Yep, it can be done quickly and easuly, and with no accessories or adapters, take off the 10" blade that is in your saw, replace it with a 7-1/4" blade, it's that easy.
Many new woodworkers do not know that the arbor in a circular saw is the same diameter as most 10" table saws which means the blades for circular saw fit nicely onto most 10" table saws.
What this does is open up a whole new world of ideas and options for using circular saw blades in your table saw, with lots of benefits and only a could of slight drawbacks. Since I have been using Circ Blades in the Table Saw for some time, I thought it would be benefical for others to see what kinds of cuts they can expect from a couple of different blades that I use all the time, the Freud 24 tooth ripping blade, that is most often used by carpenters in building construction, and the Freud 40 tooth "Plywood" blade, also used by a few carpenters, but more for specialy work like cutting plywood and trim that needs a bit finer cut.
Like many things, there are advantages and disadvantages, so here is the list of Pros and Cons for you to dwell on ...
Watch the video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Hez7__x0ZSI
let's talk about the disadvantages or Cons first or all ..
- Circular saw blades may not give you the cutting depth you need, if you need to cut deeper than about 1-3/4" and you can't flip the wood on end, that is the biggest draw back.
- Some of the better quality circular saw blades are made of a harder steel which mean they can be manufactured even thinner, like the Freud Diablo blades, this also means the blades can flex a little bit so you don't want to force wood through the blades or your cut may not be quite as fine as you would like.
OK, not bad, only a couple of cons, lets look at the Pros now ...
- Circular saw blades are smaller and therefore cost less than 10" blades
- Most circular saw blades are thinner than even the thin kerf table saw blades
- Thin blades mean less wased wood, which is particularly valuable for small quantities of expensive specialty woods
- Thinner blades also mean less saw dust and they slide through the wood much easier too
- Cutting through nails often damages 10" blades, the Freud Diablo blades will cut through nails easily
- There are a variety of different blades to choose from for different woodworking needs
I often leave a circular saw blade in my table saw, not necessarily to save wood, but more to save my health by producing less saw dust and less noise. I also like the fact that it take less effort for me to push wood through the blade, not a big deal on one or 2 boards, but when making a bigger piece of furnture and pre-cutting all the wood which can take an hour or so, all these things add up.
Circular saw blades in the table saw are not the kind of thing that everyong can use, but it's nice to know that they are an option for times when you need some other specialty cut, and the cloeset blade might just be sitting in your circular saw.,
Copyright Colin Knecht
Woodworkweb.com