One of the vital tools used by many carpenters and woodwork experts, a miter saw, uses blades with a wide range of tooth counts ranging from 14 to 120 teeth. What are 40 tooth miter saw blades good for and where do they fit into the mix?
To get precise and cleanest cuts, it will be ideal to use a miter saw blade with the correct number of teeth for a specific woodwork application. The type of wood being cut, the direction of the grain in relation to the saw blade, and its thickness will determine which blade type is suitable.
The desired result is one of the critical factors to consider when choosing the type of blade to buy based on the tooth counts. Miter saw blades with a lesser tooth count have the capability of cutting faster as compared to miter saw blades with a higher tooth count.
However, the cut’s quality is rougher, but this shouldn’t be a cause of alarm if you are a framer. This is the reason behind the popularity of the 40 tooth miter saw blade.
The 40 tooth miter saw blade is ideal for cutting plywood. However, melamine and veneered plywood are best cut with a miter saw blade with 60 or 80 teeth.
Unlike its high tooth counterparts miter saw blade that tends to yield slower cuts that could burn the wood material, the 40 tooth miter saw blade is much faster and efficient.
The gullets separating the teeth of the blade also determine if the cut will be clean or coarse. This type of saw blade is suitable for cutting a wide range of wood types with different thicknesses.
This piece will enlighten you on what a 40 tooth miter saw blade is good for. Let’s get to details.
What is a 40 Tooth Saw Blade Used For?
A 40 tooth saw blade is a multipurpose saw blade. This type of blade saw is designed for more aggressive and faster cuts for different woods with minimal splinters and tear outs.
Less friction and heat are generated as the cuts are quick compared to the use of miter saw blades with a higher number of teeth. This saw blade is suitable for cutting 2×4’s framings as more emphasis is put on speed rather than on subtle finish.
The 40 tooth miter saw blade is also ideal for cutting plywood. When you want to save on time, this is the type of saw to go for. However, it is more suitable for rough cuts; thus, it may not be ideal for cutting expensive woods, which may need precision and clean cuts.
Here’s a video about a woodworker’s first hand experience dealing with 40 tooth blades:
Which Saw Blade Makes the Smoothest Cut?
With the wide range of saw blades available in the market, it can be a challenging hurdle when deciding on which saw blade to go for.
Depending on the smoothness of the cuts you intend to cut, you should go for a miter saw blade specially designed for smooth cuts.
Blades that have densely packed teeth tend to make the smoothest cuts. Blades with closely packed teeth and small gullets tend to give more precise and accurate cuts that are small and with minimal wastage.
To get the smoothest mitre saw cuts for the building of furniture, trim work, and cabinet making, you require a saw blade with a lot of teeth. A good trim blade usually has around 80 teeth.
However, for the finest and the smoothest of cuts, a miter saw blade with about 90 to 100 teeth is recommended. Saw blades with a lower tooth count won’t give the smoothest cuts due to a wide space between the gullets.
Although a miter saw blade with a bigger tooth count would give you the smoothest cuts, the cuts tend to be slower as compared to blades with lower tooth count.
When working on expensive wood pieces, it will be best if you opt to use a saw blade with densely packed teeth to avoid wastage and clean and tidy work.
How Many Teeth does it take to Rip Wood?
The number of teeth of a saw blade will determine its functionality. Rip-cut saw blades designed for cutting wood grain, that is along the board’s length have a lower tooth count between 16 and 40.
The teeth are craftily designed for aggressive cuts. It also have deep gullets which facilitate good chip removal.
The space between the teeth as commonly referred to as the gullet, is wider to facilitate easy and quick ripping of different types of wood.
Saw blades with a lower tooth count are robust for easy ripping of woods as compared to those with a bigger tooth count.
It is important to note that the number of the blade teeth will determine the type, finish, and cut speed. Using the wrong blade will be cumbersome and time-wasting and lead to poorly done work.
Most of the 40 tooth miter saw blades, which are ideal for ripping wood, are fitted with expansion slots that cut into the trim.
This feature helps to prevent the saw blade from warping as it contracts and expands during use. Vibration is also reduced, thus creating accurate and straighter cuts.
To increase efficiency, precision, and accuracy, it is recommended that you use the right miter saw blade for the proper function.
Saw blades with a lower tooth count are specially designed for rough and aggressive ripping and cutting woods, while miter saw blades with a bigger tooth count are ideal for smooth and clean cuts.
The 40 tooth miter saw blade is ideal for 2×4’s frame cuttings where no emphasis is put on smoothness. It is suitable for quick ripping of woods.
If you want to make smooth and secure cuts using your radial-arm saw, table saw, chop saw, or sliding compound miter saw, you need to have the correct blade for the tool and the type of cut you would like to make.
Choosing a 60 vs 80 tooth miter saw blade is an important distinction to make.
There’s no shortage of high-quality choices when it comes to saw blades. Even a seasoned woodworker could be confused by the sheer volume of the blades available in the market these days. Circular blades are the most common type of blades.
They’re available in a wide variety of tooth counts, from 14 to 120 teeth. Use a blade with the right number of teeth for a specific application to get the cleanest cuts. The material to be cut, its broadness, and the direction of the grain of the miter saw blade helps ascertain which saw blade is the best.
Maybe, a crucial factor to take into account when selecting a saw blade is the results you want. A blade with fewer teeth cuts quickly as compared to one with a higher number of teeth.
However, the quality of the cut made with a saw blade with fewer teeth count is rougher. If you’re a framer, this doesn’t matter.
On the contrary, a blade with a high number of teeth for an application will result in a slower cut that’ll burn the material, which no carpenter would bear with. In this article, we shall comprehensively look at 60, 80, and 100-teeth miter saw blades. Read on to learn more!
60 Tooth vs. 80 Tooth Miter Saw Blade
It’s worth stating here that the bigger the saw blade, the higher the average number of teeth. With this in mind, a 12-inch blade requires 80 teeth to produce a sleek finish.
On the contrary, an 8.5-inch blade requires only 60 teeth. An 80 teeth miter saw blade produces a finer cut than a 60 teeth blade, though it’s slower. A 60 teeth miter saw blade creates a rough cut and, therefore not ideal for plywood and MDF.
60 Tooth Miter Saw Blade
Generally, miter saw blades with more teeth produce a smoother cut, and those with a small number of teeth get rid of materials quicker. Blades with a high number of teeth are usually cross cutting blades.
A miter saw blade with 60 teeth implies that each of them has to get rid of less material. This produces more individual cuts because it moves through the stock as compared to a ripping blade.
Due to this, it needs a slower feed rate. The outcome is a cleaner cut around the edges and a smoother cut surface.
80 Tooth Miter Saw Blade
If you do much of the finish work, for example, connecting crown molding, then you require a much cleaner cut. It needs more teeth. Crosscutting saw blades cut across on an angle.
Generally, blades with a high number of teeth work best when cutting across the grain. A blade that has 80 or more teeth provides the sharp miter cuts you desire.
Here’s a video that goes in-depth into how you should be choosing your miter saw blade:
100 Tooth Miter Saw Blade
The miter saw blade with 100 teeth is mostly used to cut MDF as it gives the cleanest cut.
MDF (Medium-Density Fiberboards) are wood-based materials produced by engineering and are manufactured by breaking softwood or hardwood residuals down into wood fibers.
It’s often done in a defibrillator, mixing it with a resin binder and wax, and constituting them into panels using pressure and high temperatures. Generally, medium-density fiberboards are denser as compared to plywood.
80 Tooth vs. 100 Tooth Miter Saw Blade
A 100 tooth miter saw blade produces finer cuts than an 80 teeth blade. It’s also slower compared to the latter. Furthermore, a 100 tooth saw blade also has few fragments and is designed to cut MDF as it’s denser than any other material type.
Let’s now look at some other facts about a miter saw blade. Keep reading!
How Many Teeth Should a Miter Saw Blade Have?
So, you’re preparing to cut a substrate using a miter saw blade. You should know the diameter of the blade that’ll be suitable for your saw and know the blade type you require to chop your material.
However, how do you know the number of teeth your blade should have? To choose a blade with the correct number of teeth, begin by determining the broadness of the material to be cut. You need to have not less than two teeth and not more than four teeth in the material you’re chopping. It’s a general rule of thumb.
First, let’s look at how you can test if your miter saw blade has the correct number of teeth before cutting.
Are more Teeth on a Saw Blade Better?
The number of teeth on the saw blade helps ascertain the velocity, type, and the cut’s finishing. Blades with fewer teeth cut quickly, but those with a high teeth number produce a refined finish.
Between the teeth, there are gullets. They help get rid of chips from the workpieces.
Expansion slots cut into the rim assist in stopping the blade from bending when it’s expanding and contracting when in use. They also lessen resonation, producing a straighter cut.
How to Examine if your Miter Saw Blade has the Right Teeth Number
Take the material to be cut and the miter saw blade. Put your blade flat against the broadness of the material and count the number of teeth that are in direct contact with the material (how many teeth will be in the material?).
For instance, if you want to cut a ½-inch melamine piece with the 80-Teeth Carbide Razor Tooth Industrial Saw Blade; you’ll have only two teeth in the melamine, which is ideal.
To know the number of the miter saw blade teeth you require, grip the blade flat against the material you want to cut and count the number of teeth that’ll be in the material as you cut. Here’s a table to help you understand better.
Number of Teeth in Contact with the Material
Anticipated Outcome
1 to 2 teeth
Offers quick rough cuts
Increased possibility of chipping and tearout
5 and more teeth
Cuts gradually and slower
Generates more heat and may burn wood
Between 2 and 4 teeth
Offers a middle ground, may not be best
Which Way Should Saw Teeth Face Towards?
If you want to change the saw blade on your industrial saw, you’ll probably notice an arrow that shows the spinning of the tool. It’s crucial to take this into account. You have to make sure that the saw blade’s teeth are facing the correct direction.
Improper connection can cause damage to wood and raise the risk of injury to the operator. Numerous power saws have pointed teeth to facilitate a downward cut on the material so that the saw blade can cut neatly through the wood.
When it comes to the miter saw, it emulates a hand saw and, therefore, it’s perfect for carrying out trimming tasks and jobs that need accurate measurements. A miter saw blade spins clockwise.
If you’re connecting a new blade, ensure that the teeth are facing downwards to facilitate a clean cut through the workpiece. If the saw blade teeth points upwards, it can lead to severe injury to the operator.
How Many Teeth are Required for Plywood?
A 40-tooth saw blade most often cuts through the plywood. For melamine and veneered plywood, you should use 60 or 80 teeth saw blades.
The thin veneers at the bottom of the cut are more likely to blow out. It’s known as tear-out.
What’s the Best Blade for a Miter Saw?
The cut made by the blade comes entirely from the teeth, instead of the disk itself.
Therefore, the biggest influence on the material is the type of saw blade you select. Selecting the correct type of tooth is necessary for both personal safety and the quality of the cut.
First, a higher number of teeth on the saw blade indicate a refined and more precise cut. The greater number of teeth together with the blade’s thickness implies that it’s perfect for fine, accurate cuts in laminates and parquet.
As the teeth are manufactured using tungsten carbide, they’re durable and can be re-ground. It implies that you’ll use them for a long time as they last long.
Another factor to take into account if you want the best blade for your miter saw is the shape of the teeth on the blade. The teeth’s shape influences the cut quality you’ll accomplish.
The alternate top bevel is a good example of shaped teeth. Here, a tooth with a blade inclines in one direction, the one behind it slopes to the other direction.
Such teeth are excellent for quick cuts, maybe through rough wood, especially along or across the grain. Other considerations that’ll help you choose the best blade for your miter saw include:
Size
Before you move on to the more intricate aspects of selecting saw blades, you need to look at the size.
Take a look at your device or the instruction manual it came with. There should be some information concerning the bore size.
In this way, you’ll ensure that the miter saw blade you’re purchasing is suitable for your miter saw. Next, look at the blade’s diameter. Ensure that the diameter can get along well with the guard on your miter saw.
For safety reasons, it’s crucial to adhere to the diameter suggested by the maker.
Number of Teeth
The teeth number on a miter saw blade is another crucial factor to take into account. Looking at the readings may somewhat confound you and, therefore, here’s the breakdown.
Therefore, the job type you’re planning to do will ascertain the most suitable number of the miter saw blade teeth. The ripping blade is best suited for chopping natural wood. A smaller teeth number facilitates chopping a large volume of wood.
Blades with 60 to 80 teeth are known as cross-cutting blades. The major difference between a ripping and a cross-cutting blade is that the latter provides a finer cut.
Other Specs to look at:
Although the number of teeth is one of the crucial specs, there are other critical factors to consider. The teeth design is yet another aspect that’ll help you determine the best blade for your miter saw.
There are roughly five teeth cut types and although professionals find it hard to agree on the best one, TCG (Triple-Chip Grind) is considered an incredible option. The geometry of the TCG tooth is one of those that can assure the smoothest possible cut.
The design is great if you’re working with aluminum and hardwood. Other usual tooth models comprise:
Flat-top grind – Used on ripping blades for quick and effective cutting.
Alternating top bevel – Ensures that you have a great cutting quality without fragments and splinters.
The alternating top alternating surface bevel – Provides sharp cuts and a more pointed edge, and it’s perfect if you’re working on inflexible materials.
Steep or high alternating top bevel
A miter saw blade comprises a set of teeth that carry out the cutting process. The number of teeth differs depending on numerous factors. Therefore, you have to decide if you’ll be using the miter saw blade for crosscutting or ripping.
Ripping (cutting along the wood grain) requires a blade with fewer teeth than crosscutting that involves chopping wood across the grain.
You may not be sure of the cutting type you’ll be performing, or perhaps the one you intend to do both cross cutting and ripping.
A combination of the two offers a perfect solution. They have more teeth as compared to a ripping blade. However, they’re fewer than the crosscutting version and, therefore, they can perform both functions.
