Tools, Sharpening and Power Machinery - Ridgid miter saw

OK, I took the plunge today. Last day for HD tool instant rebates. I have been watching this saw for over 2 months, drooling on the floor when I walked by. 12" double miter with laser. Comes with a 60 tooth carbide blade. Motor is mounted up and out of the way. Belt drive. Regular $349, on sale for $249 with $25 instant rebate, total $224. I hate cutting 7" speedbase vertical on my old 12" saw. Motor hits the molding on the right, so you have to swing the molding and swing the saw. Double PITA. Guess I'll mount it on the rolling gurney and try it out this week on hardwoods. I'll give a report.
Gotta go burn the box in the morning and throw dirt on the saw. Luckily she works at the hospital tomorrow.:eek:

Oh chandler d@@m you! now I feel real inadequate...course I don't do it for a living and my 10" Rigid w/laser (that I got for less than $99) still does everything I need...so... good on ya!

I've never had the pleasure of using a Ridgid saw... I've actually never given them a look. You will have to let us know how it cuts! The price is certainly right!

I've heard that one of the best ways to check a miter saw for accuracy is to cut trim to fit a perfect octagon opening (like trimming an octagon window) and then see how closely that last piece fits.

I used someone's Bosch slider over the weekend and it couldn't even cut an accurate 45 for a picture frame! To give Bosch some credit, I think the saw had been beat. And the blade was a real piece of work. lol!

Not sure what finish blades you prefer... but I have a couple of Amazon's Everlast Magnum blades... they cut nice, and are fairly inexpensive.

So do you have crown stops for the Ridgid, or do you cut that on the flat?

Oooh, it has solid crown and miter stops on both the tray and axle. I do cut on the flat, and like the double bevel capability. I will try the octagon thingy today to see how it cuts. I've never had the pleasure of owning a really cool blade. I have 30 blades both in 10 and 12" that I keep sharpened by a local guy. But blades are coming down in price, so sharpening (25 cents a tooth) may not be an option as time goes by.
I will probably take my 12" Bosch (not a slider) and fix it in my shop, level with my radial arm run off table (16' long) to use for miter cuts in the shop. I like the radial arm for dadoes, cutting 12" wide boards, etc. but it sucks cutting accurate miters. Hey, it's only 36 years old!
I have to adjust to the torque, though. It is unbelievable! You can't hold it still if you start the motor while in a downward motion. Start the motor at top rest, then bring it down.

OK, did the octagon thing. All joints tight, even and fit like a glove. Very impressive.

Chandler, you mentioned sharpening blades, I assume carbide. I got tired of a stack of dull blades and refused to pay for sharpening so bought a 3/4" diamond blade for my Dremel.

I was amazed at how it cut carbide. I can free hand a 10" blade in 3 or 4 minutes and put it back on the saw. I use the back of the disk to touch up the front of the blade until the top comes to a point. I've done some sharpening, but could never work carbide that easy.

PS I'm jealous about your new saw:).

Bud

Bud, yeah, the sharpening is getting too expensive. I thought about investing in one of those sharpening tool jigs, but never pursued it. How is the finished blade on cutting? Any splintering?
I just got to a point on my old saw that I was frustrated in cutting trim. The offset motor and double bevel capability overwhelmed my otherwise sensible mind. Plus, HD didn't help any with the price and instant savings :eek:
I may try that carbide sharpening technique on a blade to see if I can do it. Heck, the investment in the diamond blade would not be that much in comparison. Thanks for the tip.

I inherited some old Foley sharpening equipment, but never did a lot with it. But their green stone for sharpening carbide was slow and poor. As for finish I use them mostly for framing and keep one 80 tooth aside for trim. Haven't had to touch it as yet. The others do ok for free hand, but I would bet any modern day jig would be diamond and would restore a blade to new condition.

Bud

Yeah, but if I can sharpen 27 blades with at least 40 teeth each for less than 25 cents per tooth, and use them for framing only, that's a savings of nearly $300. Cost of the diamond blade would be negligible.
Like you, I would keep my 80 tooth blades separate.