CIRCULAR SAW BLADE TERMS EXPLAINED

E – Expansion Slots

Expansion slots in circular saw blades make room for the blade to expand without distortion due to heat caused by friction during use. 

G – Gullets

The space cut out from blade plate between the teeth of a saw blade. The gullets provide room for the cut material to exit the cut.

H – Hook Angle

This is the amount that the tip either leans toward or away from the direction of the blade rotation. A zero degree hook angle means that the face of the teeth are in line with the exact centre of the blade. This is important and we explain this in detail further on.

K – Kerf 

Basically the width of the tip. The width of material the blade will remove. For cordless machines or table saws with Riving knife this becomes important. We will explain this in detail further on.

L – Kickback Limiters

Some blades us kickback to stop the blade from over feeding. I.e. pulling the material in too fast.

P – Blade Plate

The thickness of the blade that the teeth are attached to. This will vary in relation to the size of the teeth but quite often due to the quality of the blade. The thicker the plate is normally a sign of a quality blade unless use defines the use of thinner plated blades.