Something I have noticed when cutting eva. I had some blocks that I was cutting down on my table saw with a brand new thin blade. After a few cuts it seems that the eva dulled the blade pretty quickly. It will hardly cut through a 2x4 now. I also made some cuts on my bandsaw with a brand new blade. Everything was fine for a while and now it seems that if I try to cut anything on it, the blade wants to turn to one side and it really doesn't want to cut through anything. Anybody else experience this? Thought it was just that my bandsaw was outta tune but the table saw blade seems to be dull also.

Thanks,
Steve

Is it possible that teh EVA heated up, and bonded around the blade? This happens when I sand at 4000RPM and use drywall sanding screen. The EVA is so hot that it clogs in teh small squares, and if I do not immediately vacuum the screen, when teh EVA cools it's pretty much an EVA screen

steve
when i cut eva i use a miter box and a new razor blade (4 inch). It seems to work a lot better for me then the saw blades i have tried in the past and i hve even been able to cut very fine slices and using my pie cut jig i have had very fine cuts also. It wouold make sence to me that it would heat those blades up and dull them but thatws just a guess. Hope this helps

I can't imagine it would dull the blade but can easily see it doing what Billy suggests. Try cleaning the blades and see if that doesn't restore them. if not, then it's certainly something to watch out for.

..........

Tom,
I really couldn't see why it dull the blades either. The blades are clean and not a speck of eva on them. I could see the tablesaw blade getting too hot maybe but not the bandsaw blade. It doesn't turn that many rmps but then again it may not take a lot anyway. Gonna get some more blades and see what happens.

Steve:
It will absolutely dull your blades. I work with a product for insolating plumbing pipes that has a similar chemical makeup, and it dulls blades pretty quickly. Has nothing to do with clogging the teeth. Even using hand saws to cut with will dull the blades, just not as fast. The teethe on your band saw blade are point set. Which means that every other tooth angles left then right. The reason your band saw wants to turn to one side while cutting is that the offset on one side has dulled faster then the other. If you take a sharpening stone and hold it flat against each side of the blade while it is running it will re-sharpen the blade. It will take out the point set so the blade will not cut as aggressively as it did before but it will cut straight and will save you from ruining another blade. Were gloves while holding the stone. I suggest tight fitting gloves as loose ones could snag in the blade and pull your fingers into it.

I've never done any cutting of EVA in either manner, but a thought comes to mind of the possibility of using an abrasive type masonary blade in the table saw?

Steve,
Kinda feel like I'm talking to my self when I type that.LOL.....anyway that is some great information you posted. I had no idea. Would I use a stone on each side of the blade or just the one stone with nothing pressing against the blade from the other side?


Thanks for the info,
Steve

One side at a time

Steve,

I'm glad you posted this thread! I cut some block EVA about 3/8 inch for weave jigs. The first few cuts came out fine, but then the bandsaw blade seemed to wander off a bit. Glad I'm not along with that experience.

Stan

Steve - good post, I had no idea. I havent' done as much bandsaw work at all, but I did spend a few hours the one day I did and didn't notice a problem. Kind of surprising to hear EVA could wear down metal.