Forrest STIF05 5-Inch Saw Blade Dampener and Stiffener with 5/8-Inch Arbor

by Forrest

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Forrest's blades offer a superior cut that leaves a rip-cut saw edge that is as smooth as if it had been sanded, and a cross-cut edge that is almost mark-free. The blades run very quietly, and backside tearout in plywood is negligible. Each blade is virtually hand-made. The plate is hand-tensioned (up to 15 minutes per blade), superior C-4 carbide teeth are hand-brazed to the plate, and the blade is straightened and restraightened multiple times throughout the process. Think of a Forrest blade as a tool in your shop, not an accessory. Forrest stands behind it's blades by offering a sharpening service that bring blades back to the exact tolerances offered in a new blade. And this same exacting service is available for other manufacturer's blades as well, so they should come back better than new. Forrest Woodworker 1 Saw Blade For Radial and Table Saws. These trim and cross-cut ALL PURPOSE blades give scratch-free POLISHED cuts on wood, RIP or CROSSCUT, up to 2" thick. They have a 30° Alternate Top Bevel with a 5° Face Hook on 10" diameters and smaller.

Product Description

For smoother, quieter cuts, a single FORREST Dampener-Stiffener is highly recommended for all applications. Made from top-quality saw steel and precision ground to within 0.001" of side runout. For best results, select one stiffener 1/2 to 2/3 the blade diameter and mount it against the outside of the blade.

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 8 x 7 x 0.5 inches ; 12 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B0000223VT
• California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 warning.
• Item model number: STIF05
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,074 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)
  • #29 in Home Improvement > Power & Hand Tools > Power Tool Accessories > Blades > Table Saw Blades

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Blade Accessory!, May 3, 2000

By 

Al the Pal "Al the Pal" (The Fruited Plain, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forrest STIF05 5-Inch Saw Blade Dampener and Stiffener with 5/8-Inch Arbor (Tools & Home Improvement)

I use this with my Forrest Woodworker II blade in my Jet 5hp table saw. It makes an already great blade work fantastic. The only thing you have to watch is that it does diminish your depth of cut on the table saw. I still have over 2" of cut which is satisfactory for most of my applications. If I need to go deeper, I just take it off.

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A worthy addition to a great blade, February 16, 2003

By 

G. kelley (glen allan, va United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Forrest STIF05 5-Inch Saw Blade Dampener and Stiffener with 5/8-Inch Arbor (Tools & Home Improvement)

I was skeptical of any added benefit that a stabilizer would add to my Woodworker II blade - it cuts great by itself. I bought the stiffener as an "insurance policy" - similar to another reviewer.

I immediately noticed a difference - a ring that the blade made when I used a zero tolerance insert dissapeared when I added the stiffener. Clearly some vibration was removed and some incidental contact with the insert was prevented. It it too early to say if this will clearly make a difference in a ripped board, but any reduced vibration is a good thing in my book.

I gave this 4 stars only due to the price - I don't see a justification for the price. I think this could be offered less expensively or offered (at a discount) with the blade in a package.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Puts an end to blade wobble, January 25, 2004

By 

Bob Feeser "MillCrafters.com" (Springfield, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Forrest STIF05 5-Inch Saw Blade Dampener and Stiffener with 5/8-Inch Arbor (Tools & Home Improvement)

I am currently using this on my table saw. It lays up against the side of your blade, and helps to keep it true. Once in awhile I need to make a deeper cut, and it can get in the way for those cuts. I made some passes 2 1/2" deep and the edge of the Forrest stiffner stopped the piece. It is the first time I have had a problem with that.
Initially I installed this stiffner on a Sears Radial Arm saw because I was getting a good deal of wobble with it. Oddly enough, when I tried mounting a blade, then testing the trueness, only to loosen the nut, spin the blade slightly to a new seat, then retighten, and after a few tries, I hit it right, and the wobble disappeared. So whenever I replace a blade on that saw, I tweak it until it is right. Oddly enough, it runs so true when I do that, that I moved the Forrest over to the table saw.
I mated this stiffner up to the Forrest Woodworker II on my table saw, and I am getting cuts so smooth, you don't even have to sand the edge. It is finish quality perfectly smooth. (The Incra TSIII-32 table saw fence helps, giving me a true exact paralell line with the blade.)
So get the stiffner, make sure your fence is perfectly true, and you can forget about having to make your cuts a little bit oversized and having to finish up the edge on the jointer.
Highly recommended. The Forrest name is synonymous with the best in quality.