What You'll Learn
Choice Cuts
METAL: Composed of the same high–carbon steel as hacksaw blades, these can make straight cuts through thin sheets of nonferrous metal or nonhardened steel, as when making a cutout in a tin ceiling panel.
TILE: A tungsten carbide—encrusted wire makes precise, curved cuts in ceramic tile for valves or drain openings.
Plastic: Helical teeth slice through solid surfacing as well as soft Mexican–clay tiles. Because the blade cuts in all directions, it makes sharp turns with only a shift in pressure.
WOOD: Coarse blades (those with 15 teeth per inch or fewer) remove material quickly, which helps you follow the line of your cut. Fine blades with 18 teeth per inch or more can follow tight curves, but they're slow. For most applications, a coarse blade is sufficient because you'll file or sand the cut to make the molding fit perfectly flush.
Where to Find It
Profiler:
Frame 301
Bahco.com, Throop, PA
800–446–7404
www.bahco.com
Wood-cutting and metal-cutting blades:
(wood) CP304, (metal) CP307
Olson, Bethel, CT
203–792–8622
www.olsonsaw.com Tile-cutting blade:
360–degree, Weeks Distributors,
Taylors, SC
800–380–3752
www.durafix.com
What to Look For:
SF63510, Olson
SKU#28, Great Neck, Mineola, NY
516–746–5352
www.greatnecksaw.com
METAL: Composed of the same high–carbon steel as hacksaw blades, these can make straight cuts through thin sheets of nonferrous metal or nonhardened steel, as when making a cutout in a tin ceiling panel.
TILE: A tungsten carbide—encrusted wire makes precise, curved cuts in ceramic tile for valves or drain openings.
Plastic: Helical teeth slice through solid surfacing as well as soft Mexican–clay tiles. Because the blade cuts in all directions, it makes sharp turns with only a shift in pressure.
WOOD: Coarse blades (those with 15 teeth per inch or fewer) remove material quickly, which helps you follow the line of your cut. Fine blades with 18 teeth per inch or more can follow tight curves, but they're slow. For most applications, a coarse blade is sufficient because you'll file or sand the cut to make the molding fit perfectly flush.
Where to Find It
Profiler:
Frame 301
Bahco.com, Throop, PA
800–446–7404
www.bahco.com
Wood-cutting and metal-cutting blades:
(wood) CP304, (metal) CP307
Olson, Bethel, CT
203–792–8622
www.olsonsaw.com Tile-cutting blade:
360–degree, Weeks Distributors,
Taylors, SC
800–380–3752
www.durafix.com
What to Look For:
SF63510, Olson
SKU#28, Great Neck, Mineola, NY
516–746–5352
www.greatnecksaw.com
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