How thick do circular saw blades need to be? It might sound like an unusual question to ask, but it’s important to know the answer if you plan on using your saw effectively. This guide will help you determine just how thick a circular saw blade should be when it comes to performance and safety when using one of these tools.
The Thickness of Saw Blade
Most people only care about the number of teeth and the material used to make the saw blade, but they are not the only factors that affect durability, fine cutting, and safety. The saw blade thickness is also an important factor that affects how precise cutting is and your safety. Knowing the thickness of your circular saw blade will help you understand your cutting requirements for a better result as well. A wrong thickness of your circular saw blade can lead you to the imperfect completion of cutting. It may consume more time and effort to get complete. To have the finest cutting experience and save time and money at the same time, you need to know about the thickness as well. The thickness of the cut made by a circular saw blade and the thickness of saw blade teeth is also known as kerf to a lot of people because the thickness of the cut is determined based on the thickness of teeth of the blade. (Everythingwhat.com)
Thickness (Kerf) and what affects thickness?
How thick is a circular saw blade? There is no specific answer to this question because the thickness of the blade can vary based on the desired cutting precision, the time available for the job, and the blade being purchased for the job. If you require a smooth cutting and enough time to give to your job, you might require a thin blade for your circular saw.
Again, if you have less time and high accuracy in cutting is not that mandatory for you and the material wastes will not cost you much, you can purchase a thick saw blade. Whether you purchase a thin or thick saw blade, you might require knowing the thickness measurement of the circular saw blade. Anywhere between 1.5 mm to 3 mm is considered a thin saw blade, also called a thin kerf. Anything above this limit is considered as thick kerf or full kerf. Thin kerf is used for purposes such as thin-stripping ripping, fine woodcutting, etc., and materials of greater value. Thin blades generate less material dust because of the precise cutting area, which results in less cost of wastage, and thick blades generate more material dust and increase the cost of material wastage.
There are some factors that determine the thickness of the cut made by your blade, and these factors are,
- Set of blade teeth: It refers to the angle of the blade tooth pointing to the left or right side of the blade body. The larger the angle of teeth, means thicker the cut will be from the saw blade. One example of a larger set of teeth can be seen in construction saw blades that cut broader and quicker.
- The flatness of the blade: If your saw blade is thinner, then blade teeth will be smaller and thinner as well, which reduces the kerf, but if the blade plate is thicker, that means the teeth will be longer and wider, resulting in the thicker kerf. (Www.rennietool.co.uk)
Why does circular saw blade thickness matter?
There are many reasons why the thickness of the saw blade matters beyond the thickness of the cut made by the saw blades. Followings are some specified major reasons which indicate why you should be concerned about the thickness of circular saw blades while using one and how the thickness of the circular saw blade matter.
Type of Material
Saw blades are used to cut different types of materials such as wood, wood composite, Tiles, concrete blocks, metal sheet, etc., and each of these materials has a different density and strength; while wood is soft, it requires a thin blade for cutting and metal sheet is hard to cut and requires thicker blades. Besides, the depth of cutting also determines how thick the blade should be.
Wastage of Material
Wastage of materials is another big reason you should be concerned about the thickness of the saw blade. A saw blade with full kerf or thicker blade teeth will create more material dust while cutting through, meaning that the wastage will be greater. On the other hand, a saw blade with a thin kerf will create less material dust, and that will reduce the wastage of material as well.
Monitory Value of the Material
If your material is highly valuable and soft in nature, then it will be a wise decision to use a thin saw blade for reducing wastage and saving money, but in some cases, the material can be expensive but might require thick kerf for better cutting. Some expensive woods, such as African Blackwood, are expensive, and cutting it with a thick blade will be unwise and costly.
Required Accuracies
If you require high accuracy and precise cutting, it is better to use thin saw blades. Thin saw blades with proper placement can accurately cut through the outline and give you accurate cutting, which can be hard to do with thick kerf.
The Durability of the Saw Blade
If a blade has a thick kerf, then the blade’s durability will be high. Thin blades can bend easily and generate high heat during continuous use, which reduces the blade’s durability. But thick blades generate less heat, and usually, thick kerf blades are stronger to get bend too increasing their durability.
Dedicated Time for the Job
If you have limited time for a job, you most probably would like to do it as soon as possible and cutting swiftly through materials largely depends on how thick your saw blade is. Greater the thickness, more time you may require and lesser the thickness, less time you may require to cut through the material.
Safety
Personal safety should be a major concern while working with circular saw blades because even the slightest touch of those rotating blades can cause deep and serious injuries, and for that reason, you would not like to get cut with a broken blade which is a possibility if you are using a thin blade for hard materials. Besides, make sure to properly attach the blade with the washer. (Sawshub.com)
Bottom Line
The thickness of a circular saw blade might not appear as important, but lots of things depend on it, and with proper knowledge and using the proper type of blade, you can get your work done more professionally without any hassle.