Blade update

Continuing my experiment with larger and smaller blades, I added the Flying Dutchman Ultra Reverse #5 (FD-UR #5) to see how it compared with the Polar #5.  It actually gave a smoother cut, and sliced through a little more easily, but couldn't clear out the sawdust sufficiently to prevent burning.

However, I am now convinced that the rule I've been following, to use larger blades with thicker wood, needs to be reassessed.  The importance of this for my work is that the smaller the blade, the smaller the entry hole, and the less sanding away of drill marks.

The lessons learned are that if your favorite blade isn't working, don't be afraid to try other options, and don't be afraid to go smaller if, like me, you've been leaning towards the larger blades.

More about blades

It never hurts to try out different blades on the same piece of wood. Sometimes a smaller blade will cut more effectively than a larger one, or a particular tooth configuration will really make a difference, as with the Flying Dutchman polar blades.

When faced with a really dense piece of wood, like jatoba or ipé, or a thick piece of cherry, on a project that doesn't require tight turns, my go-to blade is the Flying Dutchman #12 reverse tooth (FD 12R).  Add some tape (clear or blue) over the wood or pattern to help with the cutting and reduce burning, and you should be able to handle almost any piece of wood.