Suggested rip blade for thick wood

[Alan Lightstone]

I'm having to rip some 3-1/2" hard maple on my Sawstop ICS. The saw can't cut that deep in one pass, but it stalled several times today cutting even 1/2 way. I was using my Freud Thin Kerf Glue Line Rip Blade (it's the only rip blade I have). I would think that the Sawstop ICS should have plenty of power (5HP), but it still stalled.

This wood is a beast to cut. My Kapex stalled and flipped its circuit breaker multiple times crosscutting it too.

Any suggestions for a good quality rip blade? Is the thin kerf blade part of the issue with trying to rip wood that thick? It's 30 teeth, not 24 teeth like many other dedicated rip blades.

[Mel Fulks]

If you are useing 10" blades, I like 18 or 20 tooth. Prefer the 18.

[roger wiegand]

I've used this 20 tooth thin kerf blade (https://www.forrestblades.com/woodworker-ii-thin-kerf/10-woodworker-ii-saw-blade-20-teeth-thin-kerf/) with great success in ripping thick, hard wood, Don't know if it will work on a Sawstop.

[ChrisA Edwards]

I have the 20T, thin kerf Forrest Woodworker II rip blade.

I use it on my 3HP SawStop. Love it.

Edit: I also bought the SawStop thin kerf riving knife to use with it.

[Ron Selzer]

I use a Forrest WW 20 tooth rip blade on my SS 5hp ICS for all ripping,
Rarely change the blade to anything else
It cuts good at full depth in RS white oak resawing 6" wide 3/4" on edge
I have stalled the saw once on a board when it bound up and wanted to kick back
good luck
Ron

[Jim Becker]

I have a 20T Woodworker II designed specifically for ripping thick material....it's a hold-over from the cabinet saw I owned before buying the slider -- that cabinet saw only took a 10" blade. I don't use it often, but it's what I pull out for thick and/or gnarly. (Fortunately, my slider has a 5/8" arbor so I can still use it)

[Tom M King]

Same as the previous four posts.

[Jim Becker]

The theme here is that for ripping thick stock, you want a lot less teeth and a grind compatible withe the nature of ripping. Less teeth can carve with the grain more efficiently and also helps with evacuating the chips out of the kerf. There will also be less heat and consequently, lesser risk for burning.

[Jim Dwight]

I know a lot of people like them but I have never owned a glue line rip blade. I believe any decent blade should rip a glue ready surface. So I can't compare to that blade. But I like Freud 24 tooth ripping blades. I had difficulty in a deep rip on my 1.75hp PCS and tried several blades in the same board. I had a new Infinity 24 tooth full kerf ripping blade and it was terrible. Motor kept going into the thermal overload trip. So I tried a not at all new but still in decent shape (and clean) Freud 24 tooth. BIG improvement. It would do the rips but I had to reduce the feed rate. Then I tried a thin kerf 24 tooth Freud and it had no difficulty. Normal feed rate was fine.

I've never owned a Forrest blade and I doubt I will. Freuds have always worked and they're a lot cheaper.

I have a Freud Fusion, thin kerf, on the PCS at the moment and I've cut about 3 inches deep with it but it was in softwood.

The wood also makes a difference. The first overload situation I had with my PCS was in a 1 inch thick oak board. Something it rips easily. But the board was springing back after the riving knife and was pinching the blade despite the riving knife. I had on a full kerf blade and the SawStop riving knife is not very thick. I put a wedge in the kerf to keep it open and the board cut easily. I wonder if something like this is happening to you. 5hp should not struggle even with a 30 tooth blade if it is clean and sharp. But a board that warps might do what you describe.

[Jacob Mac]

I have a Leitz 24T rip blade and it is great. I just ripped similar sized soft maple on my 3hp table saw and it didn't come close to slowing down. I've had great success with the blade.

I'm also convinced I need two table saws, one dedicated to ripping and one to cross cuts. But I guess that is a separate thread 🤣

[Ron Selzer]

"I'm also convinced I need two table saws, one dedicated to ripping and one to cross cuts. But I guess that is a separate thread "

Yup, why I have never had any blade other than a rip blade or the dado blade in a ripping direction on my table saw
have radial arm saws for crosscutting, and panel saws for plywood

Ron

[Alan Lightstone]

Interesting that my Freud Thin Kerf Glue Line Rip Blade (24 tooth) struggled with it. I wonder if it needs resharpening.

I'll also have to find a lower tooth blade for my Kapex. The wood was definitely winning on that one for crosscutting.

[Mel Fulks]

[QUOTE=Alan Lightstone;3072668]Interesting that my Freud Thin Kerf Glue Line Rip Blade (24 tooth) struggled with it. I wonder if it needs resharpening

I think the "thin kerf" was the problem. When the wood closes a bit the saw plate width is too close to same width as
the teeth.

[Walter Plummer]

We have a 12 tooth full kerf blade for thick stock. Yes it leaves a rough surface but has no problem going full depth.

[Richard Coers]

When I had a really old Unisaw, a thin kerf rip blade was a necessity for 8/4 hard maple. To get a glue line, they have very little set on the teeth for better surface finish. You need few teeth and an aggressive set for relief on the saw plate for ripping thick stock.

[Thomas Wilson]

Have you checked your blade and rip fence alignment? Is the wood closing up the kerf at the back of the cut? Multiple passes might help?

i have certainly cut that deep on a far lesser saw. It was slow.

[Frank Pratt]

The Kapex is notoriously under powered, so don't expect too much of it with thick hardwoods.

[Jon Grider]

This may or may not be applicable to your situation, but if you rough rip the thick stock 1/8" or so oversize on your bandsaw and then rip to final size on your TS, the blade you have now will probably be fine.

[Alan Lightstone]

This may or may not be applicable to your situation, but if you rough rip the thick stock 1/8" or so oversize on your bandsaw and then rip to final size on your TS, the blade you have now will probably be fine.

That's an interesting idea, Jon. I could clearly do that easily.

[Jon Grider]

That's an interesting idea, Jon. I could clearly do that easily.

It's worth a try Alan, That technique has worked for me before. The bandsaw cut rids the wood piece of most of the inner stress so taking off just a sliver goes well.

[Dave Cav]

Or you could just head over to the band saw.

[Rob Luter]

Band saw for the win.

[Alan Lightstone]

OK. So I went to Woodcraft today and purchased a Forrest 20 tooth Woodworker II Ripping blade. (15 deg ATBR, 20 deg face hook.)

It cut through the hard maple like butter. Had to flip it, because it was too thick for my SawStop, but made a very clean cut. I was worried about a rough cut with that few teeth, but not at all the case.

I wonder if my Freud Thin Kerf Rip Blade is dull. I may send it in for sharpening. Or it just wasn't up to the task.

Interestingly, while the Kapex really was very underpowered for the crosscuts, and stalled multiple times and flipped a 15 amp breaker a few times, it did make a very clean cut. Now I had an 80 tooth blade on it, so my bad there for having the wrong blade on that to crosscut 3-1/2" hard maple, but the cut did turn out very clean.

I have no doubt that my bandsaw could have cut this with ease, but not as clean a cut, and I would have to plane it afterwards, which I really wasn't in the mood for.

[Jim Becker]

'Glad you had a good experience with that new ripping blade, Alan. It's a "beast" and yea, it looks like it might butcher wood, but it cuts amazingly clean considering the lower number of teeth.