Freud Glue Line Rip Blade any happy users?

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,
I'm looking at the Freud Glue Line Rip blades.

Are they everything they say they are?
How well do they perform on the occasional crosscut?
Do they seem to do better than a regular combination blade on plywood and/or MDF?

[Dick Rowe]

I can't speak to crosscutting or plywood/mdf cutting, but ripping hardwood on my General contractor saw, the Freud blade is unbelieveably 'better' than the thin-kerf Woodworker II blades I usually run.

I recently ripped a bunch of ash using both blades, and when I switched to the Freud it was amazing how much easier the stock went through the saw.

[Prashun Patel]

A combo blade will be (IMHO) better on the cross cuts. The ATB teeth slice across fibers neater than TCG teeth, which excel at moving through dense materials and ripping. Also, the combo blade has more teeth (50 vs 30), which will also make it more 'delicate' and the Glue-Line more 'tough'.

I have a $34 Avanti (Freud) combo blade which is fantastic at ripping and crosscutting stock < 1". When I ripped some 2" oak legs ona 60 deg bevel, I got some burning. A ripping blade like the GlueLine woulda been better for that. But for me, most of my work is 1" or smaller, and I do a lot of cross cutting, so a combo blade works well. Plus I don't mind using the ROS to clean up the occasional burn mark (it also keeps me honest about keeping my saw in alignment).

If you have the cash, I'd personally get the Freud Fusion. Amazon has em for $88 right now. These blades are 40 tooth, so they're more aggressive than the combo blade, but the teeth are high ATB, so they're even better at cross cutting than the combo blades. If I got this blade, though, I'd get a cheap ripping blade on with which to do rough work. Save this baby for the furniture, since the Hi-ATB's can wear a little quicker than regular ATB.

[Greg Cole]

Rich,
Dunno whom "they" are or what "they" have said, but I like mine a bunch. If you rip thicker stock be sure to get one for the thicker stock, or you'll have the burning that Shawn mentions.
I still run ripped boards over my jointer or a couple swipes with my #6 for a glue up or #4 for surface finish prep, it's not "really necessary" for the glue up application but I like my glue ups as flat as I can get'em as I usually flatten with planes.
The cut from a glue line is very good, but not ready for finishing.
The one thing I had to keep telling myself when I started using a ripper was to keep the feed rate up & let it "rip" per say.

Greg

[Jerome Hanby]

Mine rips like a dream and for most instances is ok to glue without heading to the jointer. I hate to use my good blades on MDF, I always switch to an older blade, so no help there. Same thing for crosscutting, I've got a Freud cross cut blade for that operation. If I just had to switch back and forth a bunch and didn't want to change out blades, I'd probably buy a Freud combo blade (or in my case, steal the one off my miter saw).

[scott spencer]

Hi Rich - The term "better" can vary depending on what characteristic is being addressed, but the GLR blades do have some advantages and disadvantages relative to other blades. They do leave a nice edge as rippers go, but tend to leave more tearout on crosscuts than ATB and crosscut blades. The triple chip grind will hold up better than any other so it's a good choice for high volume applications. It should feed faster than a comparable blade with a higher tooth count, but won't necessarily cut cleaner, especially on crosscuts. It uses a 13° postive hook angle which is only moderately aggressive, so pure rippers with a steeper hook of 20° will feed faster if all other parameters are equal. It has a low side clearance that gives a nice polished edge, but that same feature makes it a bit more prone to burning in very thick woods or woods that are very prone to burning, or if binding occurs.

The 30T TCG glue line rippers are essentially a task specific blade with a fairly narrow operating range. They don't cut more aggressively or in thicker wood than most good general purpose blades so IMO they're not a great substitute for them unless the edge life advantages appeal to you. Good choice for alot of melamine and even MDF if you don't mind the wear. Shawn's suggestion for a Hi-ATB general purp blade like the Fusion is good choice IMO if you plan to crosscut with it or need fine cuts in ply. Something like the 30T WWII with an ATB grind might also be a good choice for you as it will cut cleaner on crosscuts and ply due to the ATB grind, and still rips well. I do use my GLR blade when I've got alot of ripping to do in moderately thick wood when I want a better finish than my 24T ripper gives, but most of the time there's a 40T to 60T GP blade on my saw both of which rip pretty well in the 1" range, and definitely crosscut better.

[Dave Lehnert]

The Glue Line Rip blade is designed to make very small ridges on the edge when you rip the stock. The ridge holds the glue. Running the boards through a jointer after using the blade defeats the purpose of the blade.

[Gregory Stahl]

Very happy with mine. I have one for wood less than 1" in thickness, and one for wood greater than 1" in thickness--I suggest getting both.

For cross-cutting, I use a Freud 80t blade. So far, I have been very good and switched the blades for the different purposes, so can't comment on cross-cutting with the Glue Line Rip blades.

Best,
Greg Stahl

[Mike Keers]

...and I'm very happy with it. I've never had to do any jointing after, it's off the saw and into clamps. I use it as a jointer in that sense for smooth edges. I've found it will crosscut adequately in a pinch in face frame stock and similar stuff, well enough to avoid changing blades if it's only an occasional cut.

As has been pointed out above, it's a specific task blade. I do all my initial ripping with a Freud 24t ripper, either the standard Industrial quality blade for good stock, or the Diablo contractor blades for reclaimed wood (always hard on tools). The GLR is for the final milling to size in my shop, often just taking off a kerf's worth of wood on each side of the board.

As a side note, I've found the Freud Diablo series very satisfactory for general use or for when you don't want to wear out the better blades on lower quality wood or abrasive man-made stuff. I consider them disposable. After working their way down the food chain from good lumber when they're new, to dirty, sandy, old weatherbeaten 'desert drift wood' (old found lumber) when they start to loose the edge. That reclaimed wood ultimately kills them, but not before I've gotten my $35~ use out of them. I suppose they could even be sharpened once, but I've never bothered.

[Bruce Page]

The Glue Line Rip blade is designed to make very small ridges on the edge when you rip the stock. The ridge holds the glue. Running the boards through a jointer after using the blade defeats the purpose of the blade.

Dave, if you’re getting very small ridges on your ripped edge it’s from something in your TS or your setup, not the blade. The Freud Glue Line Rip is designed to leave an extremely smooth edge surface.

I’ve been very happy with my LM74. It takes very little effort to push hardwood through the blade and leaves a very nice edge.

[Scott Whiting]

I suppose they could even be sharpened once, but I've never bothered.

Actually several times unless you start breaking teeth then the cost could be higher than replacing the blade.

[Dave Lehnert]

Dave, if you’re getting very small ridges on your ripped edge it’s from something in your TS or your setup, not the blade. The Freud Glue Line Rip is designed to leave an extremely smooth edge surface.

I’ve been very happy with my LM74. It takes very little effort to push hardwood through the blade and leaves a very nice edge.

I do not own the GLR blade. A factory rep from Freud told me how and why the blade worked. The ridges I talk about are very, very small. Something much different than a bad table saw would do.

[Bruce Page]

Dave, I’m not trying to be argumentative but if you think about it, there’s no way a blade tooth, arching down on a board edge, could leave a longitudinal ridge on a board’s edge - regardless of what the Freud rep said.

[Dave Lehnert]

Dave, I’m not trying to be argumentative but if you think about it, there’s no way a blade tooth, arching down on a board edge, could leave a longitudinal ridge on a board’s edge - regardless of what the Freud rep said.

Noting wrong with a good debate. It's how we learn.

I posted the question on another forum that a Freud sales rep is known to visit. Below is his answer.

"While slight ridges on the surfaces of a glue joint should not negatively affect the strength, the intent of the GLR blade is to leave a very smooth edge which can be used for glue joints as is or for finish edges with minimal sanding."

He also added that the blade was ground to leave a smooth edge but not a burnished edge. Guess that is what the rep I was talking to was referring to.????

[Larry Fox]

I have two and love them. Having said that, I have noticed that they dulled a bit faster than my Forrest WW II - which has yet to dull.

[Matt Ocel]

I was excited to get my Freud GLR blade , got it home, tried it out, then went and bought a jointer.

[Peter Quinn]

I have a glue Freud GL rip blade. It can cross cut, but is not meant for that and doesn't leave as good a surface finish as a combo or dedicated fine cross cut blade. Its also not meant for plywood so I wouldn't rely on it there either.

For ripping thick hardwood its a very good blade. I have a Freud ultimate cross cut and its a fine blade too, for cross cutting obviously. I'm not really a guy that rips and glues, everything passes over the jointer last, so I could care about ridges or no ridges, but it leaves a pretty good surface.

My favorite rip blade is an Amana Euro Rip (http://www.amanatool.com/circular-saw-blades/euro-rip-anti-kickback-rb1020.html). Its the rip blade I use most of the time now. Surface quality equal to the Freud, much smoother and faster feed, less kickback, quieter in operation, and it seems to last far longer on a grind (sharpened by the same machine shop as all my blades). Its also the one I use for joints when I need the FT grind. Finest rip blade I have owned or used.

Sooner or later it pays to get dedicated blades for ripping, cross cutting and sheet goods. I like a good combo blade for general work and have several but they have their limitations and typically show them when its least convenient.

[Bill Jepson]

Rich,
I really like mine. My blade leaves no ridges. The blade is OK for an occasional cross cut, but the likely problem is chip out on the bottom. a proper cross cut or finishing blade does a better job. I use a Freud finishing cross cut blade and the finish is so smooth that a light sanding and it's ready for finish.
Bill

[Jeffrey Makiel]

I almost exclusively use all Freud saw blades including the rip blade. They work very well for me, are a great value, and easily found at many retailers. No complaints.

Happy ripping,
-Jeff :)

[Eddie Darby]

Adhesives do not need a roughed up surface, when gluing wood. Metals and plastics, usually yes, but wood , no.

The wood itself, no matter how smooth offers plenty of nooks n' crannies for the adhesive to flow into. Wood surfaces need to be clean though, as contaminants prevent contact. Certain oily woods need a cleaning with solvents, such as acetone, for a bond to take hold.

-This type of adhesion is more a kin to a mechanical bond, like fingers interlocking.

-Adhesives also bond by just being really really really close to the item being bonded.

-The adhesive must also stick to itself. Sounds funny, but most glues produce a glue line, so we have wood-glue-wood. In the case of epoxy, the glue is several times stronger than the wood.
I say most, because Hide glue does not have a glue line, so with hide, you need to get perfect wood-wood contact.
This wood to wood joint demands more precision on the part of the woodworker. This is one of the reasons why hide glue has been replaced by modern adhesives, for some tasks. It is still used in making musical instruments, since it can be reversed, and allow repairs to be made.

Do you want to save glue?

If you are gluing two small pieces together were spreading out the glue does not take very long, then only one surface needs to be wet with the glue.
If it is going to take a while to spread all the glue, and clamp it, then both surfaces need it.

As long as the glue is wet, it will transfer to the other surface.

[Paul Johnstone]

Hello,
I'm looking at the Freud Glue Line Rip blades.

Are they everything they say they are?
How well do they perform on the occasional crosscut?
Do they seem to do better than a regular combination blade on plywood and/or MDF?

They are great for ripping. That is what they are made for.

Do not use a ripping blade on plywood or for crosscuts. It will splinter it really badly (probably, I have never tried it).

It takes maybe 30 seconds to change a tablesaw blade. Get a dedicated blade for plywood/crosscuts. It is really time well spent.

[Dennis Montgomery]

I use Freud exclusively. I use both the glue line rip and the ultimate crosscut. They work great for what they are intended. The GLR will cross cut, but not clean, and it will probably splinter plywood.