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Panel saw
Top scoring pair for laminate and veneered panels.
Use our contact form if you need the score and main pair checked against your saw details. The Setup guide covers score width, projection and main blade alignment. For cleaning resin and chip build-up, see Care.
A scoring pair is there to protect the face of laminated and veneered board before the main blade follows through. On panel saws, the small scoring blade must open a clean line that matches the 3.0 mm main kerf. In Gauteng shops, dust on the arbor and flanges often shows up as edge chipping long before the blade looks blunt.
Begin with the board type, not just the machine model. White melamine, high-gloss décor, veneer-faced MDF and double-sided chipboard do not all react the same to score depth and feed pressure. The 12T score with 48T main suits sheet work where the top face needs a neat entry and the underside must stay clean through the cut.
Before the first sheet, set the scoring blade height and confirm it tracks exactly with the main blade. A quick test cut on offcut stock will show whether the score is too narrow, wandering, or lifting the laminate at the edge. That check matters even more after a blade change or transport between sites.
Match the scoring width to the main kerf before production starts. Confirm the bore you need, 20 mm or 30 mm, and keep the arbor faces clean so the pair runs true. If you are comparing board types, use Materials to see where a different blade path makes more sense.
When you review chip-out or witness marks, read the note under Kerfs first so the kerf language matches the machine setup. Then use our contact form with the sheet material, saw model, bore size and the cut issue you are seeing. Include whether the score is adjustable side to side or fixed on your machine.
Humidity on the coast and fine inland dust both change how a scoring pair behaves over a shift. A blade that ran clean in Johannesburg can start marking laminated faces if resin, dust or condensation builds around the mounting faces. Short stoppages during load-shedding also make it worth rechecking alignment before restarting a stack.
In Durban and Cape Town, board storage conditions often show up in the cut as much as the blade itself. Swollen melamine edges, damp veneer skins and dirty pressure shoes can all mimic a bad score setting. Separate the score line check from the main blade check so you can see which part of the pair needs adjustment.
Operated by Astros Marketing (Pty) Ltd from Sunnyrock 1401, with the shop in Kya Sands, Johannesburg.
| Teeth / grind | 12T score + 48T main |
|---|---|
| Kerf | 3.0 match mm |
| Bore | 20/30 mm |
| Notes | Match height before first sheet. |
Panel saw work on laminate and veneered sheets uses a 12T scoring blade paired with a 48T main blade. Kerf match is 3.0 mm, with bore options of 20 mm and 30 mm. If you need to confirm fitment, use the contact form and send the saw arbor size with the blade code.
Scoring pair queries can be sent through our contact form, especially when matching 20 mm or 30 mm bore sizes to your panel saw. Include the sheet material and whether the problem is top-face chip-out, underside breakout or kerf mismatch.
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