Table Saw Blade For Tenons

[Dennis McDonaugh]

I'm using my Forrest Blade to cut tenons on the table saw, but its an ATB blade and I'd like something that with a flat tooth. I checked Lowes and Hd and all the blades they had in stock were ATB and most were thin kerf. I'd like the regular kerf width. Any suggestions?

[Kevin Gerstenecker]

Dennis, if you don't want to use your Forrest Blade to cut your Tenons, I would suggest a Freud Blade in the configuration of your choice. Freud Blades are no Forrest, but I have used them for cutting Tenons for many projects, and the results I had were fine. I also hear that the new line of Dewalt Blades are supposed to be very good, but I have no experience with them.

[Lee Schierer]

I use a 60 tooth Freud blade for the cheek cuts and a 24 tooth Freud ripping blade for the face cuts with my Delta tenon jig. Works great. The face cuts are actually ripping anyway.

[Bruce Page]

Dennis, I think what you are looking for is a Flat Top Grind – FTG
“Teeth with flat tops and faces separate wood fibers with a chipping action to lift out waste like tiny paddles. Designed for general ripping, they cut efficiently with the grain”.

One of the outside blades from a stacked dado set would probably give you what you're looking for.

[Jim Becker]

One of the outside blades from a stacked dado set would probably give you what you're looking for.

Many of the stacked dado sets' outside blades actually have teeth configured to slice "just a hair" deeper at the outside edge; some are more pronounced than others. While this promotes a very clear, tear-free cut in certain difficult materials, it will leave a mark on the tenon. That being said, it's minimal and is not going to hurt a glue joint. In fact, it may make it better. It's also much less pronounced then an ATB blade like the WW-II.

[Dennis McDonaugh]

I'm looking in the Woodworker's supply catalog and I see the Freud LM72 is a rip blade with flat teeth, but I don't see a crosscut or combination blade with flat teeth, only ATB. The closest I can come is the Freud LU84 which has 4 ATB and 1 Flat tooth per section. I guess that'd work.

Bruce, I can't use your suggestion because I don't have a dado blade.

[Jim Becker]

The closest I can come is the Freud LU84 which has 4 ATB and 1 Flat tooth per section. I guess that'd work.

The LU84 is an excellent blade and yes, the inclusion of the raker (flat tooth) in the mix will will do what you want it to do.

[Ken Salisbury]

I'm using my Forrest Blade to cut tenons on the table saw, but its an ATB blade and I'd like something that with a flat tooth. I checked Lowes and Hd and all the blades they had in stock were ATB and most were thin kerf. I'd like the regular kerf width. Any suggestions?
Try making tenons like I do. (http://www.klsal.com/tenon jig.htm)
<p>Cleaner, easier, square, smooth & flat</p>

[Jim DeLaney]

I'm using my Forrest Blade to cut tenons on the table saw, but its an ATB blade and I'd like something that with a flat tooth. I checked Lowes and Hd and all the blades they had in stock were ATB and most were thin kerf. I'd like the regular kerf width. Any suggestions?

well... If you're really serious, Forrest will gring a custom flat-top for you - about $140.00

A rip blade is pretty close to being flat, though. Look at the Freud Lu72.

When I was making a lot of 3/8" tenons a few years back, I had a custom spacer made to go between two blades, so that it cut both sides of the tenon at once. I used two Sears Craftsman 8" rip blades with the spacer (a bit thicker than 3/8" to account for the set of the blades' teeth) between them. I used a Freud Lu84 to finish them. Worked great.

[Ross Canant]

I use the two outside blades from my Forrest dado set. I cut both cheeks at once. My blade spacers are plywood tuned to match my mortise chisels.

[Howard Acheson]

If you want a flat tooth blade, get a full kerf 24 tooth rip blade. Freud and others make them. Full kerf rip blades are almost always flat ground. Rip blades are fine for cutting tenons as the cutting is really a rip cut.

[John Tarro]

Just another opinion . . In line with Ross. I use the outside blades from my dado set installed right blade to the left and left blade o he right. That way, I get a SMOOTH face to the tenon but I do cut the cheeks first. For the space between the blades, I have cut (with my hole saw bits) gross spacers from Lexon I had left over from another project. I set it to close tolerance by using my brass and plastic spacers for dados.