Need recommendation on thin kerf blade

[Mike Henderson]

I need to rip some material and I want to lose the minimum amount to the saw kerf - so I'll use a thin kerf blade. I'd like a blade that leaves a good surface to minimize sanding.

What blade do you recommend?

Mike

[Peter Quinn]

I like the Freud glue line rip blade. Works well for me.

[Mike Henderson]

I like the Freud glue line rip blade. Works well for me.
Thanks, Peter. How many teeth? I need to get a very smooth cut.

Mike

[It looks like there's only the 30 tooth (http://www.amazon.com/Freud-LM75R010-10-Inch-8-Inch-Arbor/dp/B001V5J4QY/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1347590481&sr=1-1&keywords=freud+glue+line+rip+blade+thin+kerf) in the thin kerf glue line rip. Is that the one you're recommending?]

[johnny means]

My recommendation is no. Really, how much material does a thin kerf blade save? Will you actually gain any usable material? You would need to make something like thirty-two rips from the same board to gain one extra inch.

[Andrew Joiner]

The Dewalt DW3106. I get them from the orange borg. It does everything well except full 3" thick rips. It's an amazing $30 blade . I like them as well as my $ 100 blades. I slice 2"x1/16" southern yellow pine veneer with this blade and a quick pass with 120grit from a RO sander removes the saw marks. The saw marks are so minimal I have to look real close to tell the veneers that have been sanded and those that need sanding.

[Mike Henderson]

The Dewalt DW3106. I get them from the orange borg. It does everything well except full 3" thick rips. It's an amazing $30 blade . I like them as well as my $ 100 blades. I slice 2"x1/16" southern yellow pine veneer with this blade and a quick pass with 120grit from a RO sander removes the saw marks. The saw marks are so minimal I have to look real close to tell the veneers that have been sanded and those that need sanding.
Thanks, Andrew. Are you sure you have that number correct. When I looked it up, it's a 60 tooth blade (http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DW3106-Series-10-Inch-Crosscutting/dp/B0000225MM/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1347591501&sr=1-1&keywords=Dewalt+DW3106) - not something I'd think of for ripping.

Mike

[Mike Henderson]

My recommendation is no. Really, how much material does a thin kerf blade save? Will you actually gain any usable material? You would need to make something like thirty-two rips from the same board to gain one extra inch.
I appreciate your recommendation, Johnny, but I have a special need for cutting the boards with a thin kerf blade.

Mike

[Steve Rozmiarek]

My first response is same as Johny's, thin kerf means inconsistent, and the saved 32nd was far outweighed by the pain of extra prep work. It's been three years since I tried my last Freud thin kerf though, is there new technology out there since?

[Mike Henderson]

My first response is same as Johny's, thin kerf means inconsistent, and the saved 32nd was far outweighed by the pain of extra prep work. It's been three years since I tried my last Freud thin kerf though, is there new technology out there since?
I appreciate your recommendation, Steve, but I want to try a thin kerf blade in the situation I have. I'd like to hear what thin kerf blades have worked the best for others.

Mike

[David Kumm]

I've used a Forrest WWII TK and been happy on a Bosch portable. There are ultra TK made as well but I've no experience with them. Dave

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Mike, sorry to hijack, I'm curious what you stir up. I've been out of the loop a bit, will surely learn something.

[Jim Tobias]

Mike,
I have a Forrest WWII thin kerf that I use if I want to cut grooves for thin splines to reinforce/decorate mitered corners in boxes. It has performed well in that use. I have not tried to do any thin kerf ripping wiht it. You might check out these http://www.totalsawsolutions.com/. I received info about these through email but never pursued one as I don't need thin kerf that often.

Jim

[Sam Layton]

Mike,

In situations like you are talking about, I have used a skill saw blade, 7 1/4". I think they have the thinest kerf. As far as quality of cut, just purchase the best one you can find.

Sam

[George Gyulatyan]

Mike,

I have the full kerf Freud GlueLine Rip which is also 30T. In general it does leave smooth cuts, although on my 1 3/4hp Saw it does struggle with 8/4 hard maple and leaves burn marks. Have not tried the think kerf version so cannot comment how much of a difference it would make. Freud's recommendation for the thickest cuts for these blades is up to 1". So if you're going to be ripping thicker stock it might not work all that great. My full kerf version works OK with softer 8/4 material such as mahogany though.

Both Tenryu and Infinity have 1/16" kerf blades, although Infinity has a built-in stabilizer and they claim glass-smooth/sand free surface. I have experience with neither.

[Peter Quinn]

Thanks, Peter. How many teeth? I need to get a very smooth cut.

Mike

[It looks like there's only the 30 tooth (http://www.amazon.com/Freud-LM75R010-10-Inch-8-Inch-Arbor/dp/B001V5J4QY/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1347590481&sr=1-1&keywords=freud+glue+line+rip+blade+thin+kerf) in the thin kerf glue line rip. Is that the one you're recommending?]

Mike, the one ihave is the LM75R, 30Z Freud glue line rip blade. They say it's good up to 1", I've gone way past that with no I'll effects. If you are ripping something with lots of tension in it it may push it around a bit more than a full kerf, but real tense wood is going to move any blade. Otherwise it's about stock control, push the wood in straight and feed smooth, good things come out. It leaves a smoother cut than say my heavy duty 24z rip blades, but I wouldn't way its a surface ready for finish. I would rip off edging and glue it right down in most cases.

I bought this for a specific purpose where I needed smooth cuts and minimal waste simultaneously, it was not thin kerf for power reasons, it's on a 5hp cabinet saw. When I really need to save material I pull the 1/16" blade off my 8" portable TS, I think that's a freud diablo. At 8" you get some thickness limitations, and a 1/16" blade with no stabilizers can wander if the wood moves as you cut it, but it's another option and cheap too IIR.

[scott spencer]

How thick is the material Mike, and what TS are you using?

[Tony Joyce]

The Freud Diablo Part# D0724X/A is a 24T ATB 7-1/4" with 5/8" bore and has a kerf of .059".
It's also available in 40 or 60 tooth configurations. They usually can be had for about $15-20 each.

[Rich Engelhardt]

I have a full kerf Freud Glue line and a thin kerf Freud regular rip blade- LU87R010 24T.
Honestly?
For the first few times I used it, the regular blade left just as smooth a cut as the GLR.
IIRC, I paid about $30 for it on one of Amazon's super sales.

I picked it up to save wear and tear on the GLR blade.

Since my ZCI and MJ Splitter are set up for the full kerf, I seldom use the thin kerf.
I'm not really a fan of thin kerf anyhow. My Ridgid TS 3660 arbor/arbor washer is too rough on them. It's super easy to over do it and warp the blade.

[Bill White]

My Infinity 10" TK does a good job. 24 tooth.
Bill

[Andrew Joiner]

Thanks, Andrew. Are you sure you have that number correct. When I looked it up, it's a 60 tooth blade (http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DW3106-Series-10-Inch-Crosscutting/dp/B0000225MM/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1347591501&sr=1-1&keywords=Dewalt+DW3106) - not something I'd think of for ripping.

Mike
Yes, 60 tooth. It rips 2" hardwood nicely. Leaves a very smooth cut,but you can't feed super fast. I hand feed at a moderate rate on a 3HP cabinet saw. Honestly, I could feed slightly faster with my 30 tooth full kerf rip blades but not worth it for the rougher cut.

[Andrew Joiner]

Wow, $23 at Amazon is a good price. I got several 2 packs for $30 each from the Orange borg a couple years ago. I'm 61 years old so I hope it's a lifetime supply!
I had one sharpened at our local saw shop. It cost $20 to sharpen and didn't cut quite as smooth so at $23 you can't go wrong. Obviously it's a great plywood and crosscut blade as well.

[Mike Henderson]

How thick is the material Mike, and what TS are you using?
The material is 2" and the saw is a SawStop 3HP. I need to save as much of the wood as possible. I could try a bandsaw but getting a really straight cut with a bandsaw is tough and the wood requires more processing because of the saw marks. By the time I do all that, I can use a thin kerf on my table saw.

Mike

[Mike Henderson]

The Freud Diablo Part# D0724X/A is a 24T ATB 7-1/4" with 5/8" bore and has a kerf of .059".
It's also available in 40 or 60 tooth configurations. They usually can be had for about $15-20 each.
Thanks for the recommendation. I like the width, but I have a SawStop and have to use a 10" blade.

Mike

[Mike Henderson]

Mike,
I have a Forrest WWII thin kerf that I use if I want to cut grooves for thin splines to reinforce/decorate mitered corners in boxes. It has performed well in that use. I have not tried to do any thin kerf ripping wiht it. You might check out these http://www.totalsawsolutions.com/. I received info about these through email but never pursued one as I don't need thin kerf that often.

Jim
That's an interesting blade, Jim. It should be for $185. But that's outside my price range.

Mike

[scott spencer]

Infinity's got a new 1/16" Laser TK 10" blade (http://www.infinitytools.com/10-Laser-Kerf-Saw-Blade-40T-063-Kerf-With-5_8-Arbor/productinfo/010-046/) that's super, and I'm sure would do great for you......however it's ~ $160 on sale, so might also be out of your price range. Their standard 3/32" TK's like the Super General 010-045, and Combomax 010-150 would also do a super job, as would the Forrest WWII 30T 3/32" TK. Once you get below 30T, the cut quality suffers a bit....the better 24T TK rippers should still leave a glue line edge...just not as good as a 30T to 50T. Tenryu's got some ultra 0.079" TK's but I've never tried one.

[Mel Fulks]

Having looked at your fine work I would guess you are making some type veneer or inlay. I would buy one band saw blade courser than what you usually use. Maybe three teeth per inch,which would be cheap and cut quickly. Sure you are good at using scrapers.

[Mike Henderson]

Thanks to everyone who offered their suggestions here. I decided to go with the Tenryu 10" 40 tooth, .079" thick blade. It seems like a good compromise. I've used Tenryu blades in the past and have been impressed with their quality. And the price wasn't too bad ($63 on Amazon).

I'll let you know how it works after I get it.

Mike

[lowell holmes]

I have a Forrest sharpened Tenryu 48 tooth combo blade in the saw right now. I requires more horsepower than a rip blade, but the cut is shiny smooth. I have a freshly sharpened Forrest WWII that is in the carton that will do the same thing. I took a Frued out of the saw that is need of sharpening that will do the same thing whwn sharp. I'll probably send it to Forrest for sharpening.

[scott spencer]

Thanks to everyone who offered their suggestions here. I decided to go with the Tenryu 10" 40 tooth, .079" thick blade. It seems like a good compromise. I've used Tenryu blades in the past and have been impressed with their quality. And the price wasn't too bad ($63 on Amazon).

I'll let you know how it works after I get it.

Mike

I've tried what I think is the 0.111" kerf version of that blade....the RS25540. If you got the RS25540"U", I believe it has the same ATAF grind. It should work out fine...the RS25540 was a very good value blade that I thought was roughly comparable to the Freud LU86. Not quite to the level of the Japanese Gold Medal GM25540, but a good blade nonetheless. I'm confused about the price though...Amazon is showing the RS25524U (24T) for $63, and the RS25540U (40T) for $73....did you order the 24T by mistake?

[Ron Natalie]

I picked up a couple of the skiny Freuds last time they were on sale on Amazon...work pretty well for me for all cuts. I used the "crosscuttish" style blade while mass cutting parts for my daughter's benches (darn SawStop had to be put into hotdog mode to make these cuts, what a pain).

[Mike Henderson]

I used a 24 tooth Tenryu thin kerf blade and made the cuts I needed to. I was wrong in my posting above - I don't think they make a 40 tooth thin kerf (0.079") blade.

Anyway, I had some problems with my SawStop saw when I tried to use the thin kerf blade. The riving knife is wider than 0.079" and SawStop doesn't make a thinner one. I tried taking out the riving knife but got a red light on the control. Called SawStop and they recommended I put a piece of cardboard in the riving knife clamp. That worked fine. They also told me that they don't recommend using blades that thin because the blade can be bent if the brake engages - it may not stop the blade as quickly as a regular kerf blade.

I made the cuts I needed to but I missed the riving knife. The wood was not well behaved and tended to clamp together. No problem with control but it caused extra tooth marks in the cut.

I'm going to find a piece of sheet metal that's a bit thinner than 0.079" and make a riving knife for the next time I have to use that thin kerf Tenryu blade.

Mike