike their other blades, that one has the same 2.2m kerf as the festool blades, nice score!

John

the more i think about it, im pretty sure im gonna buy one of those, it would be a great beater blade to have

 

[ifit]

Sorry i can not give you an answer on that, I could guess at between 5 and 20 per sheet

 

[Peter-kenny]

Here in Ireland I use a lot of mdf from time to time on my projects. But I use the 48t blade that come as standard in the saw and sand the edges before spraying. I use 120,180 & 320 grits and this leaves the edge perfect for painting. Hope this helps