I own a older Delta 9" table saw which performs wonderfully but I am having trouble locating blades these days. I am looking for a blade for melamine and Amana only offers an 8" version - part #MB86400. I know the 8" blade will fit the saw, but I am curious as to any side effects that will result?
-Keith B.
San Diego, CA
Our Expert
Melamine can be difficult to saw without chipping. Commercial shops overcome this problem by using a scoring saw. This small diameter blade creates a shallow "scoring" cut just ahead of the main sawblade.
Cutting quality is affected by, among other factors, tooth geometry, the number of teeth on a saw blade/cutter, the speed of the saw blade/cutter, and the feed rate. As a rule-of-thumb a blade with fewer teeth, such as a ripping saw blade, provides a faster cut and a saw blade with a greater number of teeth, such as a saw blade designed for melamine, provides a smoother cut.
Because the 8" saw blade has fewer teeth than the same type ten inch blade I suggest that you reduce the feed rate and use a zero-clearance throat plate. The zero-clearance throat plate is very important when sawing melamine; it will support the material at the point of saw blade contact.
