Glue line rip blade?

[Troy John]

Im in need if a new blade for ripping some boards that will need to be sanded on the ripped edge after cutting. I have always used a 50 tooth combo blade, my favorite being a Biesemeyer 50 tooth. It seems they no longer offer this blade and I want to try something different. After searching through posts Ive noticed that many of you are using glue line rip blades, do they leave a nice edge that requires minimal sanding with good results or is there a better blade?
Also what brand do you recomend? Of course Forrest and Freud, how are Oshlun products? Any others?

Thanks, Troy

[Michael MacDonald]

I have a freud... only pull it out when ripping for a glue-up. It does well, but not as perfect as a jointer. It will do for now 'til I get a jointer. I would recommend it.

[Lee Schierer]

For many years before I obtained a jointer, I ripped boards and edge glued them without sanding. I used a Freud 24 tooth rip blade on a well aligned table saw. None of those joints have failed. Just make sure when you do the dry fit up that you can't see daylight between the pieces.

If your rip cut normally leaves easily detected tooth or burn marks you need to align your blade as closely as you can to the miter slot and the fence to the same miter slot.

[Bruce Page]

It is a very good ripping blade. As Michael points out it won't leave a glass smooth edge, but as close to it as anything I have found.

[glenn bradley]

Freud TK 24 tooth here. 1-3/4HP hybrid; no complaints.

[Van Huskey]

Freud LM 74R. I suggest a full kerf for any saw over 2hp. The 30T WWII leaves basically the same finish and less of a one trick pony but is more expensive.

To replace the Biesemeyer there are 4 blades that sit at the top of the heap for combo blades:

Freud P410 40T
Forrest 40T WWII
Tenryu Gold Medal 40T
Infinity Super General 40T

Listed in order of my preference but it would be HARD to tell the difference in cut from my fav to my least fav.

[Jeff Monson]

For the past couple of years I've used the WWII 40T, great all around combo blade, but pricey. Built a really nice scms station about 6 months ago, reinstalled a freud glue line rip and it has not left the saw since. I use my tablesaw now for about 90% ripping and cutting sheet hardwood ply. the glue line rip does an excellent job at this.

[Milind Patil]

A few weeks ago I started a thread "Best 10" table saw blades" I was actually looking for a one blade that can do both ripping and crosscutting, and the best. From the responses I received, I learned that there is no such thing and I ended up purchasing three different blades 1) Freud 24t Glue Line for ripping, 2) Forrest Duraline for crosscutting and plywood and 3) Freud Avanti for melmine. I haven't yet used the 3rd one, but have been using the first two and they give me perfect joint quality cuts. No exaggeration. They both are standard kerf (I can't use thin kerf on my G0690 since it's roving knife and splitter are thicker than thin kerf blades).

In addition I have the 40t general purpose Grizzly blade that came with the saw. I use it for rough dirty messy stock. It rips very well but it's crosscuts are lousy.

[Howard Acheson]

This is Freud's best rip blade for boards 1/2" to 1 1/4" thick":

http://www.amazon.com/Freud-LM74R010-10-Inch-Ripping-PermaShield/dp/B00006XMTV/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1273534691&sr=8-2

For boards 1" to 2" thick, this one is excellent:

http://www.amazon.com/Freud-LM72R010-10-Inch-Ripping-PermaShield/dp/B0000225UD/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1273534978&sr=8-1

[Paul McGaha]

I use my table saw for ripping mostly. I have a glue line rip blade on the table saw almost all the time.

I crosscut with the table saw only what is beyond the capacity of my SCMS.

I have had good luck with Freud blades (and Dado Set) and use them exclusively.

The Forrest blades seem to be highly regarded also but I wouldnt know as I've always bought Freud.

PHM

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I have a Glue Line rip and a WWII, both full kerf. The glue line has a better finish, but the WWI is not bad either. You could get away with no sanding on either. The Glue Line is not exactly cheap. I've never crosscut with the Glue Line, so I can't tell if it's okay on that. Either will do ripping fine IMO. If you want a combo again get the WWI. Many people say it's over rated, over priced and over hyped. I say you get what you pay for. Yeah, it's over priced. Look for deals on the internet. I got mine for less than 100 bucks.

[Ramsey Ramco]

I have had very good luck with the amana blades, very reasonably priced and work just as good for me. I use a 24t rip blade a 60t blade for crosscutting hardwoods and an 80t blade for plywood, sounds like a lot of switching but as long as you generate a well planned cut list it's not that bad. I have never tried any Forrest blades but use to swear by the $100+ Freud blades and completely altered my thinking when my hardwood supplier, who sells Freud as well, showed me some amana blades on sale for $30.00, regularly about double that, I couldn't pass it up, I bought one. Two days later i bought another 60t an 80t and 2 24t blades.

[Chip Lindley]

ALL FULL KERF:
Freud 24T or 30T for ripping
Freud 50T combo for general work
Freud 60T Neg Hook on RAS for crosscuts
Freud 80T High ATB for glass smooth trim work

[Troy John]

How good of a finish does the Delta 7657 leave? Im still trying to decide if I want to go full rip or say with a sort of general duty blade?
Do you guys favor dedicated blades or find yourself cutting with whatever blade you have on for small projects because its too much hassle to swap blades for a cut or two?

[scott spencer]

Troy - You don't need a special "Glue Line Ripper" to get a glue ready edge. Any number of decent 30-80 tooth blades will leave a good glue ready edge, and even some of the better 24T blades are good enough for glue up right off the saw. While many leave a glue ready edge, none leave a finish ready edge, and will still need some sanding, jointing, or a shot with hand plane or scraper before applying a finish.

Typically more teeth equates to a smoother cut, but the parameters at the edge of the tooth also have a significant impact on the edge of the cut that's left by any given blade. Blades with a tight side clearance and low side clearance angles tend to leave the most polished edges, but feedrate and blade alignment are also significant factors. It really boils down to how much contact the teeth have with the edge of the wood. Some Freud and Infinity blades even have a dual side grind so that the teeth make more contact with the wood (Infinity Super General and Freud Fusion come to mind). The obvious down side to having too much tooth contact is burning.

Of the 40T general purpose blades I've tried and tested (WWII 30 & 40T, Ridge Carbide TS2000, Tenryu Gold Medal, DeWalt/Delta 7657, CMT 213.040.10, Oshlun, Blue Tornado, Leitz, Freud LU86, Final Cut, Infinity Super General), the Super General leaves the most highly polished edge, and also has the benefit of excellent ply and crosscuts due to it's 30° Hi-ATB grind....I suspect the Freud Fusion is very similar but haven't tried it first hand yet. Any of the premium 40T blades are likely to run in the $100 range, but they'll definitely rip reasonably efficiently, will leave a glue ready edge, and offer the benefit of excellent versatility. The Oshlun is a nice bang for the buck, but I don't think it's going to give the kind of polished edge you're looking to achieve. The Delta 7657 for $28 is also a heck of a bargain and is really good, but it doesn't leave an edge quite as smooth as the Super General, and possibly not quite as good as the WWII...as mentioned, feedrate and blade alignment are very significant factors too.

A 50T ATB/R blade like your Biesemeyer tend to cost less than the premium 40T blades. They don't give as polished of an edge in general, but they also tend to be less prone to burning. The biggest downside with this type of blade for what you're looking for is that the flat raker tooth that's common in this type of blade is more prone to leaving swirl marks on the edge of the workpiece. The Infinity Combomax uses a chamfered raker that helps reduce this, but it still doesn't offer the tight side clearances of some of the 40T premium blades...the better CMT 50T ATB/R blades may also offer a chamfered raker. You should find several that are at least comparable to your Biesemeyer...Amana 610504, Infinity Combomax, Delta 35-7640/DeWalt DW7640, Freud LU84, CMT 215.050.10, Tenryu RS25550, or Leitz 50T.

The specialty 30T "Glue Line Rippers" do a nice job, but only operate in a very narrow range and are typically recommended for ~ 1" thickness. I also haven't noticed that they do a better job than some of the better 40T blades. If it's for ripping only in materials in the 1" range, these are a good choice, but if you ever plan to do crosscutting, you'll want another blade.

Whether to choose separate blades are a single general purpose type is really a matter of preference...Tips for picking a saw blade (http://lumberjocks.com/knotscott/blog/12395)

[Rich Engelhardt]

I sprung the few extra $$ for a Freud glue line rip blade last year and have been happy with it.

On a 3hp or better saw, a combo blade might work as well, but, on my TS3660 contractor saw, the GL rip seems to require a lot less effort.

[Rick Fisher]

I have;

Forrest Woodworker II
Freud Glue line Rip
Tenryu Gold line 40 tooth..

My favorite is the Tenryu.. The other two are about the same.. Having said that .. I have used the $29.00 cheap blades and compared to them, all three of these blades are fantastic..

[Michael MacDonald]

golly... I didn't know what specific model I had. I do know it has a triple-chip grind tooth design. Rather than alternating top bevel. I think it may have raker teeth in between. and it is a full 1/8 kerf for staility. From what I thought, the triple-chip is key...

by the way, it cuts like butter... I also have a thin-kerf combo freud (again, don't know the exact model), and it is fine for general use. I use it for rip cuts when I am not gluing up... but when I pull out the glue-line rip blade... mmm hmmm. can't help but smile.