12" rip blade recommendation?

[Dave Cav]

I have my Delta 12" TS up and running. The only (non crosscut) 12" blade I have for it is a combination tooth, and since I plan on using this saw for ripping probably 99% of the time I am looking for recommendation for a dedicated rip blade. I'm not into high production so having a real low tooth count, high feed rate blade isn't a big deal to me. I have been considering a Freud LUM72M012 from Amazon but thought I would check to see if anyone has a strong favorite.

Thanks
Dave

[doug faist]

Dave - I've had great results from an Amana 40 tooth 12" Glue Joint Rip blade. I also have a WWII that I use if it's just a one shot operation. But for multiple cuts, the Amana does produce a cut acceptable for a glue up.

Good luck with your decision.
Doug

[John Thompson]

I run Amana 20 T on my 10" 5 HP as I mainly rip. That doesn't answer your question Dave... but re-inforces Doug's reccomendation of the Amana 40 T as it is a good blade and not that expensive really. The Amana's are made by Dimar in Isreal. I have an Israeli WW acquaintance that runs production furniture over there and the Dimar's are what his lines use daily.

Good luck....

[scott spencer]

Dave - If high feedrate isn't a priority, you might want to go for a 30T to 40T ripper for a cleaner finish. If all else is equal, more teeth give a cleaner edge, but also means a higher chance of burning in thick or burn-prone wood.

One of my favorite rippers has been the 30T Forrest WWII (http://www.amazon.com/Forrest-WW12307125-Woodworker-12-Inch-Circular/dp/B000OMPBN0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1247415238&sr=8-2), which happens to also be available in a 12"version. It's an ATB design which isn't quite as efficient as an FTG, but does a very nice job and you've got plenty of power.

I've had good results from the 10" Freud LM72, Infinity 24T FTG, Amana 20T FTG, CMT 30T TCG/GLR, and DeWalt 7124 FTG ripper.

[Dave Cav]

Thanks for the comments and recommendations. I am probably leaning towards an Amana. I have several Amana and AGC (I believe made by Amana) and have been happy with them, and we use several of them in the school shop. It also occurred to me that I should go out and check my blade stash because I am pretty sure I have a 10" rip blade; I should see what it is and how well it cuts and maybe consider a 12" version of the same thing.

What is interesting is the blade on the saw now is some sort of combination tooth, the type with five teeth then a space and deep gullet, then five more teeth. The first tooth is a flat top, and the next four are alternate bevel grind, and it looks like a pretty high angle bevel. I didn't count the total numner of teeth, but it's around 50. The there's no logo on the blade, unfortunately, because it cuts very well both in rip and crosscut. I cut a piece of scrap 3/4 fir plywood last night and it doesn't splinter in either rip or crosscut, and rip cuts in hardwood are pretty good, too. The problem is with thicker material the feed rate is slow and feed pressure is pretty high. I was cutting some glued-up alder table legs yesterday, around 3" thick, and it cut them fine, no burning, but as I said, it was relatively slow going with a lot of feed pressure. Most of the hardwoods I work with are alder and oak, both of which are somewhat prone to burning. Fortunately, most of it's not 3" thick.

I'm probably over analyzing this. I should probably just get a name brand, moderately priced 24-30 tooth, standard width rip blade and call it a day. The problem is there are too many choices out there- Euro rip, glue line rip, flat top tooth rip, ATB rip, thin kerf rip, heavy duty, .125" kerf, .169" kerf, it just goes on and on, and everyone thinks one or the other is "best".

[scott spencer]

...
I'm probably over analyzing this. I should probably just get a name brand, moderately priced 24-30 tooth, standard width rip blade and call it a day. The problem is there are too many choices out there- Euro rip, glue line rip, flat top tooth rip, ATB rip, thin kerf rip, heavy duty, .125" kerf, .169" kerf, it just goes on and on, and everyone thinks one or the other is "best".

Dave - One more thing I'll add since you mentioned "Glue Line Rippers" (GLRs). Some standard 24T FTG bulk rippers with a steep hook of 18-22° are labeled GLRs, and others are a triple chip grind (TCG) and have a 12-13° hook. Note that many of the 30T GLRs with a TCG have a very low side clearance and aren't recommended for ripping over 1", or they'll pose possible issues with burning.