TS3650 accessory suggestions, safety tips, thanks

[arden]

First, I wanted to thank the members of this forum. The exhaustive information here proved the deciding factor in picking up a TS3650 when they recently went on sale at HD. Let's face it, at $560, this saw was a bargain, at $460 - 10% mover's discount, this thing is a steal. But it was because of the postings on this forum, that I felt comfortable knowing there was a tremendous community behind this saw.

So, long time reader, first time poster.

Questions: My first project will be redoing some kitchen cabinets....I'm leaving the frames, but recutting the drawer boxes (to put in slides), drawer fronts, doors, etc... I'll mostly be using 1/4 - 3/4" birch ply and a little MDF. Suggestions for a good blade? My girl friend picked up the Ridgid 90T, as she thought "ultimate polish" sounded better...I love her for trying....but am I wrong in thinking this is mostly a blade for mitering cross cuts? From what I've read, I'm guessing a 30-50T Freud or Forrest Woodworker 2, combination blade would be about right for dealing with ply? Suggestions? Favorites? Would you guys go think kerf or normal size?

Some say the Forrests cut great, but dull quicker than the Freuds....both can be resharpened (I think)....any other gotchas or caveats?

On the issue of safety. I've got some magswitch featherboards on the way, the leecraft ZCI (I don't own a router yet, when I do, I'll try to make my own inserts) and I've already got a few push blocks I'm comfortable with. Any other suggestions/tips on kickback prevention? I looked at those rollers at woodcraft, but I worried they'd get in the way of cutting the drawer box. And, I know that the best safety device is one you use....so I figure the magswitches were easy enough to utilize "wherever". Anyone had any experience or have some good advice on accessories or techniques?

I've read the interesting article about blade height and kickbacks, where they suggest raising the blade height about an inch over the stock height, to encourage the blade to push the stock into the table more, versus straight back. I've also read conflicting posts about where to stand....to the right or to the left? It seems that right of the blade (and right of the fence) makes some sense, but then I've seen people argue that that means they are using their left hand (I'm a righty). What are people's preferences?

In the near future I'll be looking to replace the stock miter gauge with either the Osborne EB3 or the Incra 1000SE...there appear to be fans of both on these boards. Unless there's a third option I'm not aware of, it'll probably come down to a coin toss.

I've got a generic dust collector bag hanging underneath the TS....what seems to be the favorite vac for the 3650 (one that fits the port I guess).

One of these days I'll tackle the outfeed table (you guys have done some amazing work on these boards) and probably DIY a vertical panel saw for rough cuts of the bigger sheets to then take my time on with the TS.

Then I'll eventually get man enough to venture away from buying my wood at HD....and see what else there is to offer.

Look forward to any thoughts. You guys are really an inspiration.

Thanks again.

[hewood]

The Forrest WWII 30T TK (http://www.epinions.com/review/Forrest_WW10307100_Woodworker_Ii_10_30_Tooth_5_8_A rbor_3_32_Kerf_Circular_Saw_Blade/content_411771899524) is on sale for ~ $58.57 shipped from Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Forrest-WW10307100-Woodworker-10-Inch-Circular/dp/B000ONEMRU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1205519878&sr=8-1). It'll rip nicely in wood well over 2" thick, crosscuts fairly well and should be a nice compliment to your 90T fine crosscut blade, which should cut 3/4" ply pretty well. That price may not last long....

The Infinity 010-060 (http://www.infinitytools.com/products.asp?dept=1197) is a great plywood blade with enough versatility to use in most general purpose applications. The Freud LU88R010 (http://www.amazon.com/Freud-LU88R010-10-Inch-Crosscutting-PermaShield/dp/B0000225UI/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1205520182&sr=8-1) is a nice all around blade that's a bit better with ply than most 40-50T blades. These are both nice compliments to a rip blade too.

Blade dulling depends on alot of things...tooth grind, carbide hardness, usage, cleaning, materials being cut, alignment, etc ...no truth to the claim that Forrest dulls faster than Freud. The "truth" is, it depends. I get great mileage out of both brands...YMMV.

[Jalon]

Probably my biggest input would be anytime you are getting ready to cut, if it doesn't feel safe, don't do it. Think about it some more. Safety glasses, no long loose sleeves, anything else Norm would say.

Good luck with your cabinets, it's a great saw and should support you well.

[VASandy]

Welcome to the forums.

I've got both the Forrest WWII combo blade and the Freud. The Freud I got is a thicker kerf than the WWII. Either blade works well. I love the WWII's smooth finish, and from my experience, the WWII is a bit cleaner of a cut than the Freud. The big thing on a TS is alignment, as hewood says. Take your time and align the saw carefully.

I use plywood or MDF for ZCI's. When cutting plywood a ZCI is a MUST have. They're tricky to cut out w/out a router, but not impossible. You can use a jig saw, as long as you clamp and go carefully. It'll take a bit longer, as you have to keep moving the clamps to give the saw room.

For Dust collection, the Ridgid shop vac does pretty good on the 3650, but it does clog the filter quick. I've got an adapter on mine, and run a 2-stage cyclone collector. I got tired of cleaning the filter after cutting one sheet of plywood!

Enjoy the saw. It's a great deal for the money. I hope you'll post some pics of your cabinets. :)