Application guide

Thin-Saw Application Guide

Choosing, mounting, and running a solid carbide slitting saw so it cuts true the first time. A three-minute read for the machinist at the spindle.

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When a thin saw is the right tool

Reach for a slitting saw when the job is a narrow slot, a slit, or a cutoff. That covers steel and stainless, aluminum and copper alloys, and titanium. Solid carbide is far more rigid than a steel-bodied saw and handles the heat of high-speed slitting, so it holds size and finish where a steel saw deflects and burns.

Slitting is also the one milling cut where the tool runs completely buried in the part. The slot is the same width as the blade, so chips have nowhere to go and flood coolant never reaches the bottom of the kerf. Almost everything below comes back to two things: keeping the saw running true and getting coolant into the slot.

Choosing the saw: thickness, diameter, teeth

Thickness

Any thickness from .002″ to .250″ is a standard part, ordered in .0001″ steps. Thickness is held to +.0002″/−.0000″ and diameter to +.002″/−.000″. A thickness between two catalog sizes is priced as the next thicker catalog saw, at standard delivery. Saws thinner than .010″ are specials and can't be returned.

Minimum thickness depends on diameter: .002″ on 3/4″–1″ saws, .004″ on 1-1/4″–2″, and .006″ on 2-1/4″–4″. Find your exact thickness.

Teeth

Every diameter comes in a coarse and a fine tooth count. Coarse pitch has a 10° rake and fewer teeth. It is for non-ferrous metals, where it gives chip room and cuts cooler. Fine pitch has a 5° rake and about twice the teeth. It is for ferrous metals, where it supports the edge and leaves a cleaner finish in steel and stainless.

Diameter sets your reach

Maximum depth of cut = (saw diameter − arbor flange diameter) ÷ 2 − .050″. Choose a diameter that reaches the full slot depth past the flange with that .050″ of clearance to spare.

C-Series or K-Series?

Match the series to the cut. More on the two series in the FAQ.

Your cut	Saw to run	Why
Depth of cut up to 3× saw thickness	C-Series	Standard saw. It seats on the arbor by taper contact on its outer ring.
Depth of cut over 3× thickness	K-Series	Alternate-tooth chamfer, double concavity, and a flat, parallel hub that sits flush on the arbor. That means more grip, less runout, no chip packing, and lower torque. It solves most slitting-saw problems.
Any gang (stacked saws)	K-Series	A hub is essential in a gang. Flush hub contact keeps the stack true.
Under .020" thick, full-radius saws, or corner radius over 10% of thickness	C-Series	K-Series isn't made under .020" and isn't recommended for those corner forms.

C-Series for depth of cut up to 3× saw thickness: Standard saw. It seats on the arbor by taper contact on its outer ring.
K-Series for depth of cut over 3× thickness: Alternate-tooth chamfer, double concavity, and a flat, parallel hub that sits flush on the arbor. That means more grip, less runout, no chip packing, and lower torque. It solves most slitting-saw problems.
K-Series for any gang (stacked saws): A hub is essential in a gang. Flush hub contact keeps the stack true.
C-Series for under .020" thick, full-radius saws, or corner radius over 10% of thickness: K-Series isn't made under .020" and isn't recommended for those corner forms.

Arbor and thru-coolant setup

A saw can only run as true as the arbor under it. RobbJack's NAB ultra-precision arbors are ground to under .0002″ runout. They grip the saw up to 15× harder than a typical arbor, so it can't slip or spin under load. The thru-coolant version (NAB-TC) comes in seven sizes for 3/8″ to 1-1/4″ saw bores. It sends through-spindle coolant out along both faces of the saw, flushing the kerf where flood coolant can't reach. Cutting dry or with minimum lubricant? The standard NAB gives the same precision and grip without the coolant path. If a saw bore fits more than one arbor, the order of preference is NAB-TC, then NAB, then AB, then ER collet arbors.

What's in the box

Two steel thru-coolant flanges and a spacer set come with every NAB-TC.

Recommended upgrade

CF solid carbide flanges (sold in pairs, sized for every NAB-TC bore) and CSP carbide spacers. Steel flanges wear, pick up burrs, and scratch the saw over repeated setups. Carbide doesn't, so the clamping faces stay flat and the setup repeats run after run.

Building a thru-coolant gang

From the arbor out to the nut:

NAB-TC arbor body

CF carbide flangeFeeds coolant across the outer saw face.

Saw (K-Series)

CSP carbide spacerFeeds coolant between the saws. Any thickness from .002" to .250".

Saw (K-Series)Repeat the spacer and saw for more blades.

Second CF carbide flange

Arbor nut

Two stack rules: run K-Series saws in any gang, and keep the total thickness of all saws and spacers under 50% of the arbor's cap length.

Setup limits: ring-in and runout

Most slitting trouble (chatter, slipping, chip packing, poor finish) comes from setup, not from the tool. Start with a clean saw, arbor, and holder, all in excellent condition. One chip or burr between mating faces throws the saw out before it cuts. Seat the saw dead flat so it rings in. Tighten with moderate force only: over-tightening distorts the saw and arbor and adds runout. NAB arbors list a clamping torque for each size, from 300 to 600 in-lb. Then indicate:

Check	Limit	How
Arbor and holder: diameter and runout	.0002"	Use precision-ground arbors and holders only.
Saw seating (ring-in) clearance	< .0001"	Seat the saw flat against the hub.
Side runout	< .0005"	Indicate the side of the saw. Over the limit? Break it loose, clean, and re-ring.
Tooth-to-tooth runout (saws over .020")	~.0001"	Spin the saw opposite its cutting direction and note the highest reading at each tooth. Largest minus smallest is the runout.

Hold these limits and the saw cuts to size with a clean finish. Miss them and no speed or feed change will save the cut. The full procedure, step by step, is in the slitting-saw setup guide.

Starting speeds and feeds

Get your starting numbers from the RobbJack slitting-saw calculator rather than a generic chart. Enter the saw OD, bore, thickness, material, and your machine's limits. It picks C- or K-Series for your depth of cut, matches the arbor to the bore, and works the numbers the way a saw needs:

Surface speed and RPM are based on the saw's outside diameter.
Chip load per tooth scales with blade thickness. Feed = RPM × chip load × number of teeth.
Chip load is cut to 80% for rigid fixturing and 60% for weak fixturing. Tell it honestly how the part is held.
RPM, feed, and horsepower are capped at the limits you enter, so the numbers stay inside what your spindle can deliver.

Treat the output as a starting point to prove on a test cut. Run heavy coolant, equal on both faces, and listen. A correct setup sounds smooth and steady, with no recutting of chips. A harsh, ragged sound means chips are packing or the saw is slipping. Stop and check seating and runout before you touch the feeds.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
Cuts wide, chatters, wears unevenlyFix: Clean everything, re-ring, and bring side runout under .0005".	Runout: the saw wobbles a few tenths	Clean everything, re-ring, and bring side runout under .0005".
Saw won't indicate trueFix: Clean and re-ring. If it still won't come in, inspect the holder and arbor.	Not seated flat, or a damaged holder or arbor	Clean and re-ring. If it still won't come in, inspect the holder and arbor.
Runout got worse after tighteningFix: Loosen, re-seat, and tighten with moderate force only.	Over-tightened: the saw and arbor are distorted	Loosen, re-seat, and tighten with moderate force only.
Saw drifts to one side, cut wandersFix: Heavy, equal flow to both faces. A thru-coolant arbor feeds both faces directly.	Unequal coolant, or chips packed in the slot	Heavy, equal flow to both faces. A thru-coolant arbor feeds both faces directly.
Harsh, ragged soundFix: Stop and check seating and runout. For slip, use an NAB arbor (up to 15× grip). For deep cuts, use K-Series.	Chips packing or the saw slipping on the arbor	Stop and check seating and runout. For slip, use an NAB arbor (up to 15× grip). For deep cuts, use K-Series.
Chips welded to teeth, torn finish at the bottom of the slotFix: Thru-coolant arbor, so coolant exits at the blade on both faces.	Saw running dry deep in the kerf	Thru-coolant arbor, so coolant exits at the blade on both faces.
Thin saw snaps mid-cutFix: Flush the kerf with thru-coolant. Over 3× depth of cut, switch to K-Series.	Recut chip jammed between the saw and the slot wall	Flush the kerf with thru-coolant. Over 3× depth of cut, switch to K-Series.
Burrs, scratched saw faces, setup that won't repeatFix: CF carbide flanges and CSP carbide spacers.	Worn steel flanges or spacers	CF carbide flanges and CSP carbide spacers.

Precision that holds

.002"–.250": every .0001" thickness is a standard part
< .0005": side runout limit
15×: more grip from a NAB arbor

Prove it on your own part

Try a RobbJack test tool. Performance is guaranteed: run it against the saw you use today, and if it doesn't beat it, we'll make it right. For production quantities, order through your local cutting-tool distributor.

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Keep going

Stuck on a setup?

Tell us the material, slot depth, saw thickness, and your coolant setup. A RobbJack saw application engineer will spec the saw, the arbor, and the speeds and feeds: (800) 527-8883.

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