Troubleshooting Blade Chip-Out with Melamine
Advice on checking the blade for imperfections and the saw setup for inaccuracies. December 28, 2014
Question
We are having issues with chips on the top of melamine when we cut one sheet but no problems with the top sheet when stacking two-three. We have a newly sharpened blade and scoring blade but it still chips when cutting one sheet. Does anyone have any thoughts?
Forum Responses
(Cabinetmaking Forum)
From contributor T:
I would switch the blade first. I've had blades come back with the wrong grind and they've done almost the same thing. If it's still chipping after that then check the spindle run-out. It could have run-out or may have a balancing issue.
From contributor M:
These are freshly sharpened blades. I'm not sure how many sets we have. Do you have this model? What is a spindle run off and where do I check? The owner thinks the speed may need to be changed for different materials. Could that be a possibility? It just doesn’t make sense that one sheet chips on the top, but as soon as you add a second or third sheet, the top sheet is clean on top.
From Contributor U:
The first thing to try if this just started with this sharpened blade. Try another set, preferably new and see if the problem happens. It is just freshly sharpened, but it could be a problem with the sharpening. If that doesn't fix the problem you will want to check the saw blade spindle for alignment. You will want to work on the saw as if you are performing a saw blade change. You mount a dial indicator with magnetic base to the saw. Set the dial on the leading edge of the saw blade. Not on a tooth, but right behind it. Move the saw carriage forward and back and see if the dial indicator is changing from the front to the back of the saw blade. This can let you know if the saw blade is out of alignment front to back. You can also check to make sure the pressure beam is holding the material down on a single board. Make sure you don't have an air leak and that the same force is being applied for one board and as for two-three board.
