The Bottom Line
About Woodworking tested the original Final Cut Saw Blade (10-inch) when it was first released. Final Cut recently sent in the 7-1/4" version, for use on a circular saw to test.
The patented premise is a very good one: attach a sanding disk to each side of the saw blade, so your saw blade cuts and sands at the same time. While the performance of the 10-inch blade was impressive, I wasn't quite as impressed with the 7-1/4" blade (for reasons that I'll explain below). It's a great idea, one ideally suited to table saws or miter saws, but a bit more limiting when used on a circular saw.
The patented premise is a very good one: attach a sanding disk to each side of the saw blade, so your saw blade cuts and sands at the same time. While the performance of the 10-inch blade was impressive, I wasn't quite as impressed with the 7-1/4" blade (for reasons that I'll explain below). It's a great idea, one ideally suited to table saws or miter saws, but a bit more limiting when used on a circular saw.
Pros
- Includes a 100-grit sanding disk on each side of the 7-1/4 inch saw blade
- Reduces kick back, as the sanding action tends to keep the blade from binding
- Additional sizes and replacement disks available on manufacturer's site
Cons
- Requires circular saw to be set deeper than normal to engage the sandpaper
- Works great for one-by material, but not as well for thicker materials like 2x4's and 2x6's
Description
- With combined cutting and sanding action, kerf marks are sanded away.
- Since the sanding disk cannot cover the gullies in between the teeth, the blade must be set to cut deeper than normal.
- As the sanding disk begins to wear, the ends of the cuts seem to burn more than they are sanded.
Guide Review - Final Cut Circular Saw Blade Review
When I first tested the initial 10-inch Final Cut Saw Blade, I was rather impressed. I used it primarily on a radial-arm saw, and made sure to set the depth of the cut so that the sanding disk was fully engaged, allowing the sandpaper to smooth away the kerf marks as the blade did the cutting. I was disappointed in the performance of the 7-1/4 inch model, although that is likely due to the way I chose to use it more than anything.
I needed another set of heavy-duty wooden sawhorses for a project, so it seemed the perfect time to test the 7-1/4 inch Final Cut Circular Saw Blade. Whenever I make crosscuts with a circular saw, I like to use a 6-inch combination square to guide the edge of the circular saw base and keep the cut square.
Using a square to guide the saw requires that the saw blade not be set to cut much deeper than the thickness of the wood, so the saw's motor housing doesn't interfere with the lip on the combination square. However, this keeps the Final Cut Blade's sanding disk from fully engaging a cut on a 2x4. By free-handing the cut with the blade set to full depth, the disk is completely engaged into the wood.
The first few cuts with the Final Cut were a bit slower than a normal brand new saw blade, obviously because the sanding disk creates more drag. However, after making about a dozen cuts, I noticed that the sanding disk seemed to be doing more burning than sanding, as each of the cuts where the sanding disk engaged the wood showed black burn marks. Ironically, as the sanding grit wore away, the cuts became a little quicker.
After I completed the sawhorses, I took a good look at the saw blade, and saw that the areas where the sandpaper had sanded the wood was pretty much devoid of any remaining grit. I'll be able to use the current disks for more cuts before replacing the sanding disks, but probably only one-inch thick stock, and only with the blade set to cut as deeply as possible.
While I still really like the concept, and think it is quite effective for cuts on a table saw or miter saw, I found using the Final Cut Blade on a circular saw may not be the best implementation of the idea.
I needed another set of heavy-duty wooden sawhorses for a project, so it seemed the perfect time to test the 7-1/4 inch Final Cut Circular Saw Blade. Whenever I make crosscuts with a circular saw, I like to use a 6-inch combination square to guide the edge of the circular saw base and keep the cut square.
Using a square to guide the saw requires that the saw blade not be set to cut much deeper than the thickness of the wood, so the saw's motor housing doesn't interfere with the lip on the combination square. However, this keeps the Final Cut Blade's sanding disk from fully engaging a cut on a 2x4. By free-handing the cut with the blade set to full depth, the disk is completely engaged into the wood.
The first few cuts with the Final Cut were a bit slower than a normal brand new saw blade, obviously because the sanding disk creates more drag. However, after making about a dozen cuts, I noticed that the sanding disk seemed to be doing more burning than sanding, as each of the cuts where the sanding disk engaged the wood showed black burn marks. Ironically, as the sanding grit wore away, the cuts became a little quicker.
After I completed the sawhorses, I took a good look at the saw blade, and saw that the areas where the sandpaper had sanded the wood was pretty much devoid of any remaining grit. I'll be able to use the current disks for more cuts before replacing the sanding disks, but probably only one-inch thick stock, and only with the blade set to cut as deeply as possible.
While I still really like the concept, and think it is quite effective for cuts on a table saw or miter saw, I found using the Final Cut Blade on a circular saw may not be the best implementation of the idea.
Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
