I followed an earlier discussion about ripping blades, did the ‘net research, and decided to buy a 24 tooth Freud LU87R010. I have an underpowered saw and want a very clean, smooth rip cut. Evidently this blade, designed for underpowered saws, will give a very clean, smooth rip cut.
Then I saw something about using a 60 tooth blade for smooth ripping. So which is it? 60 teeth or 24 teeth? Is there something in the design of the Freud that accomplishes with 24 what would normally take 60? Am I obsessing about this? Are the differences between 60 and 24 negligible to a weekend woodworker who uses the blade that came with his low-end Craftsman tablesaw?
Replies
A 24 tooth rip blade will rip faster than a 60 tooth blade. A 60 tooth blade is designed for crosscuts, has a different tooth design and hook angle. It can probably be used to rip soft wood 3/4" or less but will probably burn hardwood and thicker wood.
For the best ripping, you want a 24 tooth blade designed specifically for ripping.
That Frued blade is on my lists also (that may have been my thread you're referring to). I expect we'll both notice a significant difference. The combo blade I use for most stuff on the Jet contractor's saw does an OK job ripping, but I get the feeling the saw is laboring a bit, and I definitely don't want to cut anything like 1+" walnut with it. Can't wait to try a real rip blade.
BTW, from whence did you order your blade? I was going to use Ballew Tools.
I get dyslexia when I look at your name :-) Can I call you Gasp??
PS: I seem to remember that Freud makes a new ripping blade, 30-tooth, recommended for ripping thinner stock. It just never ends, does it, LOL!
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Edited 10/21/2002 12:38:19 PM ET by forest_girl
Yes, I think it was your original thread I was following.
I haven't ordered it yet. It's on the Christmas wish list. A lot of sites seemed to revert to Amazon, and it had the best price. I'll look at Ballew though.
Gasp--never got that one, but hey, why not? ;-)
GPASEWICZ:
If you don't have a jointer and you use your table saw for jointing, then a 40 tooth combination blade is best. You can alternate it between cross cutting and ripping without changing blades so much. Forrest blades are one of the better manufacturer for this type of blade and they are having a sale now on their WWII blade. You can contanct them at http://www.forrestblades.com They are on the high end but well worth the $$. If you use it for just ripping, then the 24 tooth blade is best.
Marcello
Well, I'd be using it for jointing. Unfortunately, sale or no, the W21014 is out of the price range. I'm pushing the limits with a $45 Freud.
Well, the 24 tooth will leave slight arches on the wood's surface I haven't come accross one yet that does not do this, specially the ones that come with the saws. The more teeth, the smoother the cut. For ripping/jointing I would not go more than 40T, the feed rate will be slower than the 24T but the edge will be smoother. Maintaining the blade clean and free of pitch will also help on the cuts. Freud does make a 40T combo blade. I don't know the price for it. In all, buy the best that you can possibly afford. Fine Woodworking had an article on saw blade comparisons not too long ago, maybe someone can help with the issue #. That may help shed some light as to the types of cuts expected with different brands of blades.
Marcello
Hmmm, been watching this thread with some amusement....
Firstly, Howie summed it up pretty succinctly. I understand the concern about price but, you do get what you pay for. I can think of any number of blades that will last 2-5 times longer between sharpening than Freud. DML Golden Eagles being at the top. So if you are going to think about "cost", think about it in terms over the life of the blade.
If your intention is to "joint" on the table saw, then you will be sorely disappointed with the results, particularly if you are going to use a blade that is a compromise (which a combination blade is). You would be far better off in getting a #7 or #8 jointer plane, or even using a router to edge joint.
Someone mentioned the article by FWW, last December I believe, this test shouldn't be relied upon primarily because they did not compare apples to apples and there was considerable "discussion" here after the article came out. If your level of patience is high, you might want to try to conduct a search, this was before The Move so good luck.
Ultimately, of course, it's your shop, your money, and you're the one in charge of quality control. Personally, I gave up on Freud years ago {though I still have a calibration disc they made ;-)} and all my blades are DML Golden Eagles. SystiMatics and CMT also make outstanding blades....FWIW.
Dano"Form and Function are One" - Frank L. Wright
Dano, which Freud series did you try?forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Jamie,
As I said, I stopped using 'em years ago; around the time they started showin' up in the "box" stores. Last one I pitched was about 3 or 4 years ago, can't remember the model #, think it was a 50T 4ATB+1FTG, regular kerf (don't believe in those thin kerfs). Stopped using their router bits before I stopped using their blades...
Try to remember though, I do this for a living so I probably run more board feet in a week or two than most folks here run in a year. If you want the real skinny on blades, talk to a competent blade doctor, don't just take my word for it.
Dano"Form and Function are One" - Frank L. Wright
The blades that "show up" at the big box stores are a different line than the ones I'm looking at, and can only be found, near as I've seen, in catalogs such as Ballew, occasionally at Rockler, and a few specimens at Amazon. I suspect that my lower-intensity use will be fine with the LU line of blades. Freud and Systimatic are the brands I've been looking at. I'm sure they and CMT, and Leitz (sp?) et al., make blades that would be fine for my use. Just need to focus and choose.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
A dedicated ripping blade is an excellent investment and the edge finish from the LU87 in question is perfect for gluing up panels and should require only light sanding to be used as a finished edge. 60 teeth is too many for ripping anything thicker than about 1/2".
In regards to Danford's comments:
CMT doen't make saw blades - they have them made by third parties.
Of all the forums I visit he is the only person I have heard tout DML as being the best blades.
I dispute that you can get more life from a DML or any other brand of carbide tipped blade than from a Freud and have testing (that he would likely dispute) to back it up. You should always use the correct blade for the application and we manufacture our own carbide to be sure it is the optimum in terms of life and performance for the intended use. If Danford's experience with Freud blades is based on the use of the Combination blade he mentioned it would explain a lot. Combination blades have softer carbide than crosscut blades because they are intended to rip as well. While combination blades are amoung our best sellers I rarely recommend them - tending to steer toward the dedicated blades - even though they do an admirable job at both crosscutting and ripping.
The brand debate could easily turn into what we here in NASCAR land call the "Ford vs. Chevy" debate. I respect anyone's option to select a brand other than Freud but to present data such as "will last 2-5 times longer between sharpening than Freud" without definitive data is, IMHO, no service to people who genuinely want to find out if a product will suit their needs.
Charles M
Freud, Inc.
Charles,
The combo blade by Freud isn't the only one I've owned that was made by your company....just the last one that hit the trash can.
Who actually makes CMT blades is moot, they're still damn good blades.
I suggest maybe that you "broaden" the number of forums that you lurk about in, my comments on DML Golden Eagles' longevity are consistent with others who use them who participate in the forums that I do and the professionals that I personally know. Are any of my "test" scientific? No, but I do have an attic full of business records, which includes sharpening invoices. I also will state that I rely more on my personal experiences and those of my colleagues than any test performed by a magazine or manufacturer.
Granted, DML is not as well known to the general public as Freud because of their advertising approach but, they are still of much higher quality than Freud. Saying that I do participants here and elsewhere a disservice with my recommendations (that are based on over 40 years in working with wood) and making comparisons to NASCAR is an insult to ones intelligence.
I understand your belief in the product that you sell, any good salesman has to be "sold" first before he/she sells their product successfully. Nonetheless, I stand by my comments and my recommendations...though I'm now seriously considering whether or not to keep my Freud calibration disc. ;-)
Dano"Form and Function are One" - Frank L. Wright
Implying that I am a salesman is an insult to me. I am a technician and often clash with the sales and marketing folks. I think you missed my point. To say brand X works 2 to 5 times longer than brand Y would require that you have used both brands side by side and measured the life of each to come up with a figure. To come up with a truly valid quantification you would need to test several of each and do averaging. I dispute the results of many of the magazine reviews because they will often do the side by side comparison but they do not have the resources and time to repeat the test many times to obtain an average. Can you provide the required data to say which brand lasts 2x and which is 5x?
Charles M
Freud, Inc.
Charles,
If it weren't for salesmen, you wouldn't have a job, so don't be so easily insulted. No, I will not turn over my business records to you. Yes I will provide you with a test, email me through the forum and I'll point you to another forum where a test was done over a length of time.
Dano"Form and Function are One" - Frank L. Wright
Perhaps you could post the link so the rest of us could see it as well.
Sgian, well said.....as usual.
Dick, I do happen to believe it is poor etiquette to provide a link to a competing forum while on anothers', as I have explained here on several occasions. I'll e-mail you the link.
Scott, no I haven't. Often times I see one region favoring a particular product over another; in my neck o' the woods DMLs are the preferred blade....
Lee, interesting. First time I've ever heard that one. I recall right after The Move a discussion appeared on just that subject, most preferred the Times New Roman font with the 3, which is the same size as the Ariel default. Is your newspaper up in your neck o' the woods printed in Ariel? ;-)
Charles, I apologize for my reproach on salesmen, had no idea that you were being facetious.
As to the test, see above.
My experiences are not opinions, they are just that "experiences" as I alluded to in a previous post. While not necessarily scientific facts, they are facts nonetheless. Folks that have been around here for any length of time know that when I do express an opinion, it is clearly stated as such.
Just out of curiosity, do you know what the "Challengers Award" given by the International Woodworking Fair is?
Dano"Form and Function are One" - Frank L. Wright
Dano-
While not necessarily scientific facts, they are facts nonetheless.
Could you please explain the difference between scientific facts and plain old facts?
in my neck o' the woods DMLs are the preferred blade....
That's a plain old fact, not an opinion, right? How do we know that DMLs are the preferred blade (whatever that means : For ripping, for crosscutting, for carpentry, for something else?)?
Donald, Could you please explain the difference between scientific facts and plain old facts?
Nope, your're the expert on semantics not me, but that's just my opinion. I am willing to provide a couple of examples though; Scientific fact: Newton's 3rd Law (the basis of rocket science), Plain old fact, Michigan State University was the first land grant college in the United States.
That's a plain old fact, not an opinion, right?
Correct.
How do we know that DMLs are the preferred blade (whatever that means : For ripping, for crosscutting, for carpentry, for something else?)?
You don't know, just like we don't know that Leitz's are the preferred blades in Scott's neck o' the woods. If you are unsure what "preferred" means, look it up in your dictionary.....
Bwaaaaaaaahahahahahah!!!!!
.....you kill me off......what a riot.
Dano
"Form and Function are One" - Frank L. Wright
Referring back to your exchange with Charles MC, then, would it be fair to say that scientific facts are those which are supported by actual measurements, and your version of plain old facts are strongly held opinions which aren't supported by actual measurements?
No.
The test I made reference to (and provided the link via e-mail to one participant) used measurable datum (facts). My own "measurements" are based on longevity (time measurements[facts]) and costs (dollar measurements [facts]); wood species and dimesions are ascertainable through a thorough review of my records; far more boring (opinion) and costly to do (in terms of a time "measurement [fact]) than replying to your very positive(opinion) and constructive (opinion) contributions on the topic at hand.
Dano (plain ol' fact; nickname)
"Form and Function are One" - Frank L. Wright
Edited 10/23/2002 3:53:26 PM ET by Danford C. Jennings
Newton's Third Law of Motion is a scientific theory held is absolute confidence to the point that is considered to not have exception, so it is not strictly a 'fact'.
A scientific fact would be something like a proven observation, or some other absolute. For example, that the earth travels in orbit around the sun is indeed a fact.
Dano
The reason I ask about the Leitz is I have never used the DML and I was hoping that maybe if you had used the Leitz you could give me your opinon of how they compar.
Garth
Scott,
I appreciate that. My experience shows that once you get up into the higher quality blades, there are little if any differences in cut quality. Ultimately though, as I've often said, it boils down the how competent your blade doctor is any who...
Dano"Form and Function are One" - Frank L. Wright
If you don't feel comfortable providing a link, how 'bout pointing us to the forum and we'll search for it.
Yes, I do know what the Challenger Award is. Why do you ask?
Charles M
Freud, Inc.
Edit: BTW, it's amazing how your data matches DML's. I found this on their website:
http://www.primarktoolgroup.com/content/pages/dml.html
"They last 2 to 5 times longer than competitors' blades..."
Since Freud is a competitor that must apply to us and it must be true because it's right there on their website.
Edited 10/25/2002 12:36:59 AM ET by CHARLES_MC
Charles-
BTW, it's amazing how your data matches DML's
You don't suppose..., nah it couldn't be. Nobody would do something like that.
Well,
That does put me in somewhat of a quandry, doesn't it? Do I stick to my "ethics" about bringing in a discussion that took place on one forum into another? Or do I defend my integrity after some XXXXXXX implies that I'm a liar?.........Ahha! I have the solution: especially for you Donald.
Dano
"Form and Function are One" - Frank L. Wright
Oh, now there's a mature, thoughful response in the midst of an adult discussion. forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Dano,
I have deleted the attachment and have removed your vulgar comments: consider this to be a warning, first and last! Lets keep it clean, I have lots of other things to do than to play policeman and censor so please keep it clean.
Mark
SYSOP[email protected]
Edited 10/25/2002 11:23:02 AM ET by SYSOP
Dano,
Come on! Save that garbage for the kids over at Woodworking.com. If you recall, I left there over the same nonsense, and came over here because this is a great site.
Jeff
I, for one, am glad to see that your "ethics" allow for the use of profanity and a lack of good taste. I didn't intend any of this to be a personal assault and only hoped to share information in the true spirit of the forum. Sure, I goaded you a little to get the info, but I think you are being a little too defensive.
I also apologize to all that may feel I have pushed Danford into gracing us all with the colorful language and obscene picture and that this thread has moved so far from the original question.
Charles M
Freud, Inc.
Charles, I for one don't think you pushed Dano at all. There is no excuse for his behavior. He demonstrated a remarkable lack of respect for everyone at Knots by throwing his little 1-finger temper tantrum.
BTW, you'll be pleased to know I picked up the UltraMagnificent 80-tooth cutoff blade at the WWing show today (LU-whateveritis), and have already had to wipe drool marks off of it from another WWer I was showing it to! The Freud guy at the booth must have thought I had your home phone, LOL! But I reassured we'd only "talked" on-line. Now I gotta go back and buy another $90 in stuff if I want the Freud shirt they're giving away. Hah!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Jamie,
Whatever was it that Mr. Danford C. Jennings posted that could had to have been removed? You referred to a 1-finger temper tantrum? Could you please describe for us who missed the image what you mean? I don't follow.
Actually, I'm not pleased that things get censored. I think that such things speak for themselves. And leaving such things up simply exposes poor taste and offensive behavior for what it is. "Family oriented" values leave me cold.
As long as a particular person is not ridiculed or otherwise harmed, the best way to deal with such behavior is to have the community condem it. And they can only do that if they can see it.
Yeah, I know if the Sysop had left it up, there would have been howls of protest by some who would have found it offensive.
R
Well, Rich, I really find it hard to believe that you can't, with a bit of thought, figure out what the image was that was removed. Think one-finger salute, think road rage, think juvenile. Got it?
I disagree with you about having no boundaries on these boards. It's not that I'm a prude -- I learned to drive in Southern California, so 'nuf said about that. I think moderators are here for a reason, Taunton pays for and supports these discussions at great expense to themselves, and I think they have a right to enforce certain minimum standards of civilized behavior. We participate here, but we don't own the place. If you want to have a WWing discussion forum where it's a free-for-all and y'all can go ballistic, or into the gutter, whenever you feel like it, with no regard or respect for others, all you have to do is rent some web space, buy a bunch of software, start advertising, and go for it! More power to you.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Can someone please put up what was removed, or send it to me. I love a bit of friction and mild rudeness, or even better, outright abuse goes down a treat, but then I'm a bit of a sick saddo. I'm never shocked. The single finger salute is just fine with me-- pretty mild really, but I hate to miss out on the cause of all the righteous indignation. I'm going to the fridge to crack open a beer. By the time I get back, I hope to see the cause of the flap on my screen, ha, ha.
Ta, guys. Slainte.Some stuff I've made.
Hey Sgian - take a look at Dicks comment number 54 on this post. It's a good one that explains the delightful photo.
I just finished my pint of Bells Kalamazoo Stout which cannot be bought there in Exxon land. Hope you enjoyed your pint.
Lar
Thanks, Lar. Sadly the risque graphic and perhaps some of testiest language is missing, but I get the general idea. Hopefully, the tempers will rise to warm and snotty tomorrow, and I'll catch some of it before it's censored. Slainte.Some stuff I've made.
Jamie,
"Well, Rich, I really find it hard to believe that you can't, with a bit of thought, figure out what the image was that was removed. Think one-finger salute, think road rage, think juvenile. Got it?"
Easy, easy! I was kidding that I couldn't understand the image. Don't you get in a rage, huh?
I wasn't kidding about my objection to censorship. I think censorship is worse than anything that's censored. Censorship just lets those who control speech pretend that the things they don't want to acknowledge don't exist.
As I said, short of a personal attack, there is no moral justification for removing something that's been posted. Except by the person who posted it.
R
a) I'm not in a rage (I am, however, almost in asleep; had to get up at the ungodly hour of 7:30 to get going to the WWing show this morning).
b) I respectfully disagree.
G'nite!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I'm happy that you are trying that blade. Please let me know what you think of the performance. I'll have to give our northwest rep a ribbing about it and try to claim a commission. Maybe he'll send me an Olympia six pack ;^)
I don't think that someone who objects to images and language like that on a public forum is prudish. I'm just glad I didn't pull the image up at home where my kids might see it.
Charles M
Freud, Inc.
The rep did a good job, not too pushy, but friendly and informative. He did have me, at one point, standing there with 4 or 5 blades in my hands, which prompted Michael to come over and make sure I wasn't getting into too much trouble, LOL! Only glitch was when he kept to referring to how the glue-line rip blade eliminated the need for using a planer to finish up. I didn't have the heart to correct him to "jointer" -- which, granted is simply an upsidedown planer. Too funny.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
That's classic! He's definitely going to have it rough when I get finished teasing him! Now you know the difference between a salesman and a woodworker.
BTW, I have family in Kent and have visited a few times. Is that close to where you are?
Charles M
Freud, Inc.
>"Is that close to where you are?" Depends on how you define "close." I'm on Bainbridge Island, which is 9miles out into the water from Elliot Bay in Seattle. Kent is just south of SeaTac Airport, which would make it about 1/2 hr. from the ferry landing in Seattle on a good day. When I go to Seattle, if possible I don't take a car, but rather "walk on" the ferry (35 min ride). I can walk to a Mariners game, or the Seahawks if I were a masochist, and tour everything from Pioneer square to the Space Needle without need of driving. It's very cool.
LMK if you're ever in the neighborhood, we can meet downtown and tour the Northwest Woodworking Gallery on 1st Ave., stop at the Pyramid for a brew and a pizza!
Actually, Kent is very close to the Jet factory and the Jet scratch 'n dent place where I got my jointer :-)
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Edited 10/26/2002 12:23:50 AM ET by forest_girl
Must have been a nasty little accident to lose your thumb and all but one finger!
Would the accident involve a 60 tooth or 24 tooth blade?
I would hope a 60 tooth, being essentially a crosscut operation.Be seeing you...
You're right. I should have known this, now that I've learnt a thing or two about blades.
Dano-
Thanks for the cute picture. It will occupy a treasured place in my album.
The only thing the picture lacked was any relevance to the questions you have been asked. While you are pondering the ethics of posting a link to another discussion, you might give some thought to the ethics of heaping opprobrium on a specific product (Freud's tablesaw blades) and then refusing to provide an analysis or even raw data to justify your claim.
To paraphrase Newton's First Law (I know you are a fan), facts can neither be created nor destroyed. If you have genuine facts, I would think you'd be proud to show them.
Don,
"Opprobium." Wow. Had to look that one up.
http://www.dictionary.com/search?q=opprobrium
Good one. A condition I strive to avoid. My Vocabulary Word for the Day.
R
Rich-
Actually, credit Prospero's spelling checker. I made such a hash of trying to spell "abuse" that they suggested "opprobrium." I gave in without resistance.
Well! Opprobium on you!
When I misspell, I just get error messages informing me that I'm hopeless and that suggestions for alternate words are out of the question.
R
Shame,Shame on you if you cant play Nice Then Please take your ball & bat and run home to mommy..<G>
ToolDoc
Charley Mac
Looks like you had a big bowl of wheaties last nite.. he..he
Have a good day..
sarge..jt
My comment about being insulted was intended to be facetious (guess I should have used a cutsy winking emoticon ;^) ). I do appreciate that the sales team makes my position possible.
I would be interested in seeing the test which you referred to and I'm confident others would like to see it as well. That's what I expect when I see claims like that. I don't think it's bad etiquette to link to another forum for something like this so please post a link for all to see.
BTW, if you had said something like "In my opinion/experience brand X lasts longer than brand Y" I would not have commented on your post at all. Stating numbers implies data that should also be included.
Charles M
Freud, Inc.
Hi Charles, having fun?? :-) If you have that link (the test) and can send it to me, I'll post it as I have no qualms about cross-referencing one forum to the next. Nonsense.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Jamie,
Agreed. Cross referencing is one of the most wonderful features of communicating on the Net.
R
I find this all delightful! I don't have the link as I don't feel it should be necessary to Email Danford on the side to get what he should have provided to support his assertions from the beginning. Perhaps the lucky soul that he sent it to will share it.
Charles M
Freud, Inc.
Why is the carbide used on a combo blade softer than that used on a dedicated blade?
Not confrontational - just curious.
The carbide on a combo blade is softer than that used on a crosscut blade but harder than on a rip blade due to the impact angles. Rip blades attack the material more aggressively and the carbide will fracture if it is too hard (harder carbide = more brittle).
Charles M
Freud, Inc.
Thanks for the info.
After over 25 yrs. of makin' sawdust I bought my 2nd combo blade.
The 1st one was chit. (24 years ago)
Things sure have changed.
Because of reading what you dillweeds posted I bought Leitz 50 tooth atb w/raker.
Maybe it'll only work this good when new...$52 delivered.
OK, now back to the forum drama.
*points and laughs* hahahahahahaThe proof is in the puddin'
Have you tried the Leitz, it seem to be the blade of choice for most of the cabinet shops in my area. I use my saw almost exclusively for ripping so 90% of the time it has a 24t blade on it.
Garth
Danford, I'd really appreciate if you would use the default font and type size in your posts. My poor old eyes can easily read all other posts, but yours I cannot. The font itself is more difficult to read and the size is smaller, making it even worse.
--
Lee in Cave Junction, Oregon
On the Redwood Highway
I have found that I get a cleaner edge using a dedicated rip blade, such as the freud 24t. Ripping with a combo blade doesn't leave a clean edge, IMO, because you have to use a slower feed rate. With a ripping blade, I can move material through the saw at a faster rate, reducing blade marks and burns. I do agree that you can get a good edge with a 40t combo.
Just my experience... but I do have a jointer so I don't think about it a whole lot.
Forrest blades are great, they should be for the price. There are a number of other blades that offer high performance and quality at a much lower price point.
Edited 10/21/2002 4:20:45 PM ET by JEFFN7
Gpase,
I'm not sure why you would pay $45 for the Frued rip blade when you can get the LU84011 combination blade at woodworkers warehouse for $30. I believe this will do a much better job than the 24 tooth rip blade and cost less and be more versitile. The 24 tooth will rip faster but I think the combination blade will rip smoother. IMHO
TDF
The Freud website has a "Which saw blade do I need?" feature, which is where the recommendation comes from. I'm open to other options, like the LU84011 (is that a typo? I couldn't find it online.)
Found it. The LU84R011 is $50 on Amazon, $64 at Woodworkers Warehouse.com.
Howdy!
I usually use a 24 tooth ripping blade, but when I want to rip thin strips of wood for glass stop in windows or whathaveya, I use a 60 tooth alternate bevel. It gives a much cleaner cut. It does so more slowly though alot faster than sanding.
Glendo.
From time to time I see these discussions. It's said that you should use a Forrest(sp?) Combo blade, and it cuts everything perfectly, or so the proponents say, which is pure rubbish of course, as any other professional will tell you. Use a 60 tooth 250 mm dia. blade for ripping, so it's said, and you'll get a smooth cut-- well,... for one cut, or a few maybe. I've been known to rip solid timber 3"- 4" thick all day long on a really big saw, not a wee Powermatic or even smaller contractor saw. The only blade I'll use for that is a 350 mm or 400 mm diameter full thickness flat top grind rip blade-- no thin kerf nonsense for me, thanks. It would be pure stupidity to use a combination or cross cut blade in that situation.
If you want to rip, use a flat top grind rip blade-- it has that chisel pattern and big gullets for a reason. If you want to cross cut, use an ATB blade-- it has that slicing knife pattern and smallish gullets for a reason too. If you want to neither rip, nor cross cut especially well use a 4&1 blade with raker or TCG blade.
The man from Freud isn't giving anyone any horse manure that I can see, and in some support of their products, I've been using a 300 mm dia. Freud TCG pretty hard for about five years. It's about worn out now, but it must have been sharpened about 12 or more times. Not too bad I'd say for a guy like me that hammers the hell out of his sawblades. I also use Amana, and Systimatic(sp?) quite a bit too, and a few others, but I'll never ponce about like a big girls blouse using a crosscut blade for ripping, and even more pointedly, I'll never expect to achieve a 'glue line rip' with any blade unless I'm using a gap filling glue like epoxy resin, and I have a power feeder, or a gang rip saw, and I work in a mass production setting. Planing machines and hand planes have their place, especially in my custom furniture making business. Slainte.Some stuff I've made.
......yup.cabinetmaker/college instructor. Cape Breton, N.S
Boy I hope this one's finished.
Cause I use the generic carbide tipped blades I can get here as Ace or the lumber yard & have several with different tooth configurations including a triple chip which is made for melamine & laminate but does well on hardwood & good quality sheet goods. If it doesn't come out real smooth I have a jointer that what it's for.
I don't have a Freud, Forrest, DML, Leitz or any of those other name brand blades in my little hobby shop & have gotten by for hobby work just fine for years.
Of course I really enjoy these discussions so keep them coming.
Most of the comments on this discussion have been geared up to a business type of application for the blade where 1000's of bf are run weekly. In this scenario, sure, use a blade dedicated for the task at hand. But, being a hobbyist home woodworker I benefit more with the thin kerf, 40t combo blade. It generates a tad less waste in the stock allowing me to use a the most out of a board, and, I don't have to change blades so often giving me time to take a break and kick the cat.
There are many blades for different applications and uses that fit different individual's needs. Based what you do and what you like will determine the blade you need. Because of budget constraints, GPASEWICZ is looking for one blade to do different applications. It is my opinion he should get a combo blade. This blade sure qualifies in the "jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none" category but for small quantity of ripping compared to a profesional shop, (10-15 bf max per week in my case), it is the way to go. Additional blades dedicated for specific tasks can be purchased as work load increases.
> Because of budget constraints, GPASEWICZ is looking for one blade to do different > applications.
Not exactly. I'm looking for a relatively inexpensive, smooth cutting ripping blade. For crosscutting I'll stick with the stock blade that came with the saw. At least for now.
Sorry, I assumed incorrectly, my bad.
GPASEWICZ
I use the Freud 24 tooth TK ripping blade. Got it on sale for $29. I have a 1 1/2 HP saw and the TK works great. If I had a 3 HP or more I would use the Freud 1/8" blade same tooth. silver uses the Freud TK on his big horse Unisaw for production runs on ligumvitae for guides for bushing on ships propeller shafts.
The Forrest is a great blade at a high price. Cost of factory sharpening and shipping is $27. For the price of the Forrest and a factory sharpening, I got a Freud rip and a 60 tooth crosscut. I took the $60 left over and designed and built an edge jointer. ( Assuming you already have a router ).
The edge jointer is also a router table which can preform a ton of other things. Two blades and a router table, fence and cabinet for $135. I can afford the Forrest, but I learned when I was head of household at 13 years old to get a lot of mileage out of my $.02 worth. I think I have done that with my approach.
Good luck with whatever you choose to do..
sarge..jt
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