Replies

1. 
   shoffman13 | Apr 20, 2002 11:09am | #1

   I use freud 24 tooth rip blade. sometimes it's not only the number of teeth, but their configuration, angle, etc. you may also want to look at a thin-kerf version.

   Steve Hoffman

   1999 Cherry/Ivory Roadstar

   SCRC #241005

   ISRA # pending forever

1. 
   fdampier | Apr 20, 2002 03:48pm | #2

   I've used thin kerf blades for that kinda work, not only on oak but also on hard maple. I don't think it's just the blade, I think that the typical contractors saw just doesn't have enough power to do the work you want to without feeding so slow that you burn the wood.  My Delta is a case in point.  trying to rip hard woods leads to burning, stalling or poor quality cuts.

     It may be time for you to upgrade to a cabinate saw.  Yeh I know, I said the same thing......

2. 
   Danford_C_ | Apr 20, 2002 06:06pm | #3

   BMYYOU,

   FWIW, I'm a strong proponent of job specific blades.  My table saw is a 1.5hp contractor's style, have no problems ripping 8/4 quarter sawn White Oak.

   I'd recommend that you check your saw for alignment and/or make sure that your stock has been four squared.  It could be a defective blade or one of low quality.

   My "knock" against thin kerf blades is that they are too succeptable to flutter, even with stabilizers some thin kerf blades will still have this....Are you making your rip cuts with the grain?

   Dano

   "Form and Function are One" - Frank L. Wright
3. 
   sschefer | Apr 20, 2002 08:56pm | #4

   That 28 tooth Jet blade is junk if its the one they threw in for free with the saw. I have the one that came with mine and I use it only on softwoods and when ripping salvaged wood just in case I hit a nail.

   Like Dano says, you can easily rip that wood on your Jet saw with a decent blade and a properly aligned saw. You see, ripping is a function of the table saw that mandates that everything to be in tune. This includes the splitter alignment if your using it, (and you should be). Somewhere on this site are the tuning and aligning procedures for your saw that I wrote a while back. I sent a note to forest_girl a while back that included them, maybe she can hook you up.

    I have a run of 5/4 white oak to rip today myself and because I don't have a jointer yet, (ok, I know I should be improving my planeing skills), I'm using my Forest II 40 tooth thin kerf blade. It will do the job just fine. However, if I wasnt going for the glue line cut quality, I would use a 24 tooth rip blade. Its really the right tool for the job.

   Steve - in Northern California

4. 
   forestgirl | Apr 22, 2002 07:11am | #5

   I'm trying to find the post Steve's talking about, but Search doesn't seem to be operating.  I'll get it to as soon as I can.

   My suspicion is that you have the wrong blade, which could be further disabled by an alignment problem.  There are plenty of WWers out there who rip oak with a 1.5HP motor.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

5. 
   sschefer | Apr 22, 2002 07:33am | #6

   Ahh.. here ya go. Try this and see if it helps you cut a little easier -

   --------------------------------------

   Here's how its done....
   Preliminary ...... DISCONNECT THE POWER TO THE SAW ..........
   1. Remove the motor belt guard
   2. Lift the motor and remove the belt.
   3. Place a board of sufficent length between the motor and the floor so the motor sits level.
   4. Remove the electrical connection to the motor.
   5. Remove the motor mounting bolts and lift the motor off the bracket.
   6. Loosen the two large trunion stretcher nuts at the rear trunion.
   7. Loosen all four trunion to table bolts.
   8. Vigoursly shake the trunion assembly.
   9. Tighten the two large trunion stretcher nuts that you loosened in step six.
   10. Raise the blade to its full height at 0 tilt.
   11. Place a piece of masking tape at the front of the blade.
   12. Grasp the front and rear of the blade and pull it towards you until it stops.
   13. Mark the tape on the side of the blade closest to you.
   14. Grasp the front and rear of the blade and push it away from you until stops.
   15. Mark the tape on the side of the blade furthest from you.
   16. Place a mark on the tape that is centered on the two previous marks, (split the difference).
   18. Center the front of the blade with the third mark.
   19. Tighten one of the front trunion bolts just enough to keep the front trunion at its current location.
   20. Place a piece of tape at the rear of the blade.
   21. Grasp the motor mount and swing the trunion towads you.
   22. Mark the rear tape on side of the blade closest to you.
   22. Push the motor mount to the opposite side.
   23. Mark the tape on the opposite side of the blade.
   24. Place a mark between the two marks and split the difference.
   25. Grasp the motor bracket and move the trunion so that the front and rear of the blade are centered on the front and rear center tape marks.
   26. Tension the rear trunion bolt on the oposite corner from the front trunion bolt you tensioned earlier.

   You are now at zero reference for your table and the trunion is in a relaxed state. You can now dial in the blade paralellism.

   1. Use a dial gauge in the miter slot and check the distances along the entire lenght of the blade.
   2. Lightly tap the rear trunion with your hand to move it to either side until you are satisfied that the distance variation is within manufactures specifcations or better.
   3. Tighten all four trunion bolts.
   4. Tilt the blade to 45 deg and check the distance front to rear again. It should be exactly the same as it is at 0 deg. If its not you may have a problem.
   5. Return the saw to 0 degrees of tilt.
   6. Put the motor back on being careful to align the motor and arbor pulleys.
   7. Put the belt back on.
   8. Tilt the blade to 45 degrees and check the distances front to rear.

   A large change from front to rear is an indication of a cracked trunion that is separating from the weight of the motor. DO NOT USE THE SAW UNTIL IT IS REPLACED. Mine moved -.0009 front to rear which I consider very acceptable and likely just slop in the tilt mechanism.

   Steve - in Northern California

1. 
   forestgirl | Apr 22, 2002 08:35am | #7

   Steve, didn't you originally write these particular instructions for the even of having jammed the motor up against an extension table and knocking the stretcher bars and cradle assembly out of whack??  Or am I imagining the origins?  Perhaps he could start by the basic (elementary) trunion tapping to align the blade with the miter slot?

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

1. 
   sschefer | Apr 22, 2002 08:49am | #8

   Yes f_g, you are correct. However, if his saw is having this much trouble he's probably got more than just a slight alignment problem. Even though its a lot of work, its worth the effort to go the extra mile and get everything in tune.Steve - in Northern California

1. 
   Elcoholic | Apr 22, 2002 11:16pm | #9

   FWIW Use a good rip blade to rip, especially with wood as demanding as White Oak.  I get glueline quality results with an FS Tools 40T Rip blade on my 3 hp cabinet saw.   A nice big homemeade feather board and a Bies' spliiter allow me to concentrate on maintaining a nice, smooth and quick feed rate.  Ripping this wood with a combo blade is just beggin' for burning and pushing that hard is just plain unsafe.  I've tried stalling my saw with this balde and it's damn hard to do.  I think your 1 1/2 horse with the right blade will do just fine.John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking

   Life is tough.  It's tougher if you're stupid - John Wayne

1. 
   gwcarpenter | Apr 22, 2002 11:23pm | #10

   With a reasonably well tuned, if bounced around in the truck Jet Contractor saw, I get decent rips in red or white oak, birch and maple using the Systimatic Thin Kerf Combination. A 50 tooth in 10 groups

   ABTR style blade. Clean your blade and treat it with a blade/bit spray coating prior to use.

   -gwc

6. 
   danwolfram | Apr 23, 2002 07:51pm | #11

   I have just been ripping some qsawn white oak and I noticed that the boards I been using have been closing up past the blade for whatever reason.  I put my splitter back on and most of the problems have gone away.  keep an eye out for the wood past the blade.  Burning is very close to kicking back!

7. 
   TJinFL | Apr 24, 2002 12:33am | #12

   If your tablesaw is properly tuned, you should be able to rip hardwoods even with a "cheap" ripping blade.  I just cut 4/4 maple stock with the blade that came on my Ridgid table saw - there was no burning and the edge was amazingly smooth.  Just remember, if your fence is not perfectly square to the blade, you'll have problems with any blade you use... (and I speak from experience)...