Did I kill my Kapex blade this quickly?

[williaty]

I recently got a Kapex. Other than cutting a few studs to length over the past couple of weeks, my first real project was a surprise laminate flooring install. Due to the fact that the surprise happened after the close of business for the local Festool dealer, I had to use the original blade to cut the laminate (which I've heard is very hard on blades). I didn't count as I went, but I would estimate I had to make about 15 cuts with the Kapex to get across the room (I was consistently able to re-use the offcut to start the next row so that reduced the number of cuts required). The cuts in the beginning were PERFECT, no splintering or chipping of the laminate surface at all. By the last 2-4 cuts, there was consistently a TINY bit of chipping on the surface of the laminate.

Did I really dull the blade by cutting ~15 pieces of laminate flooring?

Did I dull it enough that I need to have it re-sharpened because it will now preform poorly in wood?

 

[Bikeboy80]

Laminate does nasty stuff to blades, have you tried cutting any wood afterwards?

Does there look to be any build up on the teeth? You could try cleaning the blade and see if the cuts improve. I just recently installed a few rooms of hardwood flooring (some type of Brazilian hardwood) and used the Kapex to do all of my cuts. One my next job I had large maple moulding to install and the first couple cuts the blade wanted to just burn. I pulled the blade off and cleaned it, no more burning. [wink]

 

[davee]

I cut about the same amount of laminate with my Kapex original blade and had the same affect.  It wouldn't cut wood after this - cleaning the blade didn't have any positive affect.

 

[chrisrosenb]

Yes, you cut enough laminate flooring with the stock blade to dull it.
I believe the only thing worse than laminate flooring on most carbide blades, is steel.
A triple chip blade will last longer, but still dull quickly with laminate flooring.
That is why I now only use only a jig saw to cut laminate flooring.

 

[festoller]

I recently cut some laminate and noticed sparks on the surface in front of the blade. I assume it's from the actual visible finish on top of the laminate since the material is some sort of wood fibre.

I have to check if the blade is still working fine.

This would be a real bummer after cutting 500 m of Bangkirai without wearing off just a little.

 

[willsabus]

I'll agree with everyone else.  Laminate is death to blades, I also have seen sparks while cutting it so only use a jigsaw on it now.

 

[williaty]

I ordered the Festool laminate blade for the Kapex. Is it going to fare any better?

 

[Alan m]

i only use my trion jigsaw on laminate. leave the chop saw for when you need accurate cuts

 

[festoller]

Damn! I can' believe it, my Kapex blade is completely ruined. 2 years and uncountable cuts didn't do anything and just about 50 cuts through laminate and it's gone. I should probably have used the aluminum blade.

On the other hand there's nothing better than a brand new blade, almost forgot how clean the cut is.

 

[deepcreek]

Can't you just get it sharpened?

 

[AlexThePalex]

Yep, laminate dulls the standard blade this quickly. The special laminate blade is a lot better. I've done 3 houses with laminate with such a blade for my CS70 and it's still going strong.

 

[jonny round boy]

I fitted a laminate floor a couple of weeks ago. Used both my Kapex and my TS55R. Ruined both blades. [sad]

Unfortunately, I forgot to change out the brand new 80-tooth fine blade from the Kapex first...  [crying]

The blade in the TS55R was pretty new, and whilst I didn't notice any problem with it during the floor fit, when I came to use it again a couple of days later it struggled to cut 18mm MDF.

 

[farms100]

Often floor finishes have  powdered metals in them for wear resistance and to dull the shine down.

 

[tjbnwi]

Laminate floor is harder on the Kapex and TS blades than cement board or cement board siding.

Before you ask [eek] Yes I have  

Tom

 

[Laminator]

I think the laminate flooring is loaded with aluminum oxide for wear resistance.

 

[GaryLaroff]

After having destroyed a new blade on a friend’s DeWalt chop saw cutting imported Chinese laminate flooring I researched the problem, albeit a day late, and think the solution was on the Taunton/Fine Woodworking construction site, www.finehomebuilding.com.

As stated above, there is a hard coating on the laminate containing a high concentration of aluminum oxide, the same stuff grinding wheels and sandpaper are made from.  The point they made was that laminate flooring is very hard on any blade.  You really don’t want to use a regular chop saw to cut laminate flooring due to both the type of blade and the fact that you are plunging the entire blade through the top surface of the laminate.

What I seem to remember is that they suggested using an aluminum cutting blade and either a sliding miter saw (like the Kapex) or a table saw.  In either case only have the blade 1/2 the height of the carbide above the laminate for best results.  So, on the Kapex you would have the laminate face down and have the tooth sticking out only a half tooth below the wood.  Apparently by driving the blade through the wood on either the table saw or sliding with the miter saw, the geometry of the cut keeps the blade from plunging through the wide flat surface and dulls it quite a bit less or more slowly.

 

[amt]

http://www.amazon.com/Bullet-Tools-209-9-Inch-Flooring/dp/B008PQQ3FC/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1376599733&sr=1-1&keywords=flooring+shear

 

[thebicyclecafe]

The wear surface on laminate flooring is made of aluminum oxide, so it's like you're cutting tons of sandpaper
Were you plunge cutting? With laminate, plunge cutting dulls the blade much faster than pushing the blade through the material. I'd always lower the blade completely, then push through the material- it is an SCMS after all. You also get better DC that way.

 

[festoller]

And I just remembered after cutting the laminate with the Kapex and killing it, I had to cut the last 4 boards with the TS55 lenghtwise!

I guess after 4 m with the TS55 that blade is done too!

 

[jakiiski]

Get the blades re-sharpened, at least here in Finland it will not cost more than 15-20 euros and sometimes they do come back better than what they were new (if the sharpener knows his business). The bales are not ruined for life, the saw teeth have plenty of sharpening reserve in them.