Table Saw Cutting Problems

[Eric Garner]

OK, pretty new to woodworking. I've had my PM2000 with a Forrest WW2 blade since last October, and up until this weekend I've been working almost exclusively with 3/4" birch plywood. I've been busy building shop furniture (solid core door workbench, TS out-feed table, lumber rack, etc...) in preparation for some "Fine Woodworking".

This weekend I decided to take a stab at one of The Wood Whisper's end grain cutting boards. I got some 5/4 rock maple and walnut. Milled it down to 1 and 1/8" inch, jointed one edge and started to rip my pieces to the needed widths. I started with the maple and got some serious burn but the cut was smooth. I was shocked at how much force it took to push the maple through compared to 3/4" plywood. I went faster on the next rip, but this time the cut wasn't smooth. I finished ripping my pieces and wasn't really happy with the results. The cuts were clean enough for glue up. So, I glued them up and decided maybe my blade needed cleaning. I cleaned the blade and prepped everything for some work today.

This morning I was ready to cross cut the glued up piece. So, I got out the cross cut sled that has never failed to cut me perfect 90's on 3/4" ply. I trimmed one edge and got a perfect cut. I cut my first 1.25" piece nice and slow and got a perfect cut. The next cut resulted in some burning, the next cut resulted in burning and some saw marks. What's going one! I tried another cut at a snails pace and the cut was clean. So, I went a little faster on the next cut and got saw marks. Saw marks happen at different spots in cut and it feels like the blade might be vibrating.

Is this a technique issue or is something up with my blade/saw? I figured my problems with ripping could be issues with me, but the cross cut sled is fool proof with the exception of how fast you cut. I checked that the miter slot is parallel with the blade and have tuned the rip fence several times since I got the saw in order to get accurate and clean rips. I have never had burning/saw mark problems with plywood an my sled has always been right on.

Thanks for the help.

[glenn bradley]

When you're cutting ply, you are pretty much x-cutting. For ripping maple I would run a 24T blade. I have a Lietz I like but a good Freud would do ya. I have never been happy with any of my 40 or 50T (WWII, Freud, Lietz) blades when it comes to ripping.

OK, that's not completely true. I was happy with them until I got a dedicated rip blade and realized that "the right tool for the job" includes the cutters you put on the tool as well. Give it a try. I think you'll be happier.

[Dave Falkenstein]

As Glenn said, use a rip blade to rip hardwoods over an inch thick.

If you have cut a lot of birch plywood, and if it came from a big box store, you probably have a dirty or dull blade. Try cleaning the blade first. If cleaning does not help, get it sharpened. Cheap birch plywood is hard on blades. I dulled a Forrest WW II building 8 bookcases using Home Depot birch ply. Burned up two 3/4" straight router bits cutting dados on the same project too. The material you have been cutting could easily be the problem.

[Peter Quinn]

Rock maple is, well, hard! I have a Freud glue line rip blade and an Amana Euro rip blade...take your pick, they both out rip my Forrest WWII. For some reason thick and hard stock is noticably easier to push through the machine using the Amana Euro Rip (with both it and the Freud blades freshly sharpened). I like the WWII for general work with softer hardwoods under 6/4, I consider it worth every penny spent, but any time it comes to a lot of ripping of solid stock or very hard wood the rip blade comes out.

If you are splitting 5/4 maple across its width to produce multiple pieces, you are likely releasing some tension which can explain some of the burning. A good rip blade may be safer as well because every tooth includes an anti kickback chip limit design.

[Ed Falis]

I guess another question is whether the blade is thin or regular kerf. I wouldn't cut that maple with the former. But the dedicated rip blade is the way to go. And keep the blade relatively high to help it cool.