What blade to use for edge jointing on a TS?

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,
IIRC, I've seen it mentioned here that some people use a TS for edge jointing instead of a jointer.
I googled the idea an found a few hits on setting it up.
Having a second TS that's pretty much sitting unused, I thought I'd put it to use by setting it up as a dedicated machine.
What's not clear in the articles I found, is what blade to use?
I'll have to check to be sure, but I believe I have a spare 40 tooth DeWalt or Irwin combination blade sitting around.
Will that work?

[scott spencer]

It's not all that critical as long as the edge is clean enough to mate....very few of my blades don't leave a suitable edge. Typically a minimum of a good 24T, so a reasonable 40T should do fine.

[Chuck Tringo]

Typically, edge jointing is a ripping operation, so if you have a dedicated rip blade, it should work better for you than a combination blade, you would likely want 30 teeth or less.

[Joe Spear]

My WW II 30-tooth and 40-tooth and Ridge Carbide combo all do an excellent job. I'm sure any really good ripping or combo blade, like the Freud Fusion, will do the same.

[Jerome Hanby]

Freud Glue Line Rip, think it's 24t

[Peter Quinn]

I have an Amana Euro industrial rip blade and a Freud Glue line rip blade that I use for 'straight line' cutting on the TS. Both leave an edge that can be glued. However, sometimes ripping an edge clean releases enough tension to cause a bit of bow in the board. It make take a few successively lighter rips to get a dead straight rip, maybe not. Not a perfect method. In any event a dedicated rip blade will have a much easier time and typically leave a better finish on edges than a combo blade.

I usually use the technique as a fast way to put a straight line on crooked boards or remove a live edge and finish up with one light pass on the jointer. if you have no jointer it does work. Of course without a jointer you can't flatten a face, and this is REAL TRICKY on a TS.

[Tony Bilello]

I use a 50 tooth general purpose blade all of the time. I dont see why you would need to dedicate the table saw just for edge joining.
If your current table saw wont do trick under normal circumstances, then either you have an inexpensive table saw that chatters or you are using cheap blades.
If you stick to Freud or Systematic, you should be just fine.

Tony B

[Shawn Walker]

Freud Glue Line Rip, think it's 24t

It's 30T, and it does a great job. It's a very heavy, and stable blade.
I have two forrest blades, but the GLR is the one I would use.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello Tony,

I dont see why you would need to dedicate the table saw just for edge joining

I guess my OP wasn't real clear.

I have two table saws.

One is a jobsite model (the one I plan to use as a dedicated jointer) that's going to be in my home shop for at least another year.
We (my wife and I) do rehab work on houses we buy as rentals.
We finished up the last one last Nov.
We won't be doing any more rehab work - where I can see having to use the saw - for at least another year.

In the meantime, the saw is just sitting and gathering dust.
I figure I might as well put it to work & save some setup time.

[Peter Quinn]

I for one feel I understood your OP perfectly. What I don't understand is why you would use a TS as a jointer instead of a jointer? In very small shops w/o room or budget for a jointer a TS can prepare edges for glue up or be used to put a quick straight edge on rough lumber with the proper jig. If I had a second TS I might set one up for cross cut, one for rip opposite each other sharing outfeed and out board space, or use one as a dedicated dado machine, but I'd be in no hurry to use one as a straight line saw exclusively unless I had a large job with a lot of rough lumber to process over time, and even then I would want a jointer in my stable. Of course everyones methods of work differ.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello Peter,

Presently, I don't have a jointer.
W/gas prices what they are, it looks like I won't have one for some time.
My "tool fund" comes mostly from what's left over at the end of the month.
Shelling out an extra $300 a month for gas has pretty much taken care of that.:mad:

[scott spencer]

Any chance of selling the second saw and buying a used jointer?

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello Scott,
I'd thought of that - but - eventually in another year or so, I'll probably need it again.
Plus, being a Hitchai job site saw, I'd be lucky to get enough out of it to buy a sharpening job for the jointer blades ;).

The Hitachi has a very bad reputation.
Mine's been a solid performer though. It actually has more power than the Ridgid TS3660 I bought to replace it for around the shop use.
IMHO - I got lucky with it and got one of the few "good ones".

Problem is, that if I sold it, I'd have to replace it with something else, not too far down the road.
The only other protable job site saw that fits my needs is the DeWalt.
I doubt if I'd chance buying another Hitachi again.
So - long story short, I'd be looking at spending another few hundred $$ I don't have.
Selling it really isn't a vaible option. I need it too much - and - have been generally happy with it.

[Peter Quinn]

I see Rich. Between my 1 year old son and gas in my work truck my budget has gone close to zero too. I have a makita job site saw and wonder if it would be able to handle jointing duties? My PM66 in the shop sure can but rarely does. Probably worth a try, maybe thin kerf is in order for that machine? I run thin kerf on my makita. Oh, and definitely use a rip blade in that case too.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello Peter,

Probably worth a try, maybe thin kerf is in order for that machine?
I did a little playing around yesterday with the TS3660 and a tossed together jig.
Thin kerf is out for any jointing use. It flexes too much & slivers get trapped between it and the jig leading to kickback.
Thicker is definately better.

[Mike McCann]

Rich

I just received the woodsmith mag vol 30/no 178. On page 15 they have a how to article on Jointing on a table saw. they recomend the freud glue line rip blade. I can fax you the page if you would like to see how they set up the fence and used a piece of laminate on the out feed of the fence.

Mike

[Bill Arnold]

Here's another vote for the Freud Glue-Line Rip blade. It works as advertised.

Regardless of which blade you use, keep in mind you should never make your first rip to the exact width you need. Always make your cut oversize. The wood will move when cut. In general, I'll mill lumber to slightly oversize, then wait a day or so to perform the final milling operations.

;)

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello Mike,
Thank you for the offer & the info.
I'll pick up a copy of the magazine. There's a couple other articles in that issue that I can also use.

[Dave Falkenstein]

...used a piece of laminate on the out feed of the fence.

Mike

This sounds like a setup for using a router table as a jointer, not a table saw.

[Steve Perez]

Hi Rich,

I understand your goal: a rip cut with a finished edge close enough for final glue ups. It is atainable. At this point, with out even trying, I get that finished edge on every cut. Not through any magic or fancy jig, but with basics.

Now I am assuming that because you do not have a jointer that you are not talking about dressing up rough cut lumber. I am assuming that you purchase your lumber already dimensioned and that all you are trying to do is clean up the edges.

With that said, the first thing you need to do, and what you should do every once in a while, is align and tune up your saw. Make sure everything that needs to be square or parallel, is just that. There are plenty of threads here in SMC that show you how to attain that. If you do a search you will find them.

With the blade and the fence parallel, next up is blade selection. This is important but not nearly as important as the table tune up and alignment. You have many blade options. What I use is the forrest WWII 40 tooth - 1/8th kerf. But again, this isnt the only option. I do on occaison have to take it easy on the rip. While I do have a 3HP powermatic, my 40 tooth blade just cant clear out the waste fast enough. On the other hand a 24 tooth rip blade will hog out the waste easily but might leave your edges with more to be desired. If what you want is a dedicated set up on a benchtop saw, then try a good 30 tooth blade with a triple chip grind. While youre at it make yourself a dedicated Zero Clearance Insert for that blade alone.

Next is feed rate. My 3 hp table saw will be more forgiving than your 15 amp bench top table saw. You will have to practice to get it just right. Be consistent through the cut. Dont push too fast or you will overwork your motor and your blade will woble as you mentioned earlier, but dont go too slow or youll have burn marks. Do not stop, pause, or hesitate during the cut. You will get it right after a few tries. Just make sure to use a splitter and always know where your hand is in relation to the blade.

Like I said at the start, I do get those results that you are after. This will work. Tune up both of your saws, get a nice blade, practice and be safe.