Ripping woes.... bad technique?

[johnny means]

I agree on using a proper ripping blade. 8\4 stock is a big ask for a combo blade. Combo blades are nothing but two bad blades for the price of one.

[Andrew Seemann]

It could have been one of the things, it could have been a combination, or it could have just been a board that was a SOB. Sometimes you get boards that are just fine on one side and chock full of tension on the other. Every species of wood I have ever used has had at least one board that refused to submit to standard woodworking operations. Either way, it sounds like your saw is much happier now.

A decent rip blade would be handy to have. I have a cheap thin kerf rip blade I use for when I do a lot of rough ripping or if I am a little suspicious of what I am cutting. I should break down and get a decent rip blade, but I get good enough results with the Forrest blade 90% of the time, plus I don't need to stop and change blades, so . . .

[Si Wood]

I would try ripping a different scrap board to eliminate the possibility that it is a lumber issue. Freshly dressed 8/4 stock, depending on storage environment should be done within a few days time depending on how much material your jointing off. If your issue still persists, check the alignment of the table top to the trunnion underneath. I have a cross slide attachment ( Excalibur ) that bolts to the side of the saw's cast top and when walking past it was knocked enought that the cast top twisted out of alignment to the trunnion. There should be 4 bolts securing the top to the saw cabinet or base with enough play in the holes to " square up " the top to the trunnion. The mitre slots to the blade BODY can be your reference point. If that checks out, then i would check the fence alignment and like mentioned, the RK to blade body ( maybe the knife is twisted a bit and pulling the lumber towards the blade )...my two and 1/2 cents