Width
The dimension from the back of the blade to the front of the teeth. The wider
the blade, the stiffer the blade and the straighter the cut. This is usually called
beam strength. But wide blades cannot cut small radiuses.
The narrower the blade, the more flexible the blade and the greater the
tendency the blade has to wander. They have low-beam strength, but can cut
small radiuses. Blades are available from 1/16" up for your machine, but for
very narrow blades the normal guides have to be replaced with cool blocks [not
supplied with the machine].
Kerf
The width of the saw cut.The larger the kerf, the smaller the radius that can be
cut. But the greater the amount of wood the blade has to be removed by the
blade and the greater the horse power that is needed as the blade is doing
more work. The greater the kerf, the larger the amount of wood that is being
wasted by the cut.
Hook or rake
The cutting angle or shape of the tooth. The greater the angle, the more
aggressive the tooth and the faster the cut. But the faster the cut, the faster
the tooth will blunt and the poorer the surface finish the cut will have.
Aggressive blades are suitable for soft woods but will not last when cutting hard
woods. The smaller the angle, the less aggressive the tooth, the slower the cut
and the harder the wood that the blade is suitable to cut. Hook teeth have a
progressive cutting angle and take the form of a progressive radius. They are
used for fast cutting where finish is not important. Rake teeth have a flat
cutting angle and are used for fine surface finish of the cut.
Gullet
The area for the sawdust to be transported through the wood in. The larger the
tooth [pitch], the bigger the gullet.
Relief
The angle from the tip of the tooth back. The greater the angle, the more
aggressive the tooth but the weaker the tooth.
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