Realized I was using the wrong blade for cutting cement board for like 2 years

I always just grabbed whatever circular saw blade was closest, usually a framing blade with bigger teeth. Last month I was on a bathroom remodel in Denver and the dust was just insane, like a cloud you couldn't see through. A guy from the tile supply shop walked by and asked why I wasn't using a carbide grit blade. Swapped to a $35 Diablo blade and the dust cut by maybe 70 percent, plus the edges weren't chipping anymore. Felt dumb standing there with a mask covered in powder thinking about all those previous jobs. Anyone else just stick with what's in the truck without thinking about it?

3 comments

3 Comments

sethm585d ago

Man that line about "just grabbing whatever circular saw blade was closest" hit me hard because that was me for years. I used to think blades were blades and the only difference was how fast they cut, never paid attention to what they were actually made for. Then I had a job cutting HardiePlank on a deck last summer and the dust was so bad I couldn't see my tape measure marks. A buddy handed me a cheap carbide grit blade and I felt like an idiot realizing I'd been fighting the tool the whole time. Now I keep three different blades in my truck and actually swap them out depending on what I'm cutting, feels like cheating honestly.

the_cameron5d ago

Does that mean if I show up with a blade I found in my dad's garage from 1987 it might not be the best choice for cutting aluminum gutters? Asking for a friend, who is me, and who definitely did that last week and spent an hour wondering why the saw was screaming at me like a wounded animal. I swear I've got a whole graveyard of blades in my shed that I've bought for one job and then just tossed in a bucket to rust together. Now I'm the guy standing at the hardware store staring at the blade rack for fifteen minutes trying to remember if I need a 40 tooth or a 60 tooth, and the old timer behind me sighs loud enough for me to hear. But yeah, having the right blade actually makes the saw work like it should, who would've thought.

oliver_baker495d ago

I heard a guy on a podcast say your saw is only as good as the blade you put in it and that stuck with me.