Recommended 10" table saw blade for ripping maple?

GatzkeCues

GatzkeCues

It used to be a hobby
Silver Member
Like the title says, Recommended 10" table saw blade for ripping maple?
I just picked up approximately 1,400 board feet of aged Michigan maple originally
Milled in 1966. I don't mind paying for quality, just need something that might make
It through this project.
Thanks, Mike
 
I had to rip a bunch of 8/4 maple for a cutting board I just built. I always buy the top of the line tools. I had a Forrest WW2, 40 teeth, ATB. No way in hell it could rip that maple.

I wanted to buy a Forrest 30 teeth flat top rip blade, but needed the blade that day to meet my deadline. So I went to the local Woodcraft and bought their most expensive Freud rip blade. It was about $65. Full kerf, non coated. I don't have the model number off hand, but will add it later. You can't get this blade at Home Depot.

Anyway, the blade cut through the maple like butter. Night and day to my ATB Forrest blade.

I thought the cut quality was great, but the fit and finish of the grind on the teeth and the blade body IMO was not as good as the Forrest.

I was satisfied with the Freud, however, if I were to buy one again, I'd spend the extra $50 on a Forrest dedicated rip blade.
 
Thanks guys, checking into them.

I don't need to worry about losing any profit by using the table saw over the band saw, due to they are about 1" x 1.5" in dimension once separated anyhow. So in other words I'm kind of trimming the fat to say. I barely have the time to dedicate to this project as it is, let alone use the slower band saw on them. Also there is a chance I might miss a broken nail every once in a while. I'm not too sure the blade on the band saw would be as forgiving. ;)
 
While it is probably dry, let me suggest you use a splitter or riving knife. Nothing like having a kerf close while cutting and have a piece of wood climb and come back at your head...

I have a ww2, but would buy the thin kerf after trying them on my circular saws. They cut soo much easier...
 
This is the Freud blade I mentioned in the above post:
Freud Rip blade

Here is the Forrest rip blade. I'm not sure why this one is an ATB blade, but if you called Forrest directly, I'm sure you can order it with a flat top grind.
Forrest Rip


Speaking of bandsaw, I have this blade (I think its this model...), and I think it actually cuts easier than the table saw with the rip blade on thick maple. If you are just roughing your stock to size, maybe this will give you better results. I just bought this blade for my mid-grade Delta 14" bandsaw, and could not believe how well it cut thick stock.
Timber Wolf blade

IMG_2890.jpg
This pic is trying to cut maple, purpleheart, and walnut with my WW2 (not super sharp, but not dull either). No way was it up to the job, in fact I felt very unsafe cutting it.

IMG_2891.jpg
This pic is with the Freud rip blade.

IMG_3010.jpg
Finished product.
 
pescadoman said:
While it is probably dry, let me suggest you use a splitter or riving knife. Nothing like having a kerf close while cutting and have a piece of wood climb and come back at your head...

I have a ww2, but would buy the thin kerf after trying them on my circular saws. They cut soo much easier...
Click to expand...

This is another good reason to choose a bandsaw. If your wood is rough sawn, and not surfaced, there is no chance of kickback on a bandsaw. Even if the wood was surfaced, more than likely, it has moved quite a bit all these years. On a table saw with the wood rocking on the table, the chance is very high of problems, with that much wood to cut. If you go the table saw route, put back your guard for this job;)

I've had both thin kerf blades, and full kerf. I prefer full kern now. One of the main reasons is I cut on both sides of the blade at times, and its much easier when the blade is 1/8" kerf instead of 3/32" for the math to work out. Its mostly personal preference though.
 
Your welcome.
I have 2 anti-kickback jigs that are working very well so far and a custom
rip-fence also. haven't had to use a riving knife yet. My main problem is
keeping the blades sharp.
I also have the Timberline blade on my 18" Grizzly but like I said before.
I just need to get this off my flatbed and squared up for now before it rains.
I'll deal with doweling them over time.
Thanks a bunch for the additional info.
Mike
 
iusedtoberich said:
This is the Freud blade I mentioned in the above post:
Freud Rip blade

Here is the Forrest rip blade. I'm not sure why this one is an ATB blade, but if you called Forrest directly, I'm sure you can order it with a flat top grind.
Forrest Rip


Speaking of bandsaw, I have this blade (I think its this model...), and I think it actually cuts easier than the table saw with the rip blade on thick maple. If you are just roughing your stock to size, maybe this will give you better results. I just bought this blade for my mid-grade Delta 14" bandsaw, and could not believe how well it cut thick stock.
Timber Wolf blade

View attachment 250639
This pic is trying to cut maple, purpleheart, and walnut with my WW2 (not super sharp, but not dull either). No way was it up to the job, in fact I felt very unsafe cutting it.

View attachment 250640
This pic is with the Freud rip blade.

View attachment 250641
Finished product.
Click to expand...

THAT ww2 was dull or dirty....
 
i'm lucky enough to have a full size cabinet saw, so take that into account with my comments below:

1) i have a nice sharp forest ww2 full-kerf and i wouldnt hesitate to rip a small quantity of maple with it if it was already on the saw.

2) that said, i also have a full-kerf freud glue-line rip blade and if i had to rip 1,400 board feet of hard maple, i would take the time to install it and not look back. again, my saw motor is rated for the full-kerf, if you have a smaller saw, you may need the thin kerf.

3) i also have the option of a 14" bandsaw and could use that if the wood proved to be too tough for the table saw (not likely) or if had funky grain or twisting that kept causing the kerf to close up on me and be a problem. i generally do not find it nearly as convenient to do a lot of ripping on this bandsaw as the table is much smaller than the table saw and the height is inconvenient for me and i dont have rollere stands which easily adjust for this height. my saw has a higher hp motor, so i am rated to use a 3/4" blade, so i would use that, for a standard motor saw, follow the rating and use the smaller (5/8" or 1/2") blades.

4) so, if i had to use a bandsaw, i'd use my 36" bandsaw which has a nice large table on it which is about the same height as my table saw (which allows me to set up the roller stands easily). since i have an 1 3/4" blade on this saw, it rips very nicely.

so long story short, use the recommended blade for whatever size saw you have and you will get a better cut.
 
justaguy said:
i'm lucky enough to have a full size cabinet saw, so take that into account with my comments below:

1) i have a nice sharp forest ww2 full-kerf and i wouldnt hesitate to rip a small quantity of maple with it if it was already on the saw.

2) that said, i also have a full-kerf freud glue-line rip blade and if i had to rip 1,400 board feet of hard maple, i would take the time to install it and not look back. again, my saw motor is rated for the full-kerf, if you have a smaller saw, you may need the thin kerf.

3) i also have the option of a 14" bandsaw and could use that if the wood proved to be too tough for the table saw (not likely) or if had funky grain or twisting that kept causing the kerf to close up on me and be a problem. i generally do not find it nearly as convenient to do a lot of ripping on this bandsaw as the table is much smaller than the table saw and the height is inconvenient for me and i dont have rollere stands which easily adjust for this height. my saw has a higher hp motor, so i am rated to use a 3/4" blade, so i would use that, for a standard motor saw, follow the rating and use the smaller (5/8" or 1/2") blades.

4) so, if i had to use a bandsaw, i'd use my 36" bandsaw which has a nice large table on it which is about the same height as my table saw (which allows me to set up the roller stands easily). since i have an 1 3/4" blade on this saw, it rips very nicely.

so long story short, use the recommended blade for whatever size saw you have and you will get a better cut.
Click to expand...


If the kerf closes up and pinches the blade it means that there is a lot of stress in that wood.

I wouldn't use it for pool cues if it acted like that.

Kim
 
pescadoman said:
THAT ww2 was dull or dirty....
Click to expand...

Could very well have been. I did clean it with oven cleaner right after cutting the first boards, but then said to myself, I need a rip blade for this job. Besides the burn marks, it took quite a lot of force to feed the wood through. I went to the store, bought the rip blade, and never tried the cleaned blade on the thick maple. I'll try the cleaned WW2 when I'm at the shop again around Xmas time just for curiosity. (I don't live near my shop anymore...)
 
whammo57 said:
If the kerf closes up and pinches the blade it means that there is a lot of stress in that wood.

I wouldn't use it for pool cues if it acted like that.

Kim
Click to expand...

That's up the the cuemaker....

However, the reason to use the bandsaw in a case like that, is for the safety of the operator. If there are internal stresses in the wood, it will close up the kerf on the bandsaw, just as it would on a table saw. However, there is zero chance the wood will end up in your face, which is very possible on a tablsaw.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top